# How to pull the reader in at the start?



## DarkVamp9401 (Oct 1, 2013)

I finished planning out my novel and i tried to get to work on starting it off...but unfortunately i was having one of those creatively drained days and i couldn't think of a good way to start. If i can get it started i can just go from there naturally. So what advice could you guys give me?


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## Gavrushka (Oct 1, 2013)

If you can't start 'naturally' from the opening page, why not start where it feels best to do so, and revisit the opening exchange when it suits?

When I first started writing, I had an idea of a conversation in my head, and started there... That ended up as chapter 11... The prologue, as I remember, was one of the last things I wrote!

I think I've written this elsewhere, but will repeat it here: when you write, it often suggests following exchanges, but can also suggested something that preceded it too... You will soon know when you've reached the end, but you'll also know when you've reached the beginning.

I think if you are looking for more specific advice, you'd have to give a few more details.

*edit* I just noticed the thread title seems to suggest you are looking for an opening hook... Opening with a question that the reader must have answered can work.


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## movieman (Oct 1, 2013)

Write the story where you think it starts, then go back and take another look when you're done. Often you'll realise you need to completely remove what you originally thought was the first chapter, so worrying about it before you start is just a waste of time.


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## David Gordon Burke (Oct 1, 2013)

First off - where is your head at vis a vis what kind of book are you writing and how much or little you plan to conform to the standard? If you wish to write a popular genre fiction and more or less conform to the formula, a good first line or a hook in the first paragraph is almost essential. If you aren't planning on conforming, don't worry about it, just write. 
What you write about could be important.
Elmore Leonard says that writing about the scenery or the weather is the kiss of death. Take his advice or not. 
Start with Dialogue? Definitely dialogue is KING. But is it appropriate to your work? Only you know. The same could be said for an action sequence. 
I recently did a search on "Famous first lines from classic literature." It was the best of times.....etc. What's the one from 1984? Something about the clock striking 13? All of this stuff GRABS. 
Here's a thought - the weirder the genre, the more down to earth your opening should/could/might be while if the theme, subject matter or genre is down to earth, it might be catchy to be weird out of the gate. 

I hope that some of these ideas might be of help. Never forget that they are just suggestions - the best person to decide is you.
My last suggestion - Plan more. when you are done, plan little bit more. 
Even with all that planning you will come to a point in the writing where you will discover that you still don't know your own story and you will need to take a break - for more planning. 
One last thought - start at the beginning - or just after the beginning.  

I wish you luck - hope to have been of help.

David Gordon Burke


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## Sintalion (Oct 1, 2013)

Congratulations on finishing your novel's plan!

I'm not quite sure if you're referring to writing a hook, or sitting down and writing chapter one.  

If I were  you, I wouldn't worry about pulling the reader in until the editing  phase. I wouldn't necessarily even worry about the opening line until I have the novel completed. Start where it excites you to write, and go back to adjust later on. Where my WIP began is very different from where it's beginning in the late stages of my revisions. 

For me, the most important thing when writing isn't starting, it's getting the whole thing down. Once I've got the big stuff taken care of, then I start sweating the small stuff.


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## movieman (Oct 1, 2013)

David Gordon Burke said:


> I recently did a search on "Famous first lines from classic literature." It was the best of times.....etc. What's the one from 1984? Something about the clock striking 13? All of this stuff GRABS.



Yes, 1984 is one of my favorite opening lines: “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”

That single word at the end immediately tells the reader 'you're not in your world any more' after lulling them into a false sense of security with the weather at the start. The most common means of hooking a reader is to set up some kind of mystery like that, so they want to find out what's going on. It's also a good way to keep readers reading: I believe Bradbury said something like 'I never resolve a mystery in a story until I've created two more,' regardless of the genre he was writing.


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## Jeko (Oct 1, 2013)

> If i can get it started i can just go from there naturally.



To be honest, I think this is one of the biggest lies in writing; that if you write something good, it'll give you the confidence to finish the entire piece. From my experience, it doesn't. It's the ideas that do that.

You may never write something 'good', because a writer is their own worse critic, and even if you do, you'll probably have the same mentality for the next part of the story; it'll have to match up to the 'good'-ness of what's gone before it. On that basis, I think you should let the ideas run the story. You can then make it read better when you get to editing it. Avoid self-reflection as you draft, as it can and almost certainly will slow you down. 

A good way to start is _honesty_, IMO. The reader wants you to tell them a story. So, tell it already! And don't start telling a different one just because you think it'll grab their attention better - tell the story _you _want to tell.

And what movieman said.


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## David Gordon Burke (Oct 2, 2013)

Cadence said:


> You may never write something 'good', because a writer is their own worse critic.



Your Keanu Reeve icon makes me want to start every response to you with DUDE.  (I digress)

Your idea about being your own worst critic is true in that the writer that consciously DECIDES to be flog himself over whether he does or doesn't like his own work, whether it is or isn't good, will inevitably find fault with it.  It's defeatist and sets you up for writer's block, self doubt and a bevy of other psychological mumbo jumbo invented syndromes and conditions that they are yet to invent pharmaceuticals for.  

Writing, like many of the arts is exactly that, an art.  But at the same time, it is a science.  
Case in point.  Here in Mexico, the favorite group of the masses is called "Los Tigres Del Norte."  Without going into long detail, they are the most rank bunch of hacks I have ever heard in my life and yet they sell millions of albums and sell out concerts.  So how is it that I can confidently state, beyond all resonable doubt that they are absolutely irredeemably bad?  They sing out of key.  That can be measured scientifically.

