The great writers kidnap us from the very first lines and keep us glued to the pages until the end. Maybe you wonder how they manage to create those sentences or just how they start writing. The techniques described in this article will help you compose effective introductions to your short stories and compelling first drafts. You will learn how to start writing, how to choose the first few lines and how to perfect them.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Start Writing
Step 1. Try to write the structure of the story in one go
You can try this method, writing the details of the cast texture. You can choose the bizarre and funny story that you would share with a friend but do not yet know how to translate into the story format. By putting the facts on paper, you will have the opportunity to turn them into a finished work later.
- Just focus on telling the story and how to put it on the page. An hour or a whole day may be enough for you. Imagine talking to a good friend and telling him or her the events over a coffee.
- Avoid researching or communicating information outside of the story you are telling. Don't slow down to reflect on certain sections of the plot. You will think about these problems when you reread what you wrote later.
Step 2. Use typing prompts
If you can't find an idea for a short story, you can use this creative tool. Prompts help express creativity and narrow it down. They can also lead you to write about a topic you have never considered before.
- Most prompts impose a time limit (for example, write about the given topic for 5 minutes). If you feel that the exercise is helping you to create useful material for your story, please allow yourself to push the boundary. You can also choose to ignore the prompt if your creativity leads you in another direction. This tool is to get you started writing, but it shouldn't limit you in any way.
- A writing prompt can be a sentence, such as "I remember…", or an image, such as "Imagine being trapped in your child's bedroom". You can also use a line from your favorite poem or book, as well as a line from a song you like.
- You can find a list of writing prompts at Writer's Digest and Daily Teaching Tools. Alternatively, you can also try a random introductory sentence generator.
Step 3. Locate the protagonist
Once you have written the basic material for the tale, you should reread it and notice if one of the characters stands out among the others. The protagonist is the figure whose fate is most important within the story. This doesn't mean he has to be a hero or a classic villain. He should be the character that is most dear to readers and with whom they can relate more, despite all his flaws.
The protagonist does not have to be the narrator of the story, but he should be the one to make the decisions that carry the plot forward. It should guide the events that happen in the story and its path must give meaning to the work
Step 4. Create the texture structure
It can be helpful to start writing the story from the plot structure, so that you know what will happen in the story. Most writers avoid this method, because they don't want to feel limited by a rigid structure. However, if you are unable to start writing, it will help to identify the protagonist, the setting of the story, and the events of the plot.
- In the plot structure you must first deal with the objective of the story. Think about what the protagonist wants to achieve or what problem he wants to solve. This will be the central "desire" of the story: something the protagonist wants for himself, for another character, for an institution and so on.
- In the plot structure you should also describe the consequences for the protagonist if he does not achieve his goal. This is the so-called "stake", which the main character risks losing if he is not successful. A high stakes usually involve the reader more in the story and lead him to worry about the fate of the protagonist.
Part 2 of 4: Choose the Start Type
Step 1. Begin in medias res
Many short story writers try to start their work from a scene, usually important and engaging. This allows you to immediately capture the reader and lower him into the story.
- You should choose a scene that is very important to the main character or the narrator and show them in action, doing something that will have consequences later on or serve to introduce the plot. For example, instead of starting with "Marco thinks it's a day like any other", you can try: "Marco wakes up after a bad dream and realizes that today will not be a day like any other".
- You may decide to use the past tense in your story, but the present gives the work a sense of urgency, which helps propel the reader forward. For example, starting with "Today I'll do a bank robbery" is more effective than "Yesterday I robbed a bank" because the present allows the action to unfold in front of the reader in real time. Readers have the opportunity to experience the main event alongside the characters.
Step 2. Describe the setting
This type of opening is useful if the setting of the story is very important and you want to create a certain atmosphere. Perhaps your story is not centered on a complex plot, but takes place in a very particular situation, which you want to immediately communicate to the reader. You can use a character's point of view to describe the setting and focus on a detail that strikes or interests the reader.
- For example, in Greg Egan's Oceanic story, the first line describes the setting, a boat in the ocean: "The tide raised and lowered the boat slightly. My breathing became slower, mimicking the creak of the hull, until I was more able to notice the difference between the faint rhythmic movement of the cabin and the feeling of filling and emptying of my lungs ". Egan uses specific and sensory details to convey to the reader the feeling of being seated in the cabin of a boat and begins his story at a precise moment.
- Remember that you can also present the setting later in the story if you don't want to start with this aspect. If the theme or plot is more important to the story than the setting, you can decide to start with those elements. You should still try to start in medias res, so that the reader is involved right away.
Step 3. Introduce the narrator or protagonist
Another solution to start with is to start with a powerful narrative voice or an intense description of the main character. This is a good option for character-based rather than plot-based stories. Often, first-person narratives begin with a sentence from the leading voice. You can show the reader the narrator's worldview and present his or her voice, so the reader knows what to expect in the rest of the story.
- Although The Young Holden by J. D. Salinger is a novel and not a story, the opening sentence immediately introduces the narrator's voice: "If you really want to hear this story, maybe you want to know first of all where I was born and how was my childhood sucks and that what my parents and company were doing before I arrived, and all that David Copperfield nonsense, but I really don't want to talk about it."
- The narrator has a harsh and rude tone, but draws attention with his frustrated view of the world and his contempt for traditional storytelling. The narrator has a very specific point of view, which gives the reader a clear idea of what the rest of the story will be like.
Step 4. Start with a nice dialogue
It can be an effective solution, but the dialogue must be simple to follow and get straight to the point. As a general rule, dialogues in a story must always fulfill more than one purpose and should never be inserted as mere conversations. The most effective ones help you get to know the characters better and advance the plot.
- Many stories begin with direct speech, then move on to describing who is speaking and where they are within the scene. Usually speaking is the protagonist or one of the main characters of the story.
- For example, in Amy Hempel's story In the cemetery where Al Jolson is buried, the story begins with a striking phrase: “'Tell me something I won't mind forgetting,' she told me. “Useless stuff, otherwise forget it” ». The reader is immediately drawn into the story by the funny, strange dialogue and the presence of a "she".
Step 5. Present a little conflict or mystery
A good opening sentence should raise questions in the reader's mind, highlighting a conflict or doubt. You can simply write a character's reflections on a recent event and their reaction, or a more complex mystery, such as an unsolved murder or crime. Avoid starting with a question mark that is too large or that can confuse the reader. Let the first line be a clue to something more important and bring the reader closer to the main conflict.
For example, the first sentence of Shirley Jackson's story Elizabeth raises many questions: "Just before the alarm went off she was lying in a sunny, warm garden, with green lawns around her, as far as the view extends." The reader wonders why the protagonist is dreaming of a sunny garden, why she is waking up and what the dream will mean for her in the future. This is a minor conflict, but it is an effective way to gradually lower the reader into the most important themes and ideas of the story
Part 3 of 4: Correcting the Introduction
Step 1. Read the introduction again after the story is finished
Even if you may think you wrote the perfect opening for your work, you should reread it when you are finished to confirm its quality. In some cases, stories change or morph as you write them, and your brilliant opening may no longer make much sense. Read the first few sentences again considering the context of the rest of the story and see if they still fit.
You may be able to correct the first few sentences to fit the tone, mood, and style of the rest of the story, or you may be forced to write a new introduction that is more in line with the story. You can always archive the previous version for another short story or future project, especially if you feel it is well written, but not ideal for this specific work
Step 2. Curate your language
The introduction should not contain unnecessary words or phrases, otherwise the impact on the reader would be less intense. Review the first few lines and make sure they are concise and powerful. Notice if you are using trivial terms or overused phrases and replace them with more interesting words. Eliminate all unnecessary descriptions or condense a description of characters and settings into a single paragraph.
You may find that you are using ineffective, vague and not very descriptive verbs or adjectives. Replace them with stronger terms, so that the first few lines strike the reader and raise the standard for tone and descriptions of the rest of the story
Step 3. Show the introduction to a neutral reader
It is not easy to correct what you have written yourself, so you must be willing to have it read by someone you trust. Consider showing only the first lines or the first paragraph of the work and ask her if she was impressed enough to read the rest. You should also ask her if she understands who the character is, what the setting is, and if she has any suggestions that can help you improve the start.
Part 4 of 4: Recognizing the Purpose of the Introduction
Step 1. Remember the role of the beginning of a story
The first lines of a work of this type are very important, because they capture the attention and interest of the reader, pushing him to continue. The first sentence or first paragraph often introduces the idea or situation that will be explored in the story. They should give the reader a clear indication of tone, style and atmosphere. They can also communicate something about the characters and the plot of the tale.
- Using Kurt Vonnegut's rules for short stories, a reference widely used by writers, you should always try to "start as close to the end as possible" in the introduction. Drop the reader directly into the center of the action, as soon as possible, so that they are hooked and read the book in one go.
- Often, publishers read the first few lines of a story to see if it's worth getting to the bottom of the book. Many stories are chosen to be published based on the impact of the first sentence. For this reason it is important to reflect on how to strike the reader and impress him from the very first words.
Step 2. Read some sample opening words
To learn how to write the beginning of a short story, you should read many examples. Note the techniques used by the writer to attract the reader and how each word used carries weight. Here are some examples:
- "The first great gesture of love I ever witnessed was Split Lip bathing his handicapped daughter." Isabelle by George Saunders.
- "When this story goes public, I could become the most famous hermophrodite in history." Jeffrey Eugenides' dark object.
- "Just before the alarm went off she was lying in a sunny, warm garden, with green lawns around her, as far as the view extends." Elizabeth by Shirley Jackson.
Step 3. Review the examples
Once you have read the sentences, ask yourself some questions:
- How did the writer introduce the tone or atmosphere? For example, the first line of Eugenides' The Dark Object presents the narrator as a hermaphrodite and lets the reader know that he is about to hear the story of his life. Create a reflective atmosphere, in which the narrator describes his own life as a famous hermaphrodite.
- How does the writer introduce the main characters and the setting? For example, in the first sentence of Saunders' tale Isabelle, the character called "Split Lip" and her handicapped daughter are introduced. A fundamental theme of the story is also introduced: the love between father and daughter. Jackson's introduction to Elizabeth makes use of sensory details and descriptions, such as "warm and sunny" and "green", to paint a specific image in the reader's mind.
- What are your expectations as a reader, based on the first few sentences? An effective introduction makes the reader understand what awaits him and provides just enough information to involve him in the story. For example, the opening of Saunders' text lets the reader know that the story will be strange or bizarre, due to the presence of a character called "Split lip" and a handicapped girl. It is a bold beginning, which makes the reader understand how the story will be told, with a single voice.
