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How to Start a Story

January 29, 2024 by admin Category: How To

You are viewing the article How to Start a Story  at Tnhelearning.edu.vn you can quickly access the necessary information in the table of contents of the article below.

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This article is co-authored by a team of editors and trained researchers who confirm the accuracy and completeness of the article.

The wikiHow Content Management team carefully monitors the work of editors to ensure that every article is up to a high standard of quality.

There are 13 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.

This article has been viewed 33,188 times.

Whether it’s writing a short story or a novel, finding the perfect opening is always the hardest part. This may sound daunting, but it’s not impossible at all! Start with a good idea, or generate ideas if you’re not sure what you want to write about. Outline the plot and characters to narrow the focus, then start writing!

Table of Contents

  • Steps
    • Generate ideas
    • Outline the plot
    • Write the opening
    • Continue writing the story
  • Advice
  • Warning

Steps

Generate ideas

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Ask “what if” questions to kick-start your imagination. When you ask yourself, “What if…”, you are instructing your brain to take an ordinary event and consider it from a new angle. After asking the “what if” question, think of possible answers. Remember that each question can have many different answers. Keep asking and answering until one of the answers ignites your imagination and seems to lead to a broader story. You can refer to some of the following “what if” questions: [1] X Research Source

  • What if dinosaurs still existed?
  • What if we only had a certain amount of luck each day?
  • What if our hair changed color every day?
  • What if your best friend was a spy?
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Ask “I wonder” questions to draft a realistically written fiction. “I wonder” sentences help you explore more deeply about why something happened, to whom it happened, and the emotions it might evoke. Regardless of whether the question is general or very specific, the important thing is that the process of asking and answering opens your mind to the possibility of learning new things and seeing old things in a new light. Here are some examples of “I wonder” questions: [2] X Research Source

  • I wonder what he does in the basement every night.
  • I wondered what it would be like to be a cross-country truck driver.
  • I wonder what life is like in the Russian countryside.
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Overhear people’s conversations. Listen to people talk in crowded places (like coffee shops) and discreetly record what they say. Use those stories as a starting point to build characters and case plots. What will the lives of the characters be like? What is the relationship between the characters? Once you have a general idea of these characters, create a plot that focuses on their lives or use those ideas to create supporting characters in a larger plot. [3] X Research Sources

  • If you feel like you’re upsetting someone, you should stop eavesdropping on them and find another conversation.
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Set aside a journal to write down random ideas. Not all ideas will help you form a complete story, but they can certainly help you create new characters or side stories. Don’t delete the “bad” ideas – instead, you can move on to another section of your journal where your unfinished ideas are kept and then read them again.

  • Record your dreams as well. Dreams or dreamy ideas can be great starting points for a good story! [4] X Research Sources
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Read as much as possible. Reading is a way for you to get ideas for story development and develop your interests. Do you like stories that start and end abruptly? Is the plot the most important element of your story? Do you focus on describing the setting and portraying the characters? Pay attention to how the story opens, how the characters are introduced, and how fast or slow the stories you read are going to start brainstorming your story. [5] X Research Sources

  • Most literary genres and forms have their own set of conventions, so be sure to read stories and books that share the same style as you intend to write.
READ More:   How to Write Faster
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Use the plot generator. This tool can help you get started with your story by providing new, unusual, and creative suggestions. Sometimes support from outside sources is all you need to spark your creativity!

  • For general plot hints, visit http://writingexercises.co.uk/plotgenerator.php
  • For fairy tales, visit http://www.springhpe.net/writing_rpeplaying_randomators/fairytaleplot.htm
  • For mystery/horror plots, try http://tzplotgenerator.com

Outline the plot

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Outline the plot. The plot sketch should include a general idea of what will happen and to whom. You can write as detailed or as brief as you like. Write at least one sentence per scene or chapter, depending on the length of the piece, but don’t fret about having to provide every little detail. You will do that later! [6] X Research Source

  • Outline the whole plot instead of just writing the opening so you know where your story is going.
  • This step is not suitable for everyone. If you feel stuck when writing a plot outline, just start writing the story right away and work out the details as you write.
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Make a brief bio for each main character. You can also create less detailed bios for the supporting characters if you want. Some character bio information may never be included in your story, but the facts will help you build the characters to the full, and that will make your story interesting. better taste for readers! You can find character bios and character profiles online, but some basics for writing character bios include: [7] X Research Sources

  • Height, weight, race, eye color, hair color, skin color, health
  • Personal disability, habits, hobbies, ways of talking, introverted or extroverted personality
  • Biggest defect, best quality
  • Education, intelligence, short-term and long-term goals
  • The most embarrassing thing that ever happened to them
  • What are they most proud of?
  • Advantages and disadvantages
  • Relationships with other characters
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Set context . The setting in a story can dictate a character’s actions, their past, and future opportunities. For example, the setting of a story in the countryside in Brazil would be completely different from that in space, as these two environments influence what characters can and cannot do. Consider how the setting can affect the character, and whether the setting changes throughout the length of the novel. Some important issues to consider include: [8] X Research Sources

  • What year does the story take place?
  • Climate and time of year
  • Rivers, mountains, trees and geographical elements
  • The cultural and political environment of your chosen location
    • For example, a story set in Washington DC might be about politics.
    • The story’s setting in Paris can refer to fashion or famous architectural works like Eiffel.
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Choose your point of view in the story. There are three perspectives: first person (pronoun “I”), second person “you/you”) and third person (“he/she/them”). The perspective you choose will guide the story. [9] X Research Source

