# Getting the ball rolling



## mathmaster12 (May 28, 2014)

Hey everyone!
When I am writing I have found that the hardest part for me is the beginning: first sentence, paragraph, chapter. :confusion: Once I getting my beginning written down I am fine, but I always have trouble starting to write a new story. Does anyone have any suggests about how to get started writing. Thanks!


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## InstituteMan (May 28, 2014)

The blank page is every writer's nemesis. I start by writing crap, and then make it less crappy later. 

I am not being flip. I rarely keep my opening lines after I edit.


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## Apple Ice (May 28, 2014)

I'm the other way, I often get off to a flying start and quickly find myself in sludge and just sink. It's really quite annoying


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## garza (May 28, 2014)

An old geezer at the Daily Herald explained it this way. 'You want to eat tomorrow? Write today.' As simple as it is, that concept has kept me putting words on paper for over 60 years. Amazing how that opening sentence seems to write itself when food, clothing, and shelter depend on it.


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## TaraLin (May 28, 2014)

I'm the same way. I can start it off amazing, then it just kind of dulls as the story goes on. I notice this a lot with other writers too. 

For me, usually writing the first sentence isn't hard to do.


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## Bishop (May 28, 2014)

Start with the intention of rewriting the entire first paragraph. Just type down the most basic thing. Have your protagonist, in a place, with something in his hand/doing something. That's it. Then the ball's rolling! Then you've got a scene forming. Then later, come back and rewrite that entire first paragraph once you're done with the work. That's all!

In my first book, I rewrote my entire prologue after I finished the work. And it vastly improved my opening.


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## thepancreas11 (May 28, 2014)

Issue 1:
When I have trouble writing the beginning of a piece, I start with the very last sentence, then I work my way backwards. By the time I've written the last chapter or section, I have a fantastic idea of the conflict and the characters, enough that I can start putting them in other scenes. That way, the first scene kind of fleshes itself out for you.

When in doubt though, just put words down. You'll find a rhythm eventually. I agree with some of the comments up there: you'll like edit or revise anything you put down at first. The important part is getting past that first awkward paragraph or so. Some other tricks you might consider: using a kind of literary powerhouse to open up your piece, including but not limited to, a situation which very clearly profiles you character, a hectic, frantic, or exciting event, a seriously sensory happening, or some intense imagery. Each of those scenes would get you rolling quickly, I think.

Issue 2:
The interior doldrums. I find this more troubling than getting started as well. I trick myself into writing more by hopping past places that bog me down. I write a further chapter and try to bridge both the tone and the action between the two pieces. Or, I write a small outline of the chapter I'm having the most trouble with which only includes the point of the chapter, the climax of the chapter, the resolution, and the end transition. Usually works pretty well.


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## aj47 (May 29, 2014)

Don't start at the beginning.  Start in the middle and tell yourself you'll a) go back or b) use flashbacks.

You can always put stuff at the top of the page or on a page before the page you start writing.


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## Jeko (May 29, 2014)

Start with conflict. If there isn't immediately a problem, then the story hasn't really started.

Also, don't worry about anything but starting the story where it needs to begin. That's all that matters at first.

Or, start somewhere else.


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## Tettsuo (May 29, 2014)

InstituteMan said:


> The blank page is every writer's nemesis. I start by writing crap, and then make it less crappy later.
> 
> I am not being flip. I rarely keep my opening lines after I edit.


This.  You can't edit a blank page.  I keep writing this because it's right.  So long as you put something down, you have something to work with.


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## MysticalMind (May 29, 2014)

astroannie said:


> Don't start at the beginning.  Start in the middle and tell yourself you'll a) go back or b) use flashbacks.
> 
> You can always put stuff at the top of the page or on a page before the page you start writing.



That's a really good idea. Or you could start at the end of a story, as I've seen suggested before, and work your way to the beginning. That way you have the resolution and you'll just need to work out how to get to it.