The same thing can be said for writing.  There is a loose but right way and wrong way to do it.  So if you are in the realm of RIGHT then why sweat it?  You are having fun, you are telling your stories and you are within the acceptable range of correct writing.  


Get a current paperback novel.  I could direct you to a couple of writers that mangle the English language to the tune of $100,000,000 sale per year but I'm sure you can find them on your own.  Compare your writing to that of these guys.  (and I'm not talking about Stephen King, I think that man CAN write...at least in the early days) If you are as good as or comparable to these hundred million guys and are just starting out, you are bound to get better.  A positive attitude will go a long way.   


Put your story into the hands of a disinterested aquaintance.  Someone who isn't an English Major at Harvard.  Watch them read it.  See them smile.  That's all the critic I need.  

Trust that you are getting better with every word.  

David Gordon Burke


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## Olly Buckle (Oct 2, 2013)

There is a standard piece of advice regarding openings, they should say who, where, when, and what. Of course it should leave you with a 'hook' as well, like thirteen o'clock, but think, Smith, Victory buildings, April morning, cold and bright.


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## Theglasshouse (Oct 2, 2013)

> Your Keanu Reeve icon makes me want to start every response to you with DUDE. (I digress)
> 
> Your idea about being your own worst critic is true in that the writer that consciously DECIDES to be flog himself over whether he does or doesn't like his own work, whether it is or isn't good, will inevitably find fault with it. It's defeatist and sets you up for writer's block, self doubt and a bevy of other psychological mumbo jumbo invented syndromes and conditions that they are yet to invent pharmaceuticals for.
> 
> ...



Have to agree  with David because, I agree that it is an art and science. It reminded of a comment by Eggo who goes here. He said something like this: art is maturity when experienced and honest, and it is easier for children.

That was what he posted.

Also, going to have digress a little from Cadence. Sometimes we must learn in the way that is most effective for us.


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## The Tourist (Oct 2, 2013)

Olly Buckle said:


> There is a standard piece of advice regarding openings, they should say who, where, when, and what. Of course it should leave you with a 'hook' as well, like thirteen o'clock, but think, Smith, Victory buildings, April morning, cold and bright.



I agree.  In fact, it caused a death.

I needed a hook, and realized that the best one I had was simply to kill off the lead.  I mean, how many books start off with, _Chapter One--The "End"_

Lots of guys die for an ideal, or a woman, or their country.  How many guys know you know who died because the plot was sagging?


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## DarkVamp9401 (Oct 2, 2013)

The Tourist said:


> I agree.  In fact, it caused a death.
> 
> I needed a hook, and realized that the best one I had was simply to kill off the lead.  I mean, how many books start off with, _Chapter One--The "End"_
> 
> Lots of guys die for an ideal, or a woman, or their country.  How many guys know you know who died because the plot was sagging?



Funny you said that since in the first chapter of my----oops i said too much. 

Anyways, i have started working on it, Chapter 4 first. I am writing it and i feel somewhat comfortable for once! I will do the prologue last, and i will write the story out of order before combining all the chapters into the linear narrative its supposed to be.


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## The Tourist (Oct 2, 2013)

RyanJay said:


> Funny you said that since in the first chapter of my----oops i said too much.



LOL.  Well, unless you started your work before 1979, (or were you even born then) then I think I have preference.

I'm not going to reveal too much either, because the ending has a twist--and no, he does not come back from the dead.  He's toast.  In fact, the epilogue shows workers cleaning up the smudge mark.


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## Morkonan (Oct 2, 2013)

RyanJay said:


> I finished planning out my novel and i tried to get to work on starting it off...but unfortunately i was having one of those creatively drained days and i couldn't think of a good way to start. If i can get it started i can just go from there naturally. So what advice could you guys give me?



This is probably one of the easiest sorts of questions to answer, really. I know it sounds hard, but it isn't. What is hard is trying to use the standard openings to their best effects for your story. (I have a post around here, somewhere, on openings for stories with plenty of examples, but I'll try to sum it up, here.)

ACTION
First of all, almost everyone likes "Action." Action is an immediate attention getter. Action makes the reader read on in order to see the naturally expected reaction... And, that's what you're trying to do, right? You're trying to keep the Reader reading. An action opening can be just about anything and it doesn't have to do anything with your main plot. What it does have to do is engage the reader's monkey-brain. If you walk into any place in the world and throw a large beach-ball across the room, people are going to look up and track it with their eyes. There ya go - Monkeybrain at work. Your task, using the Action opening, is to tweak those monkey-brains.

"Bullets traced stitches in the worn canvas tarp of the small boat. Jakes spun the wheel into a blur while Richardson opened up with the Patrol Boat's .50 cal."

That's a special kind of action opening - In Medias Res. (In the middle of things.) In medias res is, perhaps, the strongest and most demanding of all openings at face value. (Skill can evoke even more interest than an in medias res opening, if applied correctly using other styles.) The key point here is that it doesn't take more than one sentence to engage the reader and demand that they read on in order to find out what all the excitement is about. You could use In Medias Res to the same effect by describing a baseball game, a car repair or even someone baking a cake. The stakes implied, however, will certainly differ. In this opening, the stakes are immediate and very high - Life or Death. Baking a cake might not imply the same stakes... ("Stakes" are an element of risk within a plot and protecting/losing them rely on the actions of your main characters. BUT, any particular set of conditions which result in some sort of gamble of stakes does not have to always trace back to the plot. Police risk their lives every day to catch bad guys, but they aren't always risking their lives on catching the same bad guy that is the main antagonist in their story.)

