The story that comes after such a question is bound to contain surprising twists and turns. Dealing with a universal subject such as death, it also suggests that the story will take the reader on an emotional roller coaster until the end. Idea #4: Write Something Unexpected ‘I never knew the impact of the purple pen until it exploded in my ...
A short story can have a myriad of beginnings, and it all comes down to which suits the content, genre, and tone of the entire story you’re trying to tell. A good beginning will hook the reader’s attention from the opening lines, and keep them engaged for the rest of the story.
Full stops are your friends. Short, clear sentences will grab your readers’ attention. Use language that will add weight to your sentences. Use your verbs correctly, and your adjectives sparingly. Opening lines don’t have to be loud, subtlety is just as effective. Opening Lines To Novels / Short Stories: Examples. So much for the preamble.
What do great story introduction examples teach us? 1. Good story openings make us curious; 2. Strong opening sentences introduce novel themes; 3. Enticing story beginnings make bold statements; 4. Hook-driven openings set story development in motion; 5. Effective openings set fitting tone; 6. Creative first lines may play with narrative time; 7.
Another strong example of this story opening type, the protagonist/narrator introduction, is Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita (1955). Nabokov begins his entire novel with his depraved anti-hero, Humbert Humbert, musing on the name of Lolita, the young object of his obsession: Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul.
Start a story with a character sitting under a tree, then end it with the character seeing that tree many years later. Title your story with a question, then make the last line of the story work as both a logical last line, plus the answer to the question. Make the last line of your story the same as the first, but with the complete opposite ...
Consider the introduction as the desert-whets people’s appetite for the main meal, which in this case is the body of the story. Now the paragraph get’s even more interesting: He had everything a kid his age would want-a wonderful, loving family; good friends; and he went to a happy little school called Happy Days Primary School.
For example, in Amy Hempel’s short story “In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Was Buried”, the story begins with a striking line of dialogue: "Tell me things I won't mind forgetting," she said. "Make it useless stuff or skip it.” The reader is drawn into the story right away by the funny, strange dialogue and the presence of a “she”. ...
When a story starts in media res (Latin: “in the middle of things”), the author chooses to start the story in the middle of the rising action, skipping over the exposition and the inciting incident. For example, Homer’s The Iliad begins in the 9th year of the Greeks’ 10-year siege against Troy. We are introduced to major characters like ...
Beginning your story with a question sets up intrigue in the reader’s mind. You have provided them with a question that needs to be answered and they must commit to the whole story to discover the answer. I have provided just a few tips on how to write a dynamic opening for a short story in a way that will capture your reader’s imagination ...
Discover how to begin a short story with tips, techniques, and inspiration to hook readers from the very first line. ... Unclear introductions can leave readers confused when they hit the end of the first page. Example of an Effective Short Story Beginning. Let’s break down an effective example to see how these steps come together:
Read 5 examples of effective short story openings and what they teach us: 1. Learn how to start a short story from Faulkner: Create intrigue. Neil Gaiman wrote: 'Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and dreams. They are journeys you can make to the far side of the universe and still be back in time for dinner.'
It serves the same purpose as a movie teaser. However, a story’s introduction appears in the book itself. Also, it purports to open a pathway for the readers to enter the realm of the story. It also sets their minds about the happenings they can expect. 3 Tips to Remember When Writing Story Introductions. Writing a story’s introduction is ...
A great story introduction isn't just about introducing the characters; it's about drawing your reader in with a combination of character, conflict, setting, mood, and other elements. All of these factors work together to make your audience want to stick around. The film Winter's Bone, nominated for a 2011 Academy Award for Best Picture, is a good example of an unforgettable story introduction ...
If your story takes place in a cyberpunk world or alternate history, try starting with the description of one building in detail. Hit the stranger features first. This will offer a much easier “in” than a big sweeping opening that attempts to catch us all the way up to speed on the state of affairs in a brand new universe. Example: 1984