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## shadowwalker (May 29, 2014)

I can spend days getting that first sentence/paragraph right. I'll rewrite it a hundred times, sometimes just changing or adding one word. Maybe it's intuition, maybe just something gleaned from so much reading, but at some point, I'll know that I've got it, that the first sentence/paragraph is right for this story, sets the tone for this story in my mind. But I have to write the first sentence first, because I can't work on what's not there (plus it's hard to keep track in my head :stupid: )


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## garza (May 29, 2014)

Bet you didn't have an editor standing over you tapping his foot, clearing his throat, and pointing to his watch. Or a bureau chief yelling that if you don't hurry the AP will have it first. Such situations can be most inspiring. The dual threats of hunger and homelessness also play a part.


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## shadowwalker (May 29, 2014)

garza said:


> Bet you didn't have an editor standing over you tapping his foot, clearing his throat, and pointing to his watch. Or a bureau chief yelling that if you don't hurry the AP will have it first. Such situations can be most inspiring. The dual threats of hunger and homelessness also play a part.



I have had deadlines and I met them. I can't say the stories were as good as the ones where I had time to think about it more, and I don't see any reason to put that sort of pressure on when I don't have to. But yeah - I've had deadlines and I've proved I can meet them with acceptable writing.


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## garza (May 29, 2014)

And while some extra time might have led to something a bit better, by meeting those deadlines you proved yourself as a writer not hung up on excuses like 'writers' block' or 'waiting for inspiration'. And over time deadlines will train your mind to work faster, to be more efficient, and to come up with the best possible story in time to meet the deadline.

What if everyone who wanted to be a writer had to serve an apprenticeship as a reporter for a daily newspaper? Think about it.


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## shadowwalker (May 29, 2014)

garza said:


> And while some extra time might have led to something a bit better, by meeting those deadlines you proved yourself as a writer not hung up on excuses like 'writers' block' or 'waiting for inspiration'. And over time deadlines will train your mind to work faster, to be more efficient, and to come up with the best possible story in time to meet the deadline.



Well, first, I've never accepted the concept of "writers block", nor the idea of "waiting for inspiration". If you intend to write, you write. As to the second statement, yes, it does train your mind to do these things _to meet the deadline_ - that doesn't mean that writing without a deadline cannot produce a better story.



garza said:


> What if everyone who wanted to be a writer had to serve an apprenticeship as a reporter for a daily newspaper? Think about it.



It would teach them to write nonfiction to a deadline. And...?

I'm not saying setting a personal deadline is a bad idea - if one has trouble with procrastination it's almost necessary. I'm just saying that one does not _necessarily _write better for having one.


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## garza (May 29, 2014)

I doubt that personal deadlines ever do any good. It's make-believe, and the writer knows it's make believe. The kind of deadline that gets the juices flowing is the kind I lived with for many years - bread and butter deadlines. You write to pay the rent and buy the groceries. Of course there are those who say writing under economic pressure takes away the joy of writing, but that was never true for me. Writing for me was always fun, and being paid for writing only added to the fun. Deadlines turned ordinary story-telling into games. Pleasing an editor to accumulate enough inches of copy for a decent week's pay means you win that round. 

Whether writing for a daily newspaper, provided any can yet be found, would prepare one for more than non-fiction is something I'll have to think about. That's why I said 'what if...' without offering an opinion about what the outcome would be. I know people such as Ernest Hemingway have transitioned from reporter to successful fiction writer, but whether the newspaper experience was the best possible preparation I don't know. 

In my case I've continued to write and sell a good deal of non-fiction even as I've studied how to write fiction. One thing I've learned - to write fiction, command of the language is not enough. An active imagination is needed. This would be especially true for the science fiction, fantasy, sort of writer. I don't have that kind of imagination. However, I can create characters based on the kinds of people I've know in real life, put them into locations I'm familiar with, and create plausible situations. Thus I feel comfortable writing the kind of fiction I like to read - fiction that's truthful with only the facts rearranged. I believe my years of writing for newspapers and magazines was good preparation for writing that kind of fiction.


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## Bishop (May 29, 2014)

garza said:


> I doubt that personal deadlines ever do any good. It's make-believe, and the writer knows it's make believe.