A weaker action opening might be:

"Jim walked briskly across the street."

Well... Err, what's he doing? Why is he walking briskly? What street? Who the heck is Jim? Do you find yourself asking these questions? Don't you think your Reader will be asking the same questions? And, your Reader knows that in order to answer these questions, they must read on.

"Two turns to the left, one level up and then, 'round back again. Jim watched the bale of newsprint paper wind itself down to its last linear foot. One on the feeder, the huge car-sized rolls unwound their thin paper contents into the Daily Grind's massive newsprinting mill."

That's a "Process Action" piece and its job is to not only pique the Reader's interest, but to lull them into the bump, chunk, grind, bump of a "Process" being observed while you, the sneaky writer, feed them tidbits of information they need to know as well as set the stage and the scene for whatever comes next. You could use a soldier cleaning his weapon, a pilot doing his pre-flight checklist or a janitor mixing up cleaning chemicals, it doesn't matter. What matters is that by describing a Process, you're implying there's a logical reason for it and that you, the writer, are going to explain it to the reader, so they had best just sit back and continue reading!

Mystery
A Mystery is basically a mysterious word or three dumped down in the first couple of sentences that demands that a Reader read on in order to discover it. It can be as simple or complex as you want to make it.

"The W.E.J. met on every Tuesday evening at 9pm at the Crow's Nest pub on Bristol Street."

The Reader must read on in order to find out who this W.F.E.J. is and why they meet every Tuesday. Very few readers have the mental fortitude to stop here and avoid reading further in order to discover that the Waiters for Extreme Justice, a militant group of waiters and waitresses, have been meeting every Tuesday in order to formulate a plan to get their various governments to outlaw the singing of birthday songs in public restaurants...

Shock
Shock is the cheapest and cheesiest of all openings. Generally, I would say that nobody should ever use it, ever. But, nobody ever listens to me so I don't know why I keep talking about him... Anyway, here's a short example of the "Shock" opening:

"Boobies."

There ya go. You could, if you preferred, talk about dead babies, someone abusing a grandmother, shooting a child in the head with a bazooka.. Whatever. See how that works? But, your reader, depending on genre, is not going to appreciate having their sensibilities tweaked so roughly unless you can deliver a good story. 

Intrigue
Married to Mystery, Intrigue brings up it's own spectre that includes, by necessity, a "Cause." Intrigue can be combined with action to good effect, something like the "Jim crossing the road" bit, above. If you can pique a reader's interest by bringing up an intriguing situation, even if it's not connected to your plot, you can hook them into reading further.. Maybe as far as it takes you to get them interested in your real story!

"Jim gently slid his hand over the stock of the rifle and, ever so slowly, adjusted the sights on his scope until torso of the bank manager came into sharp relief. Two notches East, one North, and he was sighted in. It would be so easy."

Why is Jim pointing his rifle at a bank manager! I dunno.. Maybe Jim had his home loan denied? Maybe "Jim" is actually a kid with a toy gun or is some sort of Walter Mitty character, acting out a fantasy. Whatever the reason, your reader is going to have to keep reading in order to figure this out. There's a "Cause" connected to this "Mystery" of Jim's actions and that is why it's Intrigue instead of just a Mystery opening.


OK, there's a few up there and there are surely plenty of other sorts of "Openings." Conventionally, these are called "Hooks." An opening Hook is what hooks your reader into reading further. Now, let's discuss how you can use them.

No doubt, you know what your story is about and you could figure out a way to incorporate one of these openings into it. But, let's say you're completely clueless and just can't get anything off the ground without breaking something. OK, I'm here to help! 

"Jim ran across the parking lot and slammed into the doors of the Post Office. Drawing a few stares, he made his way to the drop box and slid in a fairly large package. A quick glance at his watch confirmed it was only a quarter past four in the afternoon. _Hah! Fifteen minutes to spare_, he thought. Now, the thesis he had worked so hard on would shortly be on its way to his adviser and he would soon be able to start earning a living. At least, he would if he actually had a doctorate in anything that was in demand. _I guess I could have gone for Geology, but Abnormal Psychology was so much more interesting_, he said to himself..... <Continue on by describing Jim's backstory and his early exposure to ghosts, spooks and psychic phenomenon and then continue on with the main story of Jim's involvement in a research team investigating an old spooky manor house, which is the real story.>

See how that ties in to a plot involving Jim, the main character, teaming up with some sort of investigative team that has gotten together to investigate reports of ghosts at an old manor house? You've started the story by involving the reader in an action piece with a bit of a mystery (Jim's dissertation) and managed to dump in a bit of backstory by way of explanation. Now, you're free to continue on with your tale of ghosts and psychic powers, if that was your plot.

"Jane grabbed the box of pancake mix and dumped it unceremoniously into a large metal bowl, followed closely by a cup of milk and a wooden spoon that she haphazardly moved around, stirring the contents while she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Down the hall, she could hear the kids arguing over sink privileges while her husband attempted, in his fashion, to mediate the early-morning disturbance.... <Continue on with a short interlude or even a flashback that gives us a bit of backstory, but not too much, so that we can firmly explain the husband, kids and Jane's activities, making pancakes while her husband got the kids ready. Then you can continue on with your story as Jane drives to work and is confronted with a note on her desk that insists she see her boss, immediately. Of course, he fires her and then she shoots him in the face with a bazooka... which fits right in with your story of a comfortably married mother who gets fired and goes on a rampage...>

A simple "Process Action" forces the viewer's monkey-brain into a trance as you expertly dump in the rest of the facts that they're going to need to get ready for an action-packed adventure.

