How To Start My Story – If you want to pick the brain of a book trainer, this is the series for you. In this series, I’ll share answers to tough, interesting, and sometimes random questions from my writers.
Hey Ashley! I don’t know where to start my story. I know what’s going on, but I don’t know what the big reveal is supposed to be. To keep!
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How To Start My Story
(sorry, I’m a 90s kid!). After all, this is a common struggle! But don’t worry, I’ve got some handy tips for you to race to the keyboard (in a good way!).
Some Spoilers Of My Story
Another note before we get into this: don’t stress too much about the perfect opening line/scene/section. At least not for your first project. Your first scene/chapter will probably change a ton between the first draft and the final draft. One of my favorite authors, Susan Dennard, says, “You know which part of my book gets edited more than any other part? THE BEGINNING. Why? CAUSE
Exercise 1: Consider using Lisa Cron’s Story Genius method and visualize your story unfolding. In Genius Story Chapter 8, Cron advises that to find your opening scene, “find a plot that moves your character to inevitable action.” You’ll know when you get there because you’ll feel its strong pull. the rush of progress is the sense that your protagonist must now act and act” (143). For a long explanation, I suggest you buy the book. But in short, you write the starting time of your story, and then where do you choose? Your character is rock solid. in the middle of nowhere and NEEDS action of one kind or another.
Exercise 2: Find a scene where everything changes (at least at the end of the scene). So, when you come home from the store and find that letter, message, person waiting for you, etc.
Pro tip: You’ll want to use the opening scene to create stasis. We need to know what normal is for the main character, why they need to change, what DOESN’T work in their current situation. This varies by genre and writing style, but most writing gurus agree that you don’t want to spend too much time establishing stasis until you get to the big moment where the main character begins their new journey (which is often unexpected). : Consider genre conventions when opening a scene/chapter. For example, the fantasy genre spends more time building the world and establishing the story than other genres. I worked with a writer who had a really good opening scene in the middle of a big conflict, but trying to do the whole story and world-building was impossible. So we supported the two conspiracies and started the story more slowly, setting up nice hints and building up to big moments. It worked better.
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Exercise 3: Use the high school English teacher card. I know it might sound boring and a bit cliche, but there’s a reason old icons stick around: they limit the story to the basics. If you don’t know where to start, figure out what story moved you, then give yourself a scene or two (or a chapter or two) to set the story at that point.
Exercise 4: Try writing three different scene/chapter openings. Let them go and give them a seat. As you revise them, visually read the scenes that lead your characters (and your readers) to that moment.
Exercise 5: Read and analyze early scenes of your genre. Where does the story begin and what does it do? In
For example, the main character’s morning train ride shows us the dire situation here—the unemployed and struggling with alcoholism. But he also introduces the people he sees on the train, and the story picks up immediately.
How To Start A Story: 10 Steps To A Compelling Opening
Pro tip: Ask yourself what your story really is. Don’t get bogged down in plots and side conflicts. Get to the heart of the story – when does this story begin?
Exercise 6: Create a scene map for the “whistle” for the opening scene (another Genius story exercise). Who will steal the story and run with it?
Pro Tip: “Facts” and “So?” The field map section is a good place to check the forward draw we mentioned earlier.
Love this blog series? Want to ask a personal book coach about your career? Working with a book coach is one of the most fun, rewarding, and successful things you can do in your writing life. A current client of mine told me:
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“I had this moment about a month ago: ‘I can’t hire a book coach I’ve heard of for the first time without a referral, can I?’ And that’s exactly what I did, because what you’ve been saying on your blog and insta life is running through my mind as I write. I felt it was the voice I needed. It was 100% the right decision.”
If you would like to join the group of happy writers I write for, click here to learn more or click here to contact me.
But wait, who am I? How can you trust me? After all, everyone is an internet expert 😉
Hello! I’m Ashley! I serve writers who want to write unique stories and grow as writers and storytellers. We are not born with the ability to write good stories, I believe we have to learn it (just like Yo-Yo Ma is not born with the ability to play the cello). I believe in the power of stories (especially stories in the fantasy genre) to bring hope and life to dark places. I am a Writer Accelerator certified book instructor and have been coaching writers of various genres for two years. I’ve had the privilege of being a part of creating so many great stories (check out my testimonials page to read about some amazing writers!!). Learning to write requires a balance of current and past events, people’s biographies. Read 7 tips for writing a better history:
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What is Backstory? The simplest definition of backstory is “the background for a fictional story or fictional character” (
. Backstory is similar to “character history” in some ways. It’s a web of formative experiences that help explain your character’s desires, fears, and motivations.
Whenever you create a new character, think about their story. What can explain their current situation? Tweet this
For example, if your personality is very competitive, what past experiences might have shaped this lifestyle? Perhaps your personality:
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Once you have an idea of the past events that motivated your character, you can use background ideas to create scenes that show the impact of your character’s history.
For example, you might decide to feature a competitive character who comes home from sibling rivalry during the holidays, where old family rivalries will play out in Family Feud.
First, you can “tell” their story. A prime example of this type of backstory is “Once upon a time…” used in fairy tales.
But putting all your backgrounds on display is risky. Talking too much upfront can confuse your readers.
Ask A Book Coach: Where Do I Start My Story? — Ashly Hilst Book Coach
Create a balance by building the story slowly. Telling the reader (rather than showing) someone’s past is not always a bad thing. For example, in epic fantasy novels, the prologue often gives the reader the current situation. In this case, telling history can be the most effective way to explain the past in the present.
I am a child widow. My father’s eyes were closed to the light of this world for six months when mine was opened. There is something strange about the thought that he did not see me; And I have a strange vague memory of the first time I met the child’s white grave in the churchyard, the indescribable kindness I felt when I preached there alone, on a dark night, in our little restaurant. warm and light with fire and candle […] Dickens, David Copperfield (1850), p. 1.
The backstory here gives some context for how the story unfolds (David was frustrated when his mother eventually remarried because of his father’s infidelity).
Although told through exposition, Dickens makes David’s story interesting with emotional descriptions. It is like loneliness translated from the metaphor David describes as his father’s tomb being “locked up” in a burning hot house.
My Story * Card Support Pack! * A Smyth Co
Because there are so many different ways to write backstories, it’s easy to balance a character’s background and current life without revealing new information.
For example, your character may show a difficult attitude in the dialogue
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