I disagree. I stole the idea for my daily word counts from Stephen King--2k words a day, everyday. While it's make believe, I still have succeeded quite a bit. I've completed two novels and am a good 70,000 words into the third. That isn't to say they always work. Take a look at some of my more recent entries. I've failed a little. But I own that failure and hold myself responsible to it. I get depressed when I fail to meet my goal each week/day. It really sucks because it's something that I'm responsible for to myself. I know that doesn't work for most people, but as with anything, to each their own.


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## Sam (May 29, 2014)

Cadence said:


> Start with conflict. If there isn't immediately a problem, then the story hasn't really started.



This. 

Unless you'd rather start somewhere else, don't let anyone tell you that you shouldn't start at the beginning. Every novel I've ever written I started at the beginning.


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## Sam (May 29, 2014)

astroannie said:


> Don't start at the beginning.  Start in the middle and tell yourself you'll a) go back or b) use flashbacks.
> 
> You can always put stuff at the top of the page or on a page before the page you start writing.



Flashbacks are the single worst thing you can do at the start of a novel. By far and away. In fact, some publishers bin entire manuscripts because of flashbacks in the first chapter.


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## garza (May 29, 2014)

Three ideas here. First, I think you are right that setting artificial goals will not work for most people. I'm certain they'd never work for me, though I've never tried such a technique. I write what must be written, and when that's done, I write whatever I feel like writing.

Second, the only word count that matters is the one an editor approves. I've never been a staff reporter, always freelance. That means no salary base. Pay depends entirely on amount of copy accepted for publication. That's the only time word count, counts.

Third, two thousand words a day does not sound like much. I don't have any idea what my daily word count is, but I suspect it's a great deal more than that. Perhaps you have set your goal too low. 

Of course, in my own personal Theory of Everything, goals are always useless. I never set any goals for myself. Live life day to day and let the chips fall where they may. My own personal Theory of Everything is a result of blending the existentialists I followed in my teens and the Taoist teachers I studied with in the East. It's a heady blend.


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## InstituteMan (May 29, 2014)

So, I know everyone has a different approach and a different set of experiences, but I am firmly with garza on this one. I am not a journalist, but I am a patent attorney who gets paid when I file a patent application. If I don't write it, I don't get paid, and that tends to focus my mind pretty darn well.

Writing the complex legalistic techno-dissertation that is a good patent application is daunting as all hell. Getting started is hard. Most young patent attorneys freeze up at the challenge. When you have a mortgage payment to make and need the money from filing the application, though, motivation is easier to find. That is what taught me to JUST WRITE. Goals and personal deadlines never did me much good, but existential fear did wonders. Now it is just second nature for me to get started, because starting is the only way to finish and the finishing is what gets me paid, and that applies to both my professional work and my creative endeavors.

I am thrilled for people who have figured out other ways to be productive, and I personally am to a point where I mostly do not need the fear of starvation to motivate me, but the duel threats of homelessness and starvation garza has championed taught me how to get started and get done.


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## garza (May 29, 2014)

Right on, Brotherman!  _'If I don't write it, I don't get paid...' _

That's how the real world works. And in the very early years, the threat of going hungry can be very real. Years of work and thousands upon thousands of words are needed until a reputation is established and the right connections are made. Even then it's not easy street. 

But I say to myself, 'This is the life I have chosen, and I would not change any of it.'


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## InstituteMan (May 29, 2014)

garza said:


> Right on, Brotherman!  _'If I don't write it, I don't get paid...' _
> 
> That's how the real world works. And in the very early years, the threat of going hungry can be very real. Years of work and thousands upon thousands of words are needed until a reputation is established and the right connections are made. Even then it's not easy street.
> 
> But I say to myself, 'This is the life I have chosen, and I would not change any of it.'



Amen. The thing is, none of the stuff I write to pay the bills is ever going to end up posted here, but learning how to write for money turned me from a kid who wrote poems to (mostly just try) to pick up girls to someone who can actually create something. 