I gotta go, but I want to end with this: It's extremely important that you realize that you do not have to intimately connect your opening with any sort of Plot piece. In fact, it can be completely unconnected from anything to do with your plot, except for giving the Reader enough information about things so they won't get lost when they get into the meat of your book. If you were writing a story about Merlin battling Mordred, for instance, you could start off with Merlin mixing his morning breakfast and add a suitable amount of magic mumbo-jumbo to get the reader interested. 

Aside from doing your duty and using the opening portion of your book to introduce your Reader to your Main Character and the Setting, your primary task in your opening is to ENGAGE the Reader! Your job as a writer is and will always be to keep the Reader reading! Everything comes secondary to that and it's most important within your opening paragraphs and pages. 

(Note: I hate having to end this, here, so I'll try to come back and clean it up. But, I gotta go.  I haven't covered "Opening Lines" nor have I delved very fare into the Hooks above. I have ignored the information exchange that so many probably demand must be done, but it's not really important in this context. I assume that any writer will know that they're going to have to introduce characters and the best time to engage a reader's concern for a character is, after all, the opening chapter. However, that doesn't address, exactly, how to engage the reader in the opening, does it? That's what I focused on, above.)

Edit - 10/06 - Had to come back and speak about one critical component that "everyone" discusses when it comes down to "Openings" - Conflict.

I've been short on time for the last few months and that's no different, today. I'm copying and pasting a comment I made, possibly on this forum or another, regarding a very effective "Opening" strategy and that concerns the "Conflict Opening"

_Conflict: I left the most effective, most dramatic, most exciting opening for last. I did that so you can see how it can be used with several different styles of openings. Action may drive a story, with things happening and people moving, but Conflict gives meaning and purpose to many stories. External conflicts in war, arguments, personal struggles, legal battles, interpersonal relationships; Internal conflict in defining one's place in the world, a sense of self, one's morality, personal beliefs, emotional attachments; Conflicts in grammar and properly using semi-colons... The list goes on.

Conflict is everywhere in a story. Yes, there are all sorts of arguments amongst writers that deal with the extent or importance of conflict. But, in the majority of stories you've read and the great majority of stories that are written, even ones that aren't read, conflict plays a central role. That's because aside from all the action, mystery, suspense and drama that draws our attention as human beings, conflict is the most intriguing. We live, breathe, eat and engage in conflict on a daily basis. We work towards goals that are opposed by other forces, we struggle against the odds to make something better of ourselves, we chase after women, bowling over potential suitors with our remarkable charm and wit! We're all about Conflict, we human beings._

For the full post, see this thread on "Openings" - http://www.writingforums.com/threads/137609-Openings


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## David Gordon Burke (Oct 3, 2013)

You seem to be on the right track.  Not knowing exactly what kind of story / novel you are trying to write, I'm disinclined to give any further advice except to say make a decision and start.  Then finish.  Get to the end.  Work out as many details as you can along the way.  By the time you get to the end you will know if your opening is appropriate or if it needs to be redone, revised or completely rewritten.  

This unfortunately is the process.  A writer cannot afford the luxury of staring at a blank page (or computer screen)  Get something down, move on.
Like a painter staring at a blank canvas, you can always slap some paint on there and see what comes of it.  Don't like it?  Paint over it.  The trick is to start, however,, wherever, but start.  

To reiterate a point I have made on various other posts, to overthink it is to handicap yourself, possibly dig yourself into the black hole of writer's block and ruin the process (fun) of writing.  Nothing risked is nothing gained.  I write stuff that sucks all the time.  But you learn from writing it and from fixing it.  

Good luck again.
David Gordon Burke


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## Olly Buckle (Oct 3, 2013)

> I write stuff that sucks all the time. But you learn from writing it and from fixing it.


Me too. Amen to that


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## The Tourist (Oct 3, 2013)

Me, too, Olly.  My first draft is always "spewing."  While the idea is still fresh in my head, I type it out like a Gatling gun loaded with printers ink.  Misspellings, the syntax of a drunken trollop, and more commas and pauses than a liberal trying to understand finance.

I don't even consider it a worthwhile pursuit unless I see my vision beneath the ton of debris.  If I can find the focus and talking points, I repair the mess.  If not, there's always that magic "delete" key.

And only me and the NSA will know what I've butchered.


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## shadowwalker (Oct 3, 2013)

I can spend days figuring out the first sentence or paragraph. But I'm not a planner, either. I just start daydreaming about the story, the possible places it could start, the situation I could put the MC in, etc, and then start typing and rewriting those first few words - eventually I "get it" and it's amazing in that suddenly the story is ready to write.


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## David Gordon Burke (Oct 3, 2013)

shadowwalker said:


> I can spend days figuring out the first sentence or paragraph. But I'm not a planner, either. I just start daydreaming about the story, the possible places it could start, the situation I could put the MC in, etc, and then start typing and rewriting those first few words - eventually I "get it" and it's amazing in that suddenly the story is ready to write.



With all due respect (of which I have much for anyone who can fly by the seat of their pants and not write themselves into a corner) If and when you sell a million copies and are interviewed or if and when you sit down with an impressionable young writer who wannts to know how it's done, would you a. tell them just to make it up as they go along or b. plan it out?  

