Dustin

I'm about to begin writing my book (I'm writing a complete history about my world now) and I can't find a suitable beginning.

It's like this: I write in the I-form, and the city I live in get's hit by a plague, my parents always think it far away, but when our neightbour dies they change that opinion. Not having enough money to send all three of us away, they spend their last money on getting me away. <I leave away the journey>

Now I get to a big city, which is the problem. Do I go describing everything that happens? The people that walk there? I HAVE NO IDEA ON THIS ISSUE :< please help me with this because I've tried writing milions of books as an exercise, but I could never begin properly :/ Please heeeeeeeeelp! Or I'll die from insanity.

Thank you.

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Writer is quite a big word for someone as little as me.

Virtual_Rose

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Dustin

Does this help any?

You're bloody brilliant!

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Writer is quite a big word for someone as little as me.

Virtual_Rose

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Kermie04

Dustin~

I don't have anything else to add, since virtual rose pretty much took what I was going to tell you. However, from one writer to the other , (I'm starting my first book as well) Good luck!

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Love,
Kermie04

Virtual_Rose

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Kermie04

haha nope thats perfectly okay, seriously. At least it got said No worries at all!

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Love,
Kermie04

Nazareth

Dustin- You've described why your leaving in the first chapter or scene, now you should set up your inciting scene- or rather, the conflict that your story will revolve around- ie: will the hero be trying to save the world from bad dudes? or will hero strive to find cure but be oposed by someone? etc. etc. etc.

_-TJ-_

In terms of beginning writing its very hard to find what you need to begin a thing thats only great when its half way through (or something like that)

I have this problem a lot. In one of my better short stories the beginning isn't good at all, its novice work, its not interesting. The TERRIBLE thing about this is that when it gets interesting are your readers even there?

Some people think starting the beginning of your book or whatever is good if you start it with a BANG. Begin with a gunshot, begin with a fight scene, begin with ACTION. Slap your reader in the face with something they won't forget

Begin your book with something you know will catch their attention right away. Use a swear word from a villian character. Do something unthinkably evil, or unthinkably good. Tragic. all this action and stuff is one way to begin.

Another way is to brilliantly tie together images for the beauty of the scene. Describe in fullest the beauty or the desolateness of the place. Take T.S Eliot's WASTELAND and transform it all into words. All the meanings come together all the destruction, the thunder and blood and death, doom, destruction, incarnation.

Describe, describe, describe. Take your viewers by the hand with new description of a tree.
EXAMPLE
The weeping willows who's branches held the bitter bones of thieves and decievers. The willow blushed in the wind hiding its timber, the clinking clanking sound of the death in its hair only made noticable the air itself. Wind fresh on the heals of decay, a city on the red horizon, a bright sun'red full of blur on the hillside making the grass look as if it were melting. The town was in flames.

Those are basically 2 ways of beginning a story or something.
I know there are more, but those two ways work best for me. Of course I usually only use the 'deep description' one.

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Dustin

Have any of you ever wondered why many writers do not become succesful? It's because they write like this:

Hello, I'm za hero! I am here to kill tha everyone who's not pure of heart and stupid! I shall kill you mr I-Am-Such-A-Bad-Person!!!!!!!!!!! NO WAY, OMFG LETS HIT EACH OTHER
YOU SLAP ME IN THE FACE< I DONT LIKE THAT. I KILL YOU HAHAHAHAHA

I can only speak for myself, so that is what I will do. I do not enjoy reading anything like that.

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Writer is quite a big word for someone as little as me.

safari invasion

What's your point? There are bad writers out there? We know. It's kind of inevitable. Not everyone is great. Just because you don't enjoy reading it doesn't mean that novice authors shouldn't keep trying.

Dustin

You have talent my friend, talent to not understand a word of what I'm saying. I'm saying that what I wrote above is BULLSHIT. No serious