While tangential to 'getting the ball rolling,' your point about establishing a reputation is why you _need_ to get the ball rolling. I recently got work from a guy at company Z because nearly 10 years ago my work representing company X caused him problems at company Y. He told me that after that experience he would rather have me on his side. It takes years and years to create a body of work that will get you noticed in a sea of other people who want the client or the publishing contract or whatever, so you had bettered get going.


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## Kyle R (May 29, 2014)

InstituteMan said:


> It takes years and years to create a body of work that will get you noticed in a sea of other people who want the client or the publishing contract or whatever, so you had bettered get going.



I agree.

Also, a point I'd like to make: In the fiction market, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few years of unpaid writing and submitting before landing your first check.

There seems to be a subtle implication in this thread that if one isn't earning money from their writing then they aren't trying hard enough, or aren't motivated enough. I disagree.

One's *in*come is not necessarily a direct reflection of one's *out*put. A lot of fiction writers work hard, and submit voluminously, with very little to show for it. The fiction market is a tough one.


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## Bishop (May 30, 2014)

garza said:


> Three ideas here. First, I think you are right that setting artificial goals will not work for most people. I'm certain they'd never work for me, though I've never tried such a technique. I write what must be written, and when that's done, I write whatever I feel like writing.
> 
> Second, the only word count that matters is the one an editor approves. I've never been a staff reporter, always freelance. That means no salary base. Pay depends entirely on amount of copy accepted for publication. That's the only time word count, counts.
> 
> ...



Word count for novels allows the queried publisher or agent who is being approached know the length of the novel. While yes, the editor approves that word count, it's a gauge. All my work is on one piece, day in and day out, working to finish the work, regardless of the finished word count. That ends up being whatever it is--and that's before editing. I measure 2k words a day because it's a continued momentum. It keeps me going, and ensures that I keep a particular pace.

If I had no other job, no wife, etc, I'd get a great deal more done in a day. If writing was my job, or really any means of income, I'd probably set that goal higher. But as it is, I still have a career to go to everyday, working on a corporate computer network, so time is a difficult commodity. Two thousand words has allowed me to finish my novels in roughly 50-60 days, and is a goal that is both attainable and satisfying. I will say, Garza, you're the first person to say it's too low. I've had a few fellow writers tell me it's actually too high, but then again this is not at all a form of income for me. Sure, I'd like to get published, but I have no current plans of making this my only job. If I get successful, fine. But this is a hobby, pure and simple, a way for me to translate the imagination I have into a tangible creative work.

Goals are what have sustained me as a writer since my resurgence in the craft. I hold myself responsible for that blank page and make myself fill it. I force myself to sit down and get 2k words written. What got me started was a need to build the imagination into something real, and what kept me going was myself looking at the next empty page, and I keep going until it says "the end". Even then, I apparently just pop open a new document and start up a sequel, though so there's that...


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## garza (May 30, 2014)

My viewpoint is from a different angle. I've never had a day job. Writing is all I've ever done. If I were distracted by a day job that accounted for part of my income, I suppose I'd see things differently. I'm supposed to be retired, but I continue to work when people ask me. Mostly now it's for NGO's and local media houses. 

The last field work I did was after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. I'm originally from that part of the U.S. and a syndicate asked me to tour the area, interview people along the Mississippi Coast and in Southeast Louisiana, and write background articles on the cultural and economic effects of the spill. 

When I joined here a few years ago I began to study how to write fiction. It's been fun. I'll never sell a word of it, but fiction does make a great hobby.


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## Sam (May 30, 2014)

garza said:


> I'll never sell a word of it, but fiction does make a great hobby.



If I'm understanding you correctly, Garza, what you're trying to say here (albeit it in a subtle way) is that anyone who doesn't make a living from their writing is nothing more than a hobbyist? If so, that's a condescending and patronising statement. Go write a dozen novels in fifteen years and tell me that what you've done is a 'hobby'. Better still, go off to college and write sixty academic essays, take 30-plus exams, and pen a 20,000-word dissertation in four years and tell me that what you've done is a 'hobby'. 

I'm not a hobbyist; I'm a writer. I've got the credentials to prove it as well. 

