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Posted By: archercaptain Jan 29, 2004 - 07:28 pm

I'm sure this question has been asked countless of times. Yet I'm going to plague you with the familiar question of: where should I begin my story? I have considered putting it before the plot begins to unfold, or slam-bang right in the middle, or even a little bit afterwards. Any suggestions?

By the way, the beginning of the story involves this adolescent and his family fleeing from their house (the purpose is yet to be revealed to the young man). Thanks!

Posted By: talisman Jan 30, 2004 - 09:41 am

Depends a bit on whether you keep the reader's interest for a while before the plot develops.

Sometimes its nice to get to know characters before you really get into the story, but it can be dramatic to jump straight in.

Not sure how you can start after the plot begins, unless you mean starting after a historical prologue.

Usually whats best is to do a prologue which is directly related to the plot, then maybe do the following (1st) chapter as a intro. So you go from action to a more relaxed bit of the book before then starting the action in subsequent chapters.

Posted By: Sara Jan 31, 2004 - 02:42 pm

Hi, archercaptain,

Are you writing a book or a short story? If you're writing a book, your first chapter is going to be what you will send to prospective agents and publishers. It has to have something to grab a reader's attention and fully demonstrate your writing abilities. I would recommend jumping straight into the action. You don't have to explain why something happens from the get-go; that's why you have the rest of the book. You said your main protagonist doesn't understand why his family has to flee. That's great. His confusion and (one would assume) fear are great hooks; most people can readily identify with those emotions, his helplessness and anxiety. It would set a very strong, emotional introduction not only to your story, but your protagonist as well. The same principle holds true with a short story, except you'll want to condense a strong lead into a paragraph or two. Either way, your introduction must be your "hook." If you can't hook a reader from the first, they'll put your story down and never pick it up again. You sound like you have a good scenario for your opening; make it powerful and convincing and make your reader want to find out more.

Posted By: Tobias Apr 17, 2004 - 05:17 am

To me, mystery is the best ally. Depending on whether you are writing first or third person, it can be achieved multiple ways: protagonists confusion, or the narrator explaining what is happening without telling why.

I agree with Sara that you need a strong hook, but don't think that this only involves rushing about action; fast-paced stuff. Sometimes a bit of good writing spiced with a bit of mystery can do just as well. Take, for example, the first Harry Potter book. Most people agree that it was depressing, but its good writing was able to hook people until the REALLY good stuff.

Of course, there are other ways, those above being only suggestions.