Teen Ink
teenink
TeenInk How would you rearrange this old cliche? "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar" http://t.co/xTNZxcKYxK
Fri May 24, 2013 10:17am Reply Retweet Favorite
TeenInk "Thinking is the best way to travel." - The Moody Blues http://t.co/5jzE5kVJyB
Thu May 23, 2013 10:55am Reply Retweet Favorite
TeenInk If this is the ending of the story, what is the beginning? http://t.co/gRzPosYXRi
I've come up with a plot idea, characters.. the general premise of the story, to say the least, and I'm very excited to start it--I just can't seem to figure out where to begin. Does anyone have some interesting and original ways to start a story?
I started writing a novel, it starts where a girl (Neil, short for Jeneil) is in a dark building, looking for someone. She gets attacked, stuff happens, and then it stops at a cliffhanger and says, "Seven months earlier..."
Well, it depends on the type of story. Usually, if the character is thrown into a situation unexpectedly, the story begins with a snapshot of their "old" life before the life-changing ordeal happened, so that, later on, you can get into some character development. For example, in one of my stories the character starts as a concieted, snotty, rich girl. Then, she gets kidnapped and taken to another dimension where she's held prisoner and lives in horrible conditions. She'll learn to appriciate her life in comfort and will be a better person for it.
As PrettyPink said, you can always jump right into the action, if that's the type of story it is: an action-packed thrill ride, feeding information about the characters as the story progresses.
Then again, both of those have been used. Many times. What's it about? I might be able to come up with something if I have the general plot.
I think it's cool when the introduction is told from the bad guys point of veiw. Then the reader can get a glimpse at what the main character is up against, and it makes your villian seem more like a person. I hate it when the bad guy seems more like a thing than a character. If there is more than one main character in your story, you might want to start right before they meet. If the 'story world' is a lot different than the real world, then you might just want to go through a normal day for them, pointing out the differences.
It's a much more contemporary idea than the suggestions you all are making, however I do appreciate everyone's feedback! It's going to be about a girl who goes to a private academy in England, meets a dynamic set of characters, sparks a love interest, and above all, discovers a great deal about herself. It all sounds pretty cliche, but I'm trying to put my own twist into it. Besides, it's mainly for my own enjoyment, so whatever! Also, I'm still debating whether I want her to be highschool age or college age. College makes the whole dynamic character and love interest aspect much more believable and able to survive.
Depends on how your doing your story. With stories in current tense i like to begin with something boring and work into it.
Sometimes for the writer, it's best if you begin your story not from the beginning at all, but write out the scene in which your inspiration came. Once you've gotten that action scene you've been planning out of your system, it makes it a lot easier to actually begin your story with a clear head.
Hope this helps and keep writing!
