It's that important.
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| St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague, Czech Republic, 2014, Photo by Erik Lundmark |
There are several things to remember as you decide where and how to start your story.
1. Start in the right place
I've seen it time and again in agent writing tips: Make sure your story starts in the right place. Most people tend to start too soon. You want to begin your story just before that turning point where your protagonist will never be the same again--that moment where one crucial event or decision changes the course of the main character's life and begins the adventure. This is often called the "inciting incident."
It's tempting for many novice authors to start too far ahead of that moment in order to establish the character's daily routine first. Don't be tempted to do that. There's a fine line between establishing a character and giving us the character's life story.
On the other hand, it's possible to start too late, too. We've all heard it's good to start right into the action. But an action scene where the reader has no idea who the characters are is self-defeating. In order to care about the players in an action scene, the reader must already know and have sympathy for said characters. Make sure your reader has connected with your character before you put them in danger.
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| St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague, Czech Republic, 2014, Photo by Erik Lundmark |
Finally, a note on prologues: From what I've seen from agents, I think the common consensus is that about 90% of the time, a prologue is unnecessary. If you currently have a prologue to your story, give some serious thought to it. Unless you really can't tell your story without it, it only serves as a red flag for agents.
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| Prague, Czech Republic, 2014, Photo by Erik Lundmark |
2. Don't info-dump
When you are creating your characters, they will have a back-story. Unless they are a newborn, they will have an entire life worth of experiences, situations, and circumstances that make up who the are. It's important for you, as the writer, to know this whole backstory. You can write it out if you want. You need to know that information in order to determine how a character will react in any given circumstance. But the reader does not need to know all of it. And they certainly don't need to know it on page one.
Think about meeting a new person in real life. If you start up a conversation with someone in line at the coffee shop, would you expect them to spill their entire life story to you the first time you met? No. In fact, if they did, you'd probably think they were really weird and get out of there ASAP. Hello, awkward.
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| Wang Church, Karpacz, Poland 2014, Photo by Erik Lundmark |
It's the same in fiction. All you need to know about someone in order to be intrigued is one small element that sparks interest. Perhaps the woman in line at the coffee shop has a tattoo that's exactly the same as one your ex-boyfriend had. Or perhaps you just overheard her on her phone telling someone she can't talk now because she's driving. What? In both instances, you'd want to know more about this person--or at least be curious enough to watch her for a while as you stand in line.
The whole mystery of your character's lives should be sprinkled in throughout the story--providing "aha" moments for your reader the more they get to know your characters. It actually works in your favor to dole out these nuggets of backstory as you go.
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| St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague, Czech Republic, 2014, Photo by Erik Lundmark |
3. Avoid trope beginnings
Nothing screams novice writer more than a trope beginning. Even if you think you've got a new take on it, unless you are JK Rowling . . . and you are not . . . just don't do it. If your story currently begins with one of the following, run--do not walk--do not pass go--do not collect $200--and change your beginning.
*waking up
*describing the sun or moon
*describing the scenery or weather
*character looking at themselves in the mirror
*first day of school
*a dream
*dialogue
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| Wang Church, Karpacz, Poland, 2014, Photo by Erik Lundmark |
4. Make every word count
There are many contests out there that are based on the first 250 words of your story. That's all you get. That's not a lot. That's essentially one page. There's a reason for this. If all you had was 250 words to get a reader interested in your story, you'd want each one of those words to pack a punch. Here's where you need to use your amazing writerly skills to make each word do double the work. Make sure these sentences are crafted to the utmost perfection. Make sure you are "showing" your reader, not "telling." This is a hard thing to do, but think of it this way:
They say a picture is worth 1,000 words. So you need to use your words to paint a picture. If you paint a picture with your words, the value of each word suddenly increases. You need less words to get your meaning across because the reader is able to visualize what you've written--you've created a picture in their minds--and they will fill in the words for themselves. For example:
Telling: "It was really cold outside."
Showing: "Icicles formed beneath the eaves."
Both sentences are only five words, but which one paints a picture?
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| Wang Church, Karpacz, Poland, 2014, Photo by Erik Lundmark |
5. Establish a connection
The most important thing you must do in that first page is establish a connection with the reader. That's usually done (and especially in YA) through forging a connection between the reader and the main character. If your reader is going to spend several hours of their life with a character, it better be someone they are interested in. What makes your protagonist unique? Spark the reader's interest with something that makes your character stand out or makes your character relatable.
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| St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague, Czech Republic, 2014, Photo by Erik Lundmark |
If your first 250 words can stand on their own to intrigue a reader, you've done your job.
*This post is one in a series: "So You Wrote a Book! Now What?" Click here to view more topics.*
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