Now if that wasn't what you were saying, I apologise, but I don't buy into any misguided notion that someone must make a living from their words before they can be considered a writer.


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## garza (May 30, 2014)

Not what I meant atall.  Anyone who writes has standing as a writer. That's more status than many here have granted me. I've been told I'm not a real writer because I write non-fiction. Only people who write fiction are real writers. I've been told that here more than once. 

And I've been called a prostitute because I write for money. Twice here - here in this forum - I've been pm'd by people saying that I'm a prostitute for selling what I write, though prostitute was not the word they used. That's been some years ago and the people are no longer here, but it does yet sting. 

I don't apologise for how I've lived by writing, and I don't apologise for writing fiction now just for the pleasure of writing.

I've been down the academic trail as well - five and a half years at university from age 15 to 21, coming away with an MA in English, BA's in English and History, and all course work and orals completed for a PhD lacking only the completion of another dissertation. That's what I was working on when I put down my pencil, walked out, and worked my way to the East on a Panamá-registered tramp. Had I stayed I would now be a retired English teacher.


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## shadowwalker (May 30, 2014)

There does seem to be this idea that getting money for one's writing is somehow demeaning to the "art". Don't understand it myself, because even hobbyists will sell their wares at local art fairs and markets. There are a lot of folks who say they're not in it for the money, which is fine - but then a few of them seem to think nobody should even have money as one of their goals, which is not fine. As to making a distinction between fiction and nonfiction in terms of who's a "real writer", well, that's plain and simple stupid.


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## Bishop (May 30, 2014)

shadowwalker said:


> As to making a distinction between fiction and nonfiction in terms of who's a "real writer", well, that's plain and simple stupid.



Well said!


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## Sam (May 30, 2014)

shadowwalker said:


> There does seem to be this idea that getting money for one's writing is somehow demeaning to the "art". Don't understand it myself, because even hobbyists will sell their wares at local art fairs and markets. There are a lot of folks who say they're not in it for the money, which is fine - but then a few of them seem to think nobody should even have money as one of their goals, which is not fine. As to making a distinction between fiction and nonfiction in terms of who's a "real writer", well, that's plain and simple stupid.



I once said that money wasn't the be all and end all. That applied to life as much as writing. Someone who makes money from writing is every bit as much a writer in my eyes as someone who doesn't.


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## Tettsuo (May 30, 2014)

You can train yourself to write just like you can train yourself to remember to put down the toilet seat (for guys).

It's all about repetition.  It become reflexive after awhile.

The only way I as able to write a 500+ page novel on my lunch hour and on the subway is to write something everyday.  Writer's block be damned!  Once the laptop opens, my mind turns on and juices start to flow.  It's not some innate power I have, it's straight up grit and determination.  That's not to say you don't have determination if you feel you can't start, it's to say you can overcome it!  It's not some set affliction that you've no control over.  Creativity is not some elusive wisp of smoke.  It's all in your head.  Really!

You are good enough of a writer to make your story happen.  You don't need a degree, or a bunch of people to confirm your awesome writing skills for you to make it happen.  All you need is you.

I think that's where Garza is coming from.  Given enough pressure, you'll write.  But, that pressure doesn't have to be real for all to see.  It just has to be real to you.


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## Morkonan (May 30, 2014)

mathmaster12 said:


> ...Once I getting my beginning written down I  am fine, but I always have trouble starting to write a new story. Does  anyone have any suggests about how to get started writing.  Thanks!



Start with writing the first sentence. Then,  start on the next. After that, you've got another one you need to work  on and so-on, down the line until you're done...

You can, of  course, start anywhere in your story that you wish. But, that doesn't  really "count" sometimes, does it? Sure, you write this scene that  you've dreamed up and it's cool and all, but there's nothing leading up  to it and it goes nowhere. How is that "writing" a novel? One of the  definitions of a novel is "a bunch of scenes that are connected  together." I suppose one can take a shotgun approach towards writing  their novel and jump all over the place, writing unconnected scenes, and  then worry about connecting them at some later point. But, that's not  how human beings normally think... Why hamper yourself by starting  writing seriously in any other place in the story other than the  beginning? Sure, write scenes and pivotal points in cool dialogue pieces  - Record these for posterity! But, when it comes down to it, you've got  to have that first sentence and that first paragraph and that first  page and so-on-and-so-forth... 

