How do you start your stories???

[Alice_Marches_Forward]

The first line/paragraph of your story is the most important, as it brings people in (Or so I’ve heard). So, if I may ask, how would/do you start your story? (any pov)

 

[Deleted member 1244]

Carefully

 

[Tsuru]

Tip : Read a lot
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Lot of possibilities exist

Dream
Explanation of the world
POV of MC
Blurry event-vision (memories/predictions/forgotten thing/past-life/etc)
MC monologue
Fighting
POV of someone else
Narrator
Dying MC that will remember his past (story is basically a flashback until to this dying moment - likely to survive btw)
Pre-isekai
Soul state
Bullied life
POV of parents
Random person pov
Narration from future people (mother to child/poet/children/...)
----Legend of MC
----Book retelling the story of MC
POV of descendant of MC
Born MC
Pre time travel in past (regretful MC)

Carefully

^Big winner
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But yes OP, in fact. You overestimate readers of 2023.
Now even the title AND summary AND cover
play even bigger role than first sentence or "Golden 3 first chapters" (chinese slang)

Cover ugly ? Nope
Title is weird or poetic that dont tell the plot ? Drop
Summary not attractive or don't explain anything or try to be "mysterious" or "big world view" ? Drop

If you check early chinese Wnovels.
And look at recent ones, you see most stopped using a chinese eyes character on the cover.
And in fanfics, or even original ones fantasy, they use a "jp anime style" cover. Most of them directly using a pic from jp pixiv.
----------------------
Info (half serious half joking) : People now got 5395 mangas, 305 animes, 580 games, 1539 tv shows, 3905 movies
and millions of short videos to watch
AVAILABLE

That is why chinese authors, also began to copy the JP-STYLE for the titles, that directly tell the whole plot
ex : I am a underground policeman (spy) in a evil organization, but succeeded to become the boss

 

[Corty]

Just start it. Don't worry about it or try to go along a set formula. My stories always start in a way that going by the multiple opinions I read in this forum, it should be a flop. So I say just go for it and write in your own style.

 

[Dieter]

The Old Saw says it is the 1st-line/paragraph that hooks readers in; but that isn't where you, an Author, should start writing your Story from.

Don't start your Story from the Prologue/1st chapter. Rules at this early of the stage will stifle your creativity and give you a writer's block. Premature involvement of conscious analytic thinking: trying to be precise, fixing mistakes, documenting sources of problems, striving for certainty, or thoughts of implications irrelevant to your story, such as reader's reception—will all stop your creative generative process in its tracks. These things come into play, yes, but much later, when you're editing what you wrote.

In a nutshell: suppose you have a Premise for your Story—what you need to do now is to ignore the Rules of Chronology, Plausibility, Neatness, POV, Prose-Style, etc. and just scribble your Muses: Sometimes you'll be writing about the Lore, the Creatures, and the next line you'll be talking about what happens in the Ending and Climax, and in the next line the background of the protagonist and parts of the 1st chapter because that has bearing on how the Ending > which will lead you to think of the middle, and all the other characters, races, magic system, etc.

Another thing that'll help your writer's block is by being destructive with your work. If a chapter feels wrong no matter how much you tinker with it, you should try drastically changing it. It feels sacrilegious, but nothing's really lost by doing so. What attracted you in your previously flawed chapter, such as a dialogue, will always find its place back, either in the same chapter, or somewhere else, said by another character. The same applies with plot pieces, props, etc.

 

[Funatic]

This is a line of a Brandon Sanderson lecture (he got it from some where else, but I forgot the original source):

"Start your story with someone that really wants something, even if it is just a glass of water."

 

[J_Chemist]

With a rock climbing simulator.

 

[Kamelingil]

Write the beginning of everything, since when the protagonist was born, or when the universe was created

 

[laccoff_mawning]

My opinion is that It's not the first paragraph that pulls people in. It's the title, the cover, and the synopsis.
If the reader got as far as the first paragraph- even the first sentence- they are already reading the story. everything from your first sentence to the end of the story is simply there to make them not drop it.
As long as the first chapter is representative of your story, it should be fine. Probably. Maybe.

 

[BlackKnightX]

Set the scene, the tone, the promises.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

There's no magic formula or proven way of starting a story, other than to try and see if your audience will like what you wrote.

Some will say this method will work, others will say another. As someone who've been writing for long, I'd just go what my gut feeling tells me.

After all, it's the contents and style that matter.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

There's no magic formula or proven way of starting a story, other than to try and see if your audience will like what you wrote.

Some will say this method will work, others will say another. As someone who've been writing for long, I'd just go what my gut feeling tells me.

After all, it's the contents and style that matter.

supremely based teddyBruh

 

[RinDes]

With an idea: just write what comes to mind; it's what comes next that will make a difference. It doesn't matter how many words you have; once you emptied your mind, and put it all on paper/screen, READ it a few times. Read it as a reader, read it as a writer, read it with logic.

You'll most likely change several things along the way, less as you gain experience, by adding, removing, rephrasing and polishing certain aspects. It doesn't need to be perfect: we all start at the bottom. But if you keep honing your skills, it will eventually come out naturally.

What you need to consider, is when to publish the story: right away as you write on the go, or read it a few times, and go through some editing beforehand.

Hopefully, that can help you a tad.

Kindly, Rin.

 

[AzureFeather]

*Ahem* My expert, obviously professional strategem goes like this;
BY THE POWER OF BULLSHIT I SUMMON THEEEEEE
More seriously; Go with your guided gut and pray. And if the latter doesn't pay out, wreck shop and try again. Don't be afraid to show your dumpster fire to others, and if necessary for mental health then feel free to metaphorically throw hands. Just remember to reflect regardless, iterate- but not too much too narrowly or you'll wake up wrong and meet Alice the straight jacket.
Writing's a process only by technicality. Linearity is a rule but rules are fragile fuckers who'll try and steal your soul when you're not looking- experiment. Stretch. Try not to tear and tie yourself up. Breathe, but don't bottle. Pressure will cause explosions. Add vents.

And for the love of all holy and un, do try to get sleep. Highly reccomend that.

 

[Plantorsomething]

The first line/paragraph of your story is the most important, as it brings people in (Or so I’ve heard). So, if I may ask, how would/do you start your story? (any pov)

Meh, stop obsessing over the first, you’ll end up writing yourself into oblivion usually

 

[BearlyAlive]

I hate the "first sentence is most important" mindset. My old literature teacher was too big of a fan of it.

Just do what you want and people will read it. Unless you're some ninja-lurker that's stealthy as fuck...

 

[HelloHound]

Start with an all caps cuss and continue the story from there

 

[Deleted member 54065]

I hate the "first sentence is most important" mindset. My old literature teacher was too big of a fan of it.

Just do what you want and people will read it. Unless you're some ninja-lurker that's stealthy as fuck...

Aye, as a former literature teacher, I also abhorred that mindset.

 

[owotrucked]

How to Get Started Making Your Story

Here's my process for creating the foundation for making stories. It's my way of trying to help those getting started or maybe dealing with writer's block. If you're interested in taking the framework I use, here you go. Adopt the whole thing, aspects of it, ditch it, do whatever since it's your...

forum.scribblehub.com

I havent watched it yet xD

 

[Kalliel]

It's not the first sentence. No sane reader would judge your entire work after reading only one sentence. Unless it's really cringe.
It's the first several paragraph if short, and the whole first chapter or even more if long.
Conclusion? Just get good. People will read if it's good.