Do you ever or did you ever start with a plan for earlier works or has this always been your method?  

I fall on the side of planning simply because I don't like to sit in front of the computer wracking my brain.  If I can't come up with anything, I can always be planning the next project and within that planning process the creative juices get flowing.  

Again, hats off to anyone whose creative well is so deep.  Just like when I played guitar, some folks pick it up and just play.  The rest of us, the vast majority have to practice scales.

David Gordon Burke


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## Tettsuo (Oct 3, 2013)

Since I've just started writing my second novel, one where I've spent month's figuring out where to start, I feel your pain.

IMO, you start much like Olly recommended.  The reader should get a basic understand of what's happening and an idea of the conflict facing the main character/s.  Who, what, where, when and how without making it a prologue or an info dump.  I love starting with some form of action (I lean towards the emotion struggle the main character is facing), and some info on what kind of person the character is.

I believe if you like the main character, you tend to keep reading.  That's what I enjoy reading anyway.  If I'm going to be spending hours reading about a person, I'd like to have some fondness for them.  I'd like to have at the very least and understanding of who the character is and what they're about.


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## shadowwalker (Oct 3, 2013)

David, I've never been a planner. I have one story I had to plan out because of timing issues - and I have yet, after almost five years, to complete it. The outline killed my interest because the story was, for me, already told. Eventually I mean to finish, but it will not be as exciting or interesting to me as my other works. I love the uncertainty, the having to stop and think about the various scenarios and where they *might* lead, and the challenge of making what could happen fit with what I've already solidified. Most of all, I love finding out how it all ends.


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## Gavrushka (Oct 3, 2013)

I doubt I would know how to plan, either. - I am as surprised by where my words lead as any other reader would be, and I would struggle to predefine a creative session at the keyboard!

Of recent, I've moved from novels to short stories, as I recognise the need to develop my writing skills; the focus and tightness of limited words within a short story seemed to be the best way of doing this. Well, I recognised that you do need some 'structure' to a short story, but each time I tried to follow that structure, I ended up somewhere completely different and was surprised by how it all ended up...

...And so, conversely I must say to DGB, I take my hat off to you if you can form a structure in advance, and flesh it out just as you had originally intended.


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## movieman (Oct 3, 2013)

David Gordon Burke said:


> If and when you sell a million copies and are interviewed or if and when you sit down with an impressionable young writer who wannts to know how it's done, would you a. tell them just to make it up as they go along or b. plan it out?



If I remember correctly, Stephen King said in 'On Writing' that he just starts with an idea for the opening scene and follows the story from there. I was surprised when I read that, because most other writers had always said they spend ages planning the story before they start, yet he sells a bazillion books every year doing the opposite.


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## Sam (Oct 3, 2013)

David Gordon Burke said:


> With all due respect (of which I have much for anyone who can fly by the seat of their pants and not write themselves into a corner) If and when you sell a million copies and are interviewed or if and when you sit down with an impressionable young writer who wannts to know how it's done, would you a. tell them just to make it up as they go along or b. plan it out?
> 
> Do you ever or did you ever start with a plan for earlier works or has this always been your method?
> 
> ...



I have never planned anything that I've written. That includes novels, academic essays, non-fiction and academic articles, short stories, critical and informal reviews, and even my dissertation for my bachelor's degree. I kid you not. I was assigned a supervisor for the latter, and the first thing she requested was a plan of what each chapter was going to entail. I told her I had no idea, nor would I until I started writing. She informed me in no uncertain terms that it was _impossible _to write a dissertation without planning it. I bet her one hundred pounds that I would not only write one devoid of planning, but that I'd get a first as well. I won. Now, obviously I did _a lot _of research, but I still put it together all on the fly. 

I don't know whether you'd call that 'natural ability', 'talent', or 'something verging on insanity'.


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## Nickleby (Oct 3, 2013)

Some alleged experts would have you start just after "the inciting incident," whatever that is. Some event has changed the protagonist's life. Either he has to find out how, or he's got to start working through the repercussions. Finding the inciting incident in a post-apocalyptic story, for instance, is simple--it's the apocalypse.

Caveat--I'm not a big fan of this technique, but I bring it up for completeness.

I agree with Morkonan and practically everyone else. If you don't get and hold the reader's attention, you've wasted your time. You can't force the reader to continue, but you can tempt him sorely.


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## movieman (Oct 3, 2013)

Nickleby said:


> Finding the inciting incident in a post-apocalyptic story, for instance, is simple--it's the apocalypse.



I don't think it's that simple, or writers wouldn't have such a hard time figuring out what the inciting incident is.

If the story is about surviving the apocalypse and the immediate aftermath, you're probably right. But if the stoy is about being captured by slavers in the Mad Max world that follows, the apocalypse would probably be too early. This is why we often end up cutting out the first chapter or three; we just got the inciting incident wrong.

For example, in my unfinished novel about an indie horror movie shoot, at different times the first chapter has been the actor protagonist seeing the 'actors wanted' ad on the internet, or going to an audition, or getting the job, or meeting the rest of the cast and crew, or arriivng at the location. It can't really start after arriving at the location, since that's a major part of the plot, but I'm still not sure yet which of those options is the right one.


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## David Gordon Burke (Oct 9, 2013)

Resurrecting this thread.  I imagine more experienced writers have heard of this term.  "In Media Res."  As Ii may have stated earlier, I think the best place to start the story is at the beginning, or maybe just after the beginning - for example, if a body is found the beginning would have been the actual murder taking place.