I wouldn't seriously consider  that I've started writing any sort of story until I've written the  opening lines. It doesn't matter if I ultimately keep them or not. What  matters is that they're written, no matter how crappy or awesome they  are.

Here's something you can try:

Sit back, relax, get  your pen in hand, cigarette, cup of coffee or whatever talisman you must  hold onto or do when you're attempting to evoke your most awesomest  creative powers.

You've got a story idea. It's about a knight who  is called upon by a small village to save them from a dragon. Neat! OK,  you've got that and a few scenes you've imagined up that are pretty  good. You've got ideas about the knight, village, dragon, allies,  obstacles, antagonist and you've even figured out your narrator. Got it.  Great! It's a novel already! All you have to do is write it...

But, you have a task that you _must_ accomplish. No matter what awesome ideas you have nor how action-packed the story may be, you must, _without fail, _engage  the Reader. Your story will never be read if you do not keep the Reader  reading. That is the hard-and-fast rule that, no matter what, you must  satisfy - Keep the Reader reading.

In anyone's opening chapter,  they must engage the Reader and force them to read on. A tall task, to  be sure. But, you're a writer and you know this, instinctively. You know  that the Reader is going to start reading your book with only the  expectations of being provided the new experience that you've outlined  with your back-cover copy. They know it's a story about some knight that  has to save some village from something that's really bad and only  someone with knightish qualities could hope to succeed.. or something  like that. They know, in general, what sort of story your novel is,  since it's located on the Fantasy bookshelf. You're writing for an  audience that appreciates fantasy and likes adventure stories, since  they already bought your book.

You know all of this. You also  know some of the basics of writing, especially that you must engage the  Reader from the start, since you have nothing else going for you that  you can rely upon to keep the Reader reading through the boring parts...  

Start with your opening. Think of how you wish to introduce  this story to the Reader. Do you want to start with the village and  demonstrate its plight? Maybe you could start with "Action" in the way  of "Conflict?" (As others have suggested) So, you start with something  attacking the village. You burn a bunch of hovels to the ground and a  village elder is presented who, in the middle of the chaos, "finally"  decides that they need a hero to save them. Meh, that might work, but  you're not happy with it. Instead, you decide to start with the hero,  fighting some other monster. That's a nice bit of foreshadowing and you  think it will work well. But, wait a minute! Nobody cares about your  hero, yet. Hmm.. Maybe you need to build him up a bit, first? Maybe you  need to show some other qualities of the hero, before he starts slicing  the heads off of monsters and such?

In the end, you decide to  start with the village as the best place to begin your story. But, in  the interim between generating mounds of useless opening pages and  deciding on your best beginning, you've come up with an interesting  twist - You've decided that the village is sacrificing virgins to the  dragon and it's the father of a soon-to-be-sacrificed girl that seeks  out help! Brilliant! It's a human-interest story AND an adventure story.  (Congratulations on writing "Dragonslayer.")

You begin with the  opening scene. You decide to describe a curious procession of villagers  and one or two important seeming village elder types. For some reason,  there's a beautiful girl that is tied to a stake. (King Kong story or  what?) Then, at the climax of your two-page opening, a great "beast",  "wreathed in flames and hatred", rears up from the pit and "she knows no  more..." Ah, a mystery with a big nasty beastie!

