How to Start Your Story with a Bang
The purpose of creating a story is to create a world that will draw the reader away from their own. In order to do this one must create suspense, drama and mystery. Your reader must absolutely need to get from page to page, to find out what happens.
There are several simple techniques to get your story going and draw the reader in. Here are just a few:
1) Start in the middle of a problem.
Ex. A lover's quarrel, a murder, a personal dilemma
2) Start with an unusual environment
Ex. Alice in Wonderland, the beginning of the final frontier, a journey to a new world
3) Start with action
Ex. A gun has just been fired, A woman is deciding whether to jump or not, A hospital ER being mobilized
4) Start with a feeling
Ex. The soft silk slid across her skin, as she finally slid into his bed.
Hot coals burned his stomach as the bullet tore through him.
The rich velvety feel of chocolate on her tongue was the perfect end to a dreadful day.
Don't spend the first day bogged down on details, unless they are absolutely crucial to understanding your story. Even then, save descriptions for later in your story, if you can. Get the reader hooked first, then you can describe the rich incandescence of his eyes or the exact color of her house. Remember your story should be like life, fast paced, even at a standstill, and utterly surprising.
About The Author
Caterina Christakos is the author of several how to books, children's stories and countless articles. To view more writing tips and get some homespun advice visit: http://www.howtowriteachildrensbook.com
There are various forms of structure, including frameworks, work processes... Read More
A poet isn't born; you must work at crafting your... Read More
This article contains a short guide on how to edit... Read More
Way back in your early school years, you were probably... Read More
As an aspiring or an established entrepreneur, you are an... Read More
The first step in the writing process is to put... Read More
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by marketing. First, there's so... Read More
Almost everyone could profit from enhancing their writing skills. From... Read More
Business etiquette is fundamentally concerned with building relationships founded upon... Read More
Q. My writing sounds stiff and stilted. Help!A. Memories of... Read More
Freelance editing opportunities are out there, you just need to... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
A frequent conversation I have with my writing clients is... Read More
It is satisfying to be a part of such a... Read More
As many authors are fond of stating, "Ideas are all... Read More
Poems. Just the mention of them makes me smile. Why?... Read More
All sales begin with some form of advertising whether it's... Read More
The principle for writing good screenplays begins with good idea... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?You are plotting the story. You write... Read More
The creativity of Jaisini is not designed to be preaching... Read More
Think of writing like karate...it's about DISCIPLINE.Writing, like other forms... Read More
Based on the feedback that I have been getting from... Read More
Writers are notorious collectors of slips of paper. They tear... Read More
Taming the Book Proposal: The BasicsOh, that most maddening of... Read More
To keep it simple and basic: Jack Finney's Invasion of... Read More
As an editorial professional, I'm sure you're aware of the... Read More
Making Money from Freelance WritingIt's the question that every aspiring... Read More
Want to write your book? But, need a blueprint on... Read More
Questions and answers on writing life experiences for ourselves and... Read More
Connectors -- conjunctions, punctuation, and transitional phrases -- allow readers... Read More
Here's something from my mailbag. "Dear Michael, do you need... Read More
Writing can be more difficult that just compiling your thoughts... Read More
I've seen it time and again. One of the most... Read More
Lately I've been noticing an odd trend amongst the freelance... Read More
The greatest gift you have to give to yourself and... Read More
Readers often send me interesting and exciting e-mails about the... Read More
Writing is a personal and introspective process. To share with... Read More
Many of the most effective low-cost marketing strategies require writing.... Read More
Writing is hard work, and like all hard work, one... Read More
If you are an aspiring writer, or you simply want... Read More
Eight or nine times out of ten, picking up and... Read More
What is Sense of Place? It's the image of a... Read More
I just finished to read a book. A story for... Read More
How to get a lot of traffic to your website... Read More
As an aspiring or an established entrepreneur, you are an... Read More
Want to write a how-to article but can't come up... Read More
Sit back, and imagine what it feels like to be... Read More
When the writing bug hits you, get out your pencil,... Read More
We've all heard a politician on their soapbox, pushing for... Read More
Everyone has a unique story to tell. From explaining business... Read More
I'm in the process of moving from one computer to... Read More
The following answer sounds simplistic?but think about it. The single... Read More
I asked several writers how long it took them to... Read More
GAINING WRITING EXPERIENCE Some Catch-22, huh? In... Read More
The creativity of Jaisini is not designed to be preaching... Read More
Way back in your early school years, you were probably... Read More
Recently, I was hunting for a book that would simply... Read More
There is a lot of confusion about recommendation letters.Recommendation letters... Read More
We all know people who ramble. They include every boring... Read More
Word processors are so widely used now that I tend... Read More
You can learn a lot about what it takes to... Read More
The journey to having my first novel for children published... Read More
First drafts are for getting down the ideas. Anna Jacobs... Read More
A certified proofreader is one that has taken a few... Read More
A book coaching client recently emailed me that she was... Read More
If you have been online for any length of time... Read More
Writing |