Here's an interesting thought and most people are probably doing it anyway ... start at the middle of the story.  What that means is that your logical half way point is 50% gets allocated to the backstory and 50% the currently running narrative.  

Won't go into more detail.  It's all over the internet ... tons of info on the theory.  Bottom line is that starting the story at the very, very beginning doesn't leave you with any backstory and would likely be dull.  Food for thought.  

David Gordon Burke


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## Jeko (Oct 9, 2013)

> Bottom line is that starting the story at the very, very beginning doesn't leave you with any backstory and would likely be dull. Food for thought.



If I started my story at the very beginning, it would likely contain God and some heavens and some Earth that he created. What I mean is, treating a character's life realistically means assigning everything a cause and an effect. Even if you start with a character's birth, they have backstory.


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## Sam (Oct 9, 2013)

> Resurrecting this thread.  I imagine more experienced writers have heard  of this term.  "In Media Res."  As Ii may have stated earlier, I think  the best place to start the story is at the beginning, or maybe just  after the beginning - for example, if a body is found the beginning  would have been the actual murder taking place.
> 
> Here's an interesting thought and most people are probably doing it  anyway ... start at the middle of the story.  What that means is that  your logical half way point is 50% gets allocated to the backstory and  50% the currently running narrative.
> 
> ...



It's _in medias res, _but yes. John Milton's _Paradise Lost _is one such example, and it's a very powerful technique.


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## Morkonan (Oct 10, 2013)

In regards to problems figuring out where to start...

I couldn't imagine ever having that problem. It's not that I'm any better than anyone, it's just that I've never thought of the Opening as any sort of Big Deal. However, I can sympathize with those who may struggle with picking the correct Opening, out of a few possible candidates. 

The only brief opinion I could offer is: When in doubt, either start off neutral, with something unconnected with Main Plot elements of your story, or start off with a scene that sets the Theme, appropriately, while helping with the early stages of fleshing out the Setting. (Settings are fairly neutral - Their early appearance won't effect the reception of your Plot.)


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## Gavrushka (Oct 10, 2013)

I think that there was a point when I felt if my first few lines were not heroically awesome*, a reader would lose interest and walk away. Perhaps I give readers more credit now, or perhaps I have a little more confidence. - I can't think of many (any) books I have read where I've abandoned the story before twenty or thirty pages, and I am sure there were many of those with mediocre opening exchanges.




* I've not learned how to do heroically awesome yet, but I am working on it!


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## Morkonan (Oct 11, 2013)

Gavrushka said:


> ...* I've not learned how to do heroically awesome yet, but I am working on it!


\

You want a "Heroically Awesome" scene or a "Heroically Awesome" Opening? Heroically Awesome Openings are subtle and piercing, grabbing you unawares. The blatant "Heroic Opening" had better be done Star Wars style with a little puny spaceship being pursued and blasted at with huge friggin lasers by a gigantic friggin-scary ship!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z33-qOXOWS4

See how that works? It's one of the most masterful productions on film - In a brief scene lasting no more than a few seconds, the entire theme of the series is laid out. Everything is right there, on the screen, clearly imaged and laid out for the subconsciousness of the viewer... That's a "Heroic Opening."

But, it could be done just as well in a much different way..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZOzk7T93wE

Ominous.. decrepit.. "No Trespassing".. No trespassing on what? A graveyard? The dead? Ah.. a spooky old house, falling apart, kind of like the House of Usher. (In fact, almost just like that.) Yet, nobody tells us why we're here? Why? Ah, a window with a glimmer of light on it, yet it can't get in, the room is dark as pitch! Huh, a snowglobe? WTF does a little cold house have to do with anything? Oh, wait.. Some guy say's Rosebud! Ooooh.. Spooky. Ack! He's dead! There's a nurse.. She just arranges his body and.. 

See? Mystery, suspense, a little bit of foreboding, a clue, a death and we're off to the races. 

Write those, then you'll have a Heroic Opening.

"The little ship tried, but it couldn't escape the big ship. Explosions everywhere, there was no escaping them! Caught! Battered and alive, but still caught! We must fight for our very lives! ACK! Evil nasty guys in weird armor so that you can't even see their expressions! Mindless Murderers and Kidnappers! CHAARGE, all you guys with the silly hats and the wannabe-black-and-white-leiderhosens!"  Yes, terrible, but clean it up, use some good imagery, communicate the dread of capture and the all-powerful presence of the Empire, and Vader, and you've got it made. They'll continue reading for hours and they HAVEN'T A CLUE WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT, YET! 

But, it's not about big battles. That's not why the Star Wars scene is a "Heroic Opening" at all. Take the same scene from Star Wars and then write it with a young boy being chased by a bully. Or, a woman on her way home from work being chased by her ex-husband. Or, a mouse being chased by a cat - There's no happy ending to this scene, but we just have to stick around until the bloody end.. WAIT! The Important Talisman has been given to another and it escapes the clutches of the Evil Wizard, thanks to the quick wit of our beautiful Princess!


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## Gavrushka (Oct 12, 2013)

Argh! Sorry, it was a very bad choice of words by me! LOL

What I'd meant was I cannot write those killer lines that you sometimes read that handcuffs you to the book from the very first line*! I really meant to say that I now feel a book needs entertaining prose that lead somewhere, and a killer first line is just a helpful bonus.  