*But, what I've written does absolutely nothing for you,  does it? Anyone else here who reads this must admit that it does  nothing at all to approach the problem, right? It's just a bunch of  "stuff." Why is that? That's because not a darn word, other than some  implied bits, has been written. Nothing. It's not a story, it's a story  idea. No matter how many of these scenes I describe and record my  thunking on, I haven't written "a story.*"

_"The girl  struggled against her bonds, her cries muffled by the canvas bag that  covered her head. Her wrists ached from the harsh ropes that bound her  to the makeshift alter erected on the hay cart. ..."_

Now, there's  a story starting. Why is she bound? Why is it a "makeshift" alter? Why  is there a bag over her head? What's going on, here? Certainly, it's  high drama with, apparently, her life at stake, literally! With that  opening, I've engaged the Reader. (Hopefully) I've birthed a high-stakes  mystery, even if it's a rather short one for the currently bound  girl... But, for the Reader, who loves fantasy stories and already  suspects there's a dangerous beastie lurking in the bushes, I've piqued  their interests.

Only now, with that first line, has a Story truly begun.

It's my opinion, and just an opinion, that you,  yourself, as a writer, can not "begin" to write your story until you  have written that first line. I don't care where you've started, you  can't write that story until you address your purpose - Your Reader. In  order to address your Reader and in order to engage them to keep  Reading, you can't start in the middle. You can't start at the  blockbuster ending. You can't start with your character sketches and  nifty dialogue choices. You must start with the first line - YOU have to  know where you're going and how you are going to get there, with at  least some measure of confidence, before you can truly "write" a story.  You can do it all "on the fly" with no plotting at all, if you wish.  But, even then, you are going to be aware of basic story-telling  mechanics and basic tasks that you must accomplish, even if you aren't  consciously aware of them, before you start writing. You don't have to  know the end of your story or even how you're going to get there if, and  only if, you understand what tasks you must fulfill when telling your  story. (Though, I'd recommend some amount of plotting, just to help iron  out potential problems and keep you focused.)

Start with the first line of your story. Remember these things that you must accomplish with your opening:

1) Engage the Reader. Force them to continue Reading.

2) Repeat #1 until you have finished writing the story.


If it's that "First Line" that you're having problems with, here are some pointers:

1)  Conflict, or implied conflict, is always a great opener. But, that  interest generated by the Reader will only last as long as it takes you  to fail at presenting characters or situations worthy of the Reader's  empathy or interest. It does not have to be "action" oriented. Instead,  it could just be a conversation or even a description of a scene where  there is some sort of opposing wills. One could even tweak the Reader's  desire for conflict with the description of a purely mechanical process,  though humanizing it a bit would be a nice touch and make it more  intimate and empathetic.

2) Action is great, too. It doesn't  matter if it's conflict oriented or not. Something as simple as a  grind-stone, grinding grindables, will engage the Reader's interest for a  short time. But, of course, pairing conflict with something  interesting, like "drama", where there are "stakes" that are immediately  involved, is always a good thing.

3) Mystery is good. Consider  the mysteries presented in my sample opening lines. I've set several  "hooks", there: bonds, cries, canvas bag, makeshift alter, a hay cart  being used in such a seemingly "formal" setting... Those are all  questions the Reader is going to want answered, preferably yesterday.

4)  Suspense/Impeding Doom - That's harder to pull off with an opening  line. For there to be Suspense (Which is a sort of "drama") there must  be something "at stake." Sometimes, literally... There's a portion of  suspense in my sample opening, isn't there? We wonder "What is going to  happen to this poor girl?" Something else, like "The pendulum swung  closer, the blade attached to it slowly cutting the rope that held me  suspended above the Pit of Doom. ..." There, that's more direct. There's more of a flavor of "When" is this terrible thing going to happen than "What" terrible thing going to happen, with "Suspense."

5)  Curiosity - Suppose you just want to engage the Reader with a bunch of  stuff that they would be just salivating at the mouth to find out about?  For instance, for a hard science-fiction fan, they'd want to find out  about - _"Beezle rambled down the passageway, his cushioned treads  scrabbling against the metal deck as he made his way to the heartcenter  of Fastship Experience."_ "Oh, an alien/robot thing with treads on  some sort of ship! What's a "heartcenter" and why isn't it capitalized?  Is "Fastship" a proper name or a class designation? I'm a hard sci-fi  fan, I want to find out more!" exclaims the Reader. This, of course,  requires knowing your audience and what they will be interested and  curious about.