  • Are you telling the story through your protagonist’s eyes? If so, your story will be told in the first or third person in limited circumstances (the pronouns he/she/they still express the main character’s thoughts).
  • Is your story told through the narrator’s words? In this case, you would probably use the third person to state all of the character’s thoughts or not to include any thoughts.
  • Second-person perspective is less common, as this narrative can lead the reader astray or confuse. Before choosing to write a story with a second-person narration, you should consult books or short stories that use this perspective.
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Write the opening

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Find the starting point. You probably don’t want to start with going back too long or jumping too far into the future. Remember that you are introducing the reader to a new world (even in realistic fiction), so you need to give the reader a chance to familiarize themselves with the basics – the name of the main character, the individual their character and motivation – in the very first scene or first chapter. [10] X Research Source
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Try writing different opening styles. If you don’t know how to start, you can experiment with different starting options. You may have to try a few times before you find a good opening, but that’s what writing is all about!

  • Try starting with the character’s actions or appearance so the reader knows right away who is important.
  • Start with an overview of the context. Describe sensory details before focusing on the character’s life or home.
  • Reveal a character’s “secret” to engage the reader from the start.
  • Set the main conflict at the beginning to keep the reader curious to know what happens next.
  • Open with an important, memorable, or emotional flashback. Be careful, as flashbacks can confuse readers if they don’t know it’s in the past.
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Draft an example sentence. Think about what kind of opening you want to write. Will it be absurd and funny? Gloomy and hidden omens that do not happen often? Invite? Surprise? Does it introduce an overarching truth? Opening the story will help the reader form an idea of what will happen in the story and convince them to continue reading. If you’re feeling stuck, you can check out these examples of famous opening sentences for inspiration: [11] X Research Source

  • Irrational and humorous: “It was a brilliantly cold April day, the clock struck thirteen.” Excerpted from George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four ).
  • Foreshadowing: “It was a strangely hot summer, the summer they executed the Rosenbergs in the electric chair, and I didn’t know what I was doing in New York.” Excerpted from the Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.
  • Invitation: “Call me Ishmael.” Excerpt from Moby-Dick – The White Whale by Herman Melville.
  • Surprise: “Every child grows up, except for one.” Quoted in Peter Pan by JM Barrie.
  • The universal truth: “All happy families are alike, but every unhappy family suffers in its own way.” Quoted in Anna Karenina by Leo Tpstoy.
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Write the opening paragraph. Write an opening paragraph if your story includes multiple historical settings or narrative scenes. If the story’s setting includes the main character, you can incorporate this information in the main narrative. But if the scene needed in the story happens in a different setting, or if the setting doesn’t specifically include the main character, you may need to write an opening paragraph. [12] X Research Source

  • Make sure the opening paragraph is essential and has a significant impact on the plot – otherwise, it’s probably better not to write the opening paragraph.
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Avoid releasing any information. You don’t have to tell the reader all about the story in the first scene or the first chapter of the story. This can bog down your story and bore the reader, just as a lack of information will confuse them. You should try to keep a balance and consult outsiders if necessary.

Continue writing the story

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Think about what you wrote. After you’ve written your introduction, think through the story as a whole and determine if the opening is appropriate. If not, you can change the opening or reframe the story.

  • If you’re still wondering if the introduction you’ve just written will work, ask outside! Tell your readers that you need honest but positive feedback on what you’ve written.
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Work for at least 45 minutes each time you write. Longer writing times will make it easier to get the hang of the story, especially in the beginning. While it’s easy to be tempted to occasionally sit at your desk for 5-10 minutes on a whim, this can make the story looser or lose its “tone”. [13] X Research Source

  • Choose a suitable place to sit and write. You can try writing at home, in a coffee shop, library, park, or somewhere else. Determine where you are most creative, a quiet place or a place where music or chatter is heard? [14] X Research Source
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    Be enjoy! Writing is hard, frustrating and challenging work, but at the end of the day you’ll be happy! Enjoy your stories, focus on ideas that interest you, and write things you’ll want to read again later. [15] X Research Source
  • Advice

    • If you have too many ideas, focus on the ones you’re most excited about and leave the rest for another day. [16] X Research Source
    • Don’t delete the story while bored. Take a break for a while and then come back to writing!
    • Remember that writing is a skill that takes time to master. Be patient with yourself!
    • Don’t stop to correct grammar or punctuation errors while you’re writing. You can review and correct later so that those little details don’t slow down your writing circuit.
    • Read the story out loud to spot mistakes that you might not notice when reading silently. This can also help you see if the story is progressing smoothly, and if the dialogue is natural.

    Warning

    • If you choose to start with a flashback, you need to make sure the reader knows when you’re moving to the present, otherwise you could lead them astray or confused.
    • Avoid using empty sentences. Don’t start the story with a boring old image, as this will make the reader think that your story is not very creative.
    • Limit the use of exclamation points. Let the story speak for itself instead of trying to create excitement.
    X

    This article is co-authored by a team of editors and trained researchers who confirm the accuracy and completeness of the article.

    The wikiHow Content Management team carefully monitors the work of editors to ensure that every article is up to a high standard of quality.

    There are 13 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.

    This article has been viewed 33,188 times.

    Whether it’s writing a short story or a novel, finding the perfect opening is always the hardest part. This may sound daunting, but it’s not impossible at all! Start with a good idea, or generate ideas if you’re not sure what you want to write about. Outline the plot and characters to narrow the focus, then start writing!

    Thank you for reading this post How to Start a Story at Tnhelearning.edu.vn You can comment, see more related articles below and hope to help you with interesting information.

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