- But Hell, that was a great and helpful post, thank you. :eagerness:


* The crazy simple line that had the biggest impact on me was 'Battlefield Earth' by L Ron Hubbard. - 'Man,' said Terl, 'is an animal.' ... It was one of the best books I've ever read, but probably the worst film I ever watched!


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## Morkonan (Oct 12, 2013)

Gavrushka said:


> Argh! Sorry, it was a very bad choice of words by me! LOL
> 
> What I'd meant was I cannot write those killer lines that you sometimes read that handcuffs you to the book from the very first line*! I really meant to say that I now feel a book needs entertaining prose that lead somewhere, and a killer first line is just a helpful bonus.
> 
> - But Hell, that was a great and helpful post, thank you. :eagerness:



I agree and you're welcome!



> * The crazy simple line that had the biggest impact on me was 'Battlefield Earth' by L Ron Hubbard. - 'Man,' said Terl, 'is an animal.' ... It was one of the best books I've ever read, but probably the worst film I ever watched!



It's a great line, isn't it? Sometimes, all you need is one good line and the rest of it will come to you. Look for them like you would "inspiration", whatever that is...  (I liked Battlefield Earth, as well. Yes, the movie blew chunks...)

One thing about great lines - Either it's new or it's a good turn of phrase put to a good use. Terl's words weren't newly strung together -  We've been saying that we're _animals_ for thousands of years. Here, it's not what's being said, but who is saying it! Terl, a giant bigfoot-looking S.O.B. and winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sadist of the Month Club! It's what we learn about Terl, afterwards, and then the current state of affairs of the remaining humans that makes that line so good. Of course, L.Ron knows this and he throws some bones our way, right of the bat. So, by the time you're through with his opening setup, you've got the funny little knowing look in your eye that he's making a "cute" illustration of Terl, who is really the animal, compared to Man, who has "fallen from grace", so to speak, and has been easily defeated by the Psychlos.

Here's the rub, though - That one line carries through the entire story. Everything. All of it. It's "Animal Farm" writ large, 'cept with... aliens. (Remember the "Sharks?"  ) So, when you're looking for that killer line, stop trying to bend a story to fit it. Instead, come up with the line and make it work. Harrison Ford's famous improv one-liner "I know" in response to Leia's announcement of love just plain _killed!_ It couldn't have been better if they had written the entire scene just for that one line. (Like the character Dirty Harry and his famous "Punk" soliloquy. That scene was so contrived, it hurts. IMO.)

A while back I though up a killer argument... I "went with it" and wrote up an entire scene. I just built the scene up to support the "Killer Line." The line itself wasn't anything special. But, when I worked the scene around it in order to make it "Kill" it turned out well, if I do say so myself. Then, I started building on that further and am ending up with either a novelette or a novel, can't tell yet. The point is - What inspires you? Figure that out, first, then write the story to fit whatever it is that you would think would be the "Killer Line."

I'll give you two examples, but am witholding the text, since they're not done yet:

One was an argument between a prisoner and a captive. It was amorphous, really - They could have been in any situation in which one person has control over another. So, I worked out a little soliloquy/diatribe/rant/insane mutterings myself. I got an idea of the feeling I wanted and where the passionate parts hit the right beat. (No, not some S&M story...) I expanded the scene, off of that one line. Since I'm a Science Fiction nut, I switched gears and painted everything with a sci-fi theme. It started to get interesting, so I went from soft sci-fi to Hard Science Fiction. In order to get Person A to the spot where Person B could rant his heart out, I had to have a lot of additional elements. Then, there needed to be something to spur all this one, something for this to hang on.. You know, a plot. I cobbled one together, brushed it up, started polishing it and the next thing you know I had a pretty good little story going. Lots of science-fiction, intrigue, murder, existential threats and all that. It went from a spirited idea for an argument to some quick notes, on to typing it out to see how it looked in print and now it's a real story. It's got a Setting, Characters, High Stakes, Intrigue, Subplots an' everything! 

The next one has to do with an idea I had regarding "Magic Systems." If you have magic and it's an off-the-shelf fantasy story, you have to have a "system." It's what Readers expect. If you don't have one all planned out, you're not putting in the elements that make many Readers happy. They like to have some sort of quasi-logical system they can hang their hat on. That's "High Fantasy", for ya. It's not rainbows and some dude waving a magic want about, doing whatever he pleases, with no rhyme or reason to it. It's clear. It's predictable. It's a system and the Reader can get some enjoyment out of coming to understand how it works and how the system, itself, influences the Characters, Setting and even the Plot, if it moves it. Anyway, the short of it is that from that one little experiment, I ended up with thousands of neatly typed words and just as many hastily scribbled ones... It all came a one-word response I imagined, given by the type of character that would give it - "Nonetheless." It was a confrontational moment, a very powerful and basically good human being is beset by evil and, because his passions are now out of control, he feels that the only way out is to do something that would not only defile himself, but endanger the World. At this point, in my imagining, that's all I had. Just a one-liner "Nonetheless" with no conflicting declarations by the other party yet formalized...

"Nonetheless." Imagine walking up to your best friend, screaming your indignation at the world, telling them your personal trauma, arguing against the principles that they believe in, just because it keeps you from your personal goal. After pouring out everything that you have until you're a gasping meatbag, all they have to say in response is "Nontheless."  (Well, not all of them. Just the last one.  )

It's really that simple. What draws you out? What sort of thing gets your blood pumping? What would be cool to say in that moment of emotional turmoil? OK, get that, then write a story about it!