6) (A bunch of other sorts of stuff - Insert content-specific opening, here)

How about combining one or several of these in your opening lines? Let's return to my example: 

_"The girl struggled against her bonds, her cries muffled by the canvas  bag that covered her head. Her wrists ached from the harsh ropes that  bound her to the makeshift alter erected on the hay cart. ..."_

The  girl is struggling "against" her bonds - That's Conflict. Her cries are  "muffled", I wonder what she's saying? - Curiosity, but a weak form of  it, since we can imply what she's crying about. It could also be a sort  of Conflict, the "bag" serving as an "obstacle" she is trying to  overcome. But, we don't care about her enough for that to serve  effectively, do we? "Wrists ached", we're evoking sympathy, right off  the bat. Why? Because, our intent is to set up Stakes and Drama and we  can not do that without the Reader caring for what is at risk, the  girl's life in this case. So, now, we care for her a little bit, since  we've likely encountered physical pain in our lives and know that it's  uncomfortable, at best. ("Sympathy/Empathy" could be used by itself in  an opener, but don't rely on it alone since it's difficult to use, by  itself.) "Harsh Ropes" - That's a sort of miniature antagonist, isn't  it? It's hurting the girl, restraining her in painful ways. "Makeshift  Alter" - Mystery, implying high drama, considering the situation being  described. We believe that this is a sacrifice scene of some sort. "Hay  Cart" - Purely a bit of Curiosity being inserted. "Why a "hay cart?"  That doesn't make sense. Who ties beautiful girls to an alter on a hay  cart? Is this some low-budget cult?" asks the Reader. Which, in fact, it  is... sort of. "I must read on!" exclaims the Reader, who is going to  be helping me pay my electric bill in the future...

Lastly - To succinctly answer your question - Start at the beginning. 

Write  your favorite scenes, if you must, in order to record your thoughts.  But, it's not "Writing a Story" until you start writing that first line.  If you need more help writing that first line, just post your ideas and  I'm sure you'll get some help. You can also always PM any Mentor for  advice.

PS - I'm a long-winded blowhard... Most forum-goers would agree.  But, just read through what I've written. My objective was to include enough broad information for you to solve your problem without too much fuss. In other words, it's as complete an answer as I feel comfortable giving, until I know something more specific that you're trying to accomplish. Good luck, best wishes and don't worry too much - Most writers end up staring at at least one or two blank pages for a few hours.


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## Newman (May 30, 2014)

mathmaster12 said:


> Hey everyone!
> When I am writing I have found that the hardest part for me is the beginning: first sentence, paragraph, chapter. :confusion: Once I getting my beginning written down I am fine, but I always have trouble starting to write a new story. Does anyone have any suggests about how to get started writing. Thanks!



Here are just two options:

a) Like X-Men Future Past, start with the bad guys and end with the bad guys. So you come full circle.

b) Like Annie Hall, you know your characters are going to arc. So start with action or dialogue showing the character at their initial position.


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## TKent (May 31, 2014)

I am new to creative writing and doing it more for fun than anything else.  My degree is in computer science, plus I have ADD, neither of which are conducive to the creative part of writing (although I'm one hell of an outliner...).  Not to mention, creative writing does not come easy to me.  So I use what I call the triple X method of writing to get things started and to keep me from analyzing everything to death.  On my first pass, I put XXX wherever I get stuck, so I can come back and focus on it later.  This is especially helpful with dialog for me!  Then I do a search on XXX and work on that in detail after getting the basic structure down.


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## Jeko (May 31, 2014)

> My degree is in *computer science*, plus I have ADD, neither of which are conducive to the creative part of writing (although I'm one hell of an outliner...)



From my experiences with computer programming, I don't think you could get a degree in it without the kind of creativity that writers depend on daily. And from the method you've already worked out, it's clear that your academic pursuits have indeed benefited your writing.


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## TheYellowMustang (May 31, 2014)

_Why don't you just start with the second paragraph?_
- Lucien Carr

I smiled, nodded... ended up starting with the second book. Still a good advice, though.


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