Starting off a story?

Question: Starting off a story!?

What is the best way to start off a story!? I want something that sounds good and keeps the reader reading!. I know of dialogue, but I can't think of much more!. Ideas!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Point of attack is crucial for pulling someone into a story!.

"The exploding bomb drove several steel splinters into his shoulder!. He winced with pain!. "I thought these suits protected against this very thing!", he yelled, trying to stanch the flow of blood!."

Are you interested!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

There are many ways to start a story!. One would be an anecdote (in which you can either just start with it , or you can start and conclude depending on what type of literature you're writing)!. like you said, theres also dialogue, quotes, and bullet facts (listing a bunch of facts that are relevant to your story)!.

An anecdote can also go inductive or deductive depending, again, on what you're trying to write!.

Good luck!Www@QuestionHome@Com

First, you have to know what your plot is!. For me, I read the first paragraph, not the first sentence, to get hooked!. Make it sound suspenseful and interesting, with many gaps to fill in:

Example:

"I made a promise that day!. The day I swore to never do it again!. But I broke that promise!." (I know, it's kind of lame!. I got it off the top of my head!.)

It leaves the reader wondering WHAT it was!. And they will journey onward!.

Or you could try the "scary" effect (The classic: It was a dark and stormy night)

And actually, once upon a time works too, if you're writing a fairytale!.

If you have no ideas for the beginning, just start off writing in the middle (early middle) and come back to it!. Since you would know better of what you written, you can think of one more easilyWww@QuestionHome@Com

i find personally that a long, rambling sentence throws me off (and several of those first sentences on persephone hellecat's list are real doozys although some others were really nice)!.

anyway, i'd recommend starting off with a bang, or something comical to get your reader into the story!. a hook!.

example!?

'the gunman was useless!.' from i am the messenger by markus zusak (off my head here, folks)

it makes you want to know
a!. how is our narrator encountered by a gunman!?
b!. where is he!?
c!. how is the gunman useless!?
d!. who is the gunman!?
e!. will the gunman shoot the aforementioned narrator, despite his uselessness!?

the list goes on and on!. i'm sure there are lots better examples out there, but i couldn't think of anything else right now :)

anyway i find starting off with description to be rather boring, but that's just me!. in my opinion, there's plenty of time in the middle to describe your heart out, but AFTER you get the reader hooked!.

anyway, good luck on your story!.

p!.s!. to keep things in perspective, you'll probably be rewriting that first sentence, and the rest of your novel, uncountable times, so i'm pretty darn sure you won't get it perfectly right the first time!. just keep chugging on and you'll get it eventually!.

cheers

shardikatWww@QuestionHome@Com

Try this list of the 100 most famous first lines in novels!. It will show you how authors use first lines to draw readers into books!. Study this list and figure out how you can write a sentence like one of these!.

http://www!.pantagraph!.com/articles/2006/!.!.!.

Pax-CWww@QuestionHome@Com

Start with the saddest thing you can think of!. Once you have the reader's sympathies, the rest of it is a cake walk!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

start off with something interesting - like something happening mid-situation, and the reader has to keep going on order to find out what you mean and what's happening!.
works every time :)Www@QuestionHome@Com

A lot of people say to start with describing a scene, but I find it more interesting when a novel starts with a sentence about something really random because it makes me want to continue reading!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

"One upon a time, there lived a beautiful princess!.!.!."
"!.!.!.But all is not well in Happy Land!.!.!."
"!.!.!.A terrible and misunderstood witch!.!.!."
"!.!.!.happily ever after!."

That about sums it up!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

think!.!. of something original or that could be big!. look,seek, find, destroy, and personalize :PWww@QuestionHome@Com

I like dialogue!. I started mine off with:
"Car," Allen said!.
It works, and it sets the mood!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

describe the area in the scene

ex!. "The sun was rising over a fresh vineyard!. Trees whistled with morning air and the pond bubbled with large fish!.!.!."Www@QuestionHome@Com

fisrt of all, you know your genre!. and think of a story that fit your personality!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

it was a dark and stormy nightWww@QuestionHome@Com