![]() ![]() If it feels real to a reader, they’ll be hooked. Usually, these are words or phrases that elicit an emotional response in a person, including words that paint a vivid picture at the same time. You accomplish this by using trigger phrases and touchstones. With this opening, you need to place the reader in a specific emotional headspace to engage with the rest of the page. One of the main ways to do this is by adding literary devices to your story. You don’t want the reader to feel for the character or the world, as those fall into other categories. “Chris Mankowski’s last day on the job, two in the afternoon, two hours to go, he got a call to dispose of a bomb.”Įliciting an emotion is about getting the reader to feel something, not just displaying emotive language. Start of a story – producing intrigue example: The difference is you want to leave more questions than generate answers.Īgain, the more you know about the story when you drop this first hint, the more clearly it will communicate.Īvoid vague prophecy, hit them with something that will echo when the reader arrives at the resolution. Producing intrigue works a lot the same as the Dive. “Locke Lamora’s rule of thumb was this: a good confidence game took three months to plan, three weeks to rehearse, and three seconds to win or lose the victim’s trust forever.” #3 – Produce intrigue You never want to do all three, because you run the risk of creating a “Mary Sue” or a character that’s so perfect readers don’t believe they’re real.Īnd this is why we also recommend fully developing your characters before starting the writing process. ![]() Each of these gives the reader a hook into the character, helping them to understand why they should follow along to see the character’s arc.īrandon Sanderson, famous fantasy author, often gives the advice in his college writing class lectures that you want to do two of these three things to your character at the start of your story: You can show off a strength, reveal a weakness, or share an in-character insight. If a reader is bought into the character and wants to learn more about them, they will buy your book and read the rest.Ĭonnecting a reader to a character is done in several ways. One of the best things you can do at the start of a story is emotionally connect your character with your reader. “The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.” #2 – Connect the character to the reader Start of a story – opening sentence example: ![]() To execute this action-packed introduction, you need to have a firm idea of what is happening and deliver the setting with confidence, don’t over-explain and don’t linger. In film school, you will see this referred to as “ in media res.” It works by forcing the reader to accept everything that is currently happening while also inviting them to see what happens next or hear what brought the character to this moment. So try to bring in at least these three elements to your first sentence:ĭiving off a cliff puts the reader immediately into the action. Three is pushing it, you might want to try for that all-in approach, but you will just end up coming across disorganized.Ī page long sentence can be an interesting, impressive feat, but as a first sentence, it reeks of smarter-than-the-room and will alienate most readers. You want to achieve a minimum of one and a maximum of three of these in your first sentence. Like any first impression, it has as many don’ts attached as it has do’s. It sets a tone, introducing the reader to you and your world. It needs to be well-aimed and land solid. Your opening sentence shouldn’t be a warning shot. If you want to learn more about creating a story readers keep coming back for, watch the interview with me below, where I break down the whole process, not just the start of a story: Of all the darlings you must get used to killing, your original first page should always be ripe for the axe. Remember, the first page isn’t the first page you write, it is the first page someone reads. Yes, that is a lot to ask from the first page, which is why so many writers stop before they get started. To this end, when starting a story, you must: All you need is confidence, technique, and the Salesperson knows, a crack is an opportunity and anything that opens a littleĬan be forced to open a lot. Your opening paragraph, hell, your opening sentence is as much largess most people will be offered. ![]() Since nobody is instilled with an innate commitment to read your book, you must craft that desire personally. She’ll humor you, she’ll hope for you, but she doesn’t want to. How to Start a Story: Bestselling Author’s Blueprintīy default, nobody wants to read your book. ![]()
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