On L.Ron - Though ol' L.Ron went sort of kooky, he was a prolific and well known writer in his time. He earned his chops back when writers were writing for dime mags, just so they could eat that week. L.Ron was prolific and industrious. There's a story that Harlan Ellison tells about L.Ron - All the science-fiction guys used to get together, have a few drinks or cups of coffee, swap lies, ideas and stories... L.Ron had just come up with the greatest idea, ever, and he put it into practice. L.Ron was using an electric typewriter (Because then it could keep up with his typing speed) and got annoyed because reaching over to snatch out the paper, only to have to reload it, took too much time... Sooo... He went and got some butcher's paper. You know, that stuff that comes on a roll? Once he set it up, he started cranking out his stories and only had to reach over to take the paper out of the typewriter once! Not a second wasted on needless paper-snatching.That's how he handed 'em in - On butcher's paper.

Think about that, for a second... That's "back in the day" when if you borked up a line or wanted to change something, you ended up having to scrap a whole page. Then what if you wanted to go back and edit something else? Imagine having to write so well, the first time, with no backspace key... It goes from your head, to some scribbled notes, then into the typewriter and out the other end. Then, it's rushing off to the magazine editor to beg him to accept your short story so you can get something to eat that day. That's hardcore writing, iron-man style. All for a penny a word.

If everyone had to do that in order to crank out a page of text, wouldn't we think about harder about what it was that we were writing? What if every word you typed on the screen needed to be spelled right, the first time, else it'd ruin your layout when you had to go back with some "Correction Fluid" (A solvent that, hopefully, helped remove the ink from the page) it looked like crap? Everyone would know you couldn't spell the word prestidigitator right...

An excerpt with the L.Ron story, related by Harlon - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9AGVARpqdk


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## Gavrushka (Oct 12, 2013)

That was a great link  ... It's amazing the enthusiasm that Harlan speaks with - It's like his mouth can't handle the volume of words that are trying to escape... I was wondering if he too could find a solution with butcher's paper!

I love the idea of writing a story almost as if it is centred on a punchline. - I've tried it for short stories with mediocre success at best. - Unlike you, focussing my prose is beyond me and mine are more akin to the path left by a rapidly deflating balloon (thus I am concentrating on short stories to tighten up the words I write; it is working after a fashion...)

You know, your posts are more entertaining to read than much of the prose I have to pay for. As such, I really do look forward to reading both of the above stories when they're finished and released.


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## Morkonan (Oct 12, 2013)

You know, it can be done. It isn't hard. It's just the "wrapping your head" around the concept that takes some getting used to. If someone can look at a painting or a sunset and then write a poem about it, surely a writer can think of a great line and write a story about it. Maybe it's not a great line that's found, but just a situation that serves to make that line great? "I know" isn't Shakespearean in depth, is it? Yet, it's one of the most famous lines in modern film. "Let me introduce you to my little friend" is used by everyone from politicians to bug exterminators. Why? It's not a great one-liner without the circumstances that built it up. 

The only great lines are spoken by poets, created using the same tools that we use. Poets use rhythm, rhyme and beat - Why can't we use Scene, Setting and Story? If a poet can mechanically construct an iambic pentameter and have it make an impression on someone, we can certainly take the time to construct our Scene appropriately, describing the "L" shaped room in which the character lies, obscured from the view from the open doorway. We can hide them there, crouched in the shadows, trapped by nothing, shivering in a corner and only the incessant gibbering of "No, no, no" marking their presence as the ship continues on, sailing them away to meet their doom. He could leave, but why doesn't he? Is "No, no, no" the right thing to write? I dunno, I just tried to make up something with the word "no" in it. (My apologies to ripping off Joseph Conrad's room... I needed something quick.  )

Just let it get out. We're all human, just like Shakespeare and Twain, Dickens and Faulkner and whatever other sort of strange combinations you can think of. All those wonderfully crafted lines are crafted that way for humans. You're human too, you know what you like, so write it. If you need better words, go out and get half-a-dozen if you want - They're free. (Though, they're admittedly hard to find, sometimes.)


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## voltigeur (Oct 15, 2013)

Thanks to this forum I tried something new and went right to the action. A quick 4 sentence paragraph then BOOM first bomb and CRACK first gunshot. Not sure if it will make it more fun to read but is was much more interesting to write. Rather than drone on and on about how each character looked and who they are I sprinkled those details when there was a natural pause. 

When I was younger the writing style seems to be more in the vein of set up then get to the action. Now it seems to be get in there and when the reader needs a break then describe setting and character. I still do setups and descriptions I just don’t try to do it all at once.


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## Luxo (Oct 15, 2013)

As everyone here as stated, you do not need to start from the very beginning and follow the strict path. Just let yourself go and write, it will come together eventually


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## Folcro (Oct 15, 2013)

I'm not usually one to quote Adolf Hitler, but one thing he said that people (storytellers rather than writers) should take into account: "People will more easily fall victim to a big lie than a small one." Storytelling is, in a sense, lying--- make your lie a big one. And start with it--- go nowhere else. Begin your story at the very first sentence with a big lie.

"My name is Bob and I'm the product of incest."--- Who will not be interested after this line?

Whatever big event, rather fact, about your character or the setting or the concept you can present in the first sentence, push it forward. Don't have a "save the good stuff for later" attitude. Push all your good stuff to the beginning and come up with more good stuff later.

...Of course, this is more or less assuming you know your story and are just looking for a strong start. Simply starting a story, why not start with something crazy, and devote your later chapters to justifying it (look up the Socratic Exercise).


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