posted
Well, start writing where you want to start writing. And then, when you've finished that, write what you want to write next. When you've written everything you wanted to write, look at all of it and figure out if you need to add any more for the beginning, and then write that.
Then get some feedback on it, and rewrite it according to the feedback that you found helpful (ignore the feedback that wasn't helpful).
posted
I am uncertain of curtain point terminology,being a new writer, but I like to immediately introduce conflict Posts: 690 | Registered: Oct 2008
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posted
Where you start writing the story may not be the real beginning. I used to start off by writing a lot fo setting descripton and then introduce characters and eventually get to a plot. This does NOT work from a readership viewpoint (at least in a short story - it CAN work in a novel because people use the back cover text as their "hook" more than the actual first chapter). The reason I was doing it, I eventually worked out, was that I was easing myself as a writer into the right frame o mind. here's nothing wrong with doing that, but when you then come to edit/review your story, you may completely cut out the first few pages and start with the "real" start of the story. Normally this will be a point where the "change" happens - either it actually occurs or the main character discovers the "change". The story then continuesuntil the "change" is resolved - either the status quo is restored or the character comes to teems with the "change".
To make this clearer by example: a "first contact" story should start when the MC first discovers he existence of aliens, not with pages of preamble introducing the characters and setting. Backfill the necessary components of that information into the story asit goes, but make sure the story lasts fro "when MC discoveres aliens" to "when issues resolved by this discovery are resolved".
posted
I just decided to move to the part where my main character comes in.
Now I ask about starting a story I can write when I'm mad but can't seem to do so well while I'm dipressed (I want to go to a diffrent planet Earth has to much drama)
posted
Nicaria_Black, as far as I'm concerned, too much drama is what makes a story worth my time. Though I do understand your point -- I can't write when I'm depressed *or* angry. I need to be in an emotion-neutral zone, if not in a confident-aggressive frame of mind, if that makes sense.
But to the point of your thread, my advice is just to write, don't worry about getting the story perfect in the first draft. Critiquers will tear your story apart regardless, and you'll see that revisions are necessary anyway. I heard the general rule of thumb is to start a story, especially a short story, as close to the *end* as possible. For example, something has already happened to get your main character into a certain tough spot, and the story is about how he/she deals with it, resolves it or doesn't. For interest purposes, the situation needs to get worse before it gets better (if a happy ending is what you're after, anyway)
posted
I have been struggling with this problem of finding the right starting point lately myself. I seemed to have done better in the 13-line challenges than in my actual stories I have posted in the critique area.
I have tried to incorporate many of the devices I have learned here and through articles and research, but I have done so with little success.
We had recent threads about hooks and what editors want. These are good places to start.
Sheila Williams, the editor of Asimov's, suggested giving the main idea of the story in the first sentence. She also recommended against having exploding spaceships or grim characters. The other two editors also gave similar advice.
I find that opinions are quite varied here at Hatrack. I am still trying to figure out how to weigh opinions when editing my stories.
posted
I'm still having problems starting my story I want to rewrite the beginning but I don't know how to make it more intesting I posted it in the Novel feedback forum (Can't remember the actual name write now) but because of the 13 line rule It just seems boring I'm frustrated but I don't want to go back to writing horror stories at least not yet.
Posts: 22 | Registered: Jan 2009
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posted
Start a new story then. See where it takes you.
My main suggestion if you're just starting out writing is to try to write the story all the way to the finish. Then go back and see if you need to tinker with the beginning, middle, end, all of it, whatever the case may be. But until you have the whole thing down on paper/typing, it can be really easy to second-guess yourself and doubt yourself and otherwise make yourself crazy.
Just get it down first. Come back and fix what's wrong later. I think as writers we forget sometimes that just because we wrote it one way once doesn't mean it has to stay that way forever. Good luck to you.
posted
I saw some advice once that suggests experimenting with a number of starting points/beginnings at the outset of a new story, i.e., write as many as 5 or 6 different opening scenes before settling on a starting point. I've never done that myself, usually I just start somewhere and don't worry about it until I have complete draft, at which point I might change where the story starts.
posted
I like to start as late in the story as possible. It's a habit I picked up from Asimov, when he mentioned in his memoirs he was given just that piece of advice.
Posts: 8809 | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
OSC discusses when the different kinds of stories start (milieu, idea, character, and event), and when they should end, in his section on that in his book, HOW TO WRITE SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY.
Damon Knight used to say something along the lines of "start the story when something happens."
And I recommend that you should start the story when the main character decides to doing something.
If you want to improve the opening to your story -- I assume you're referring to "Naoque's Darkness" -- then I would suggest you need to learn how to diagnose problems with it.
If it's not interesting (and I'm not saying the story isn't interesting), the 13 line limit is not the reason -- making something that's uninteresting longer only makes it long and uninteresting. (As you may know, the FAQ gives many good reasons for the 13 line limit.)
Nor will switching your genre back to horror work; if you have a good story idea and cannot make the opening interesting, that's a challenge of writing craft, and one we address together here at Hatrack by critiquing other people's stories. By taking stories apart to explain what works and what doesn't, not only do we help the author, we help ourselves by learning to see a story as the reader will see it -- and understanding the things that engage readers is one of the keys to writing stories that are interesting.
In hope of helping further I've added a crit to the "Naoque's Darkness" thread.
posted
I think I finally found the beginning I'm looking for ^_^ you just got to feel it when you write.
Posts: 22 | Registered: Jan 2009
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I got this from Ray Bradbury's "Zen in the Art of Writing" where, essentially, he says one should write the first draft with passion and revise later. It was the single most valuable piece of writing advice I read--because it got me off my analytic arse and writing.
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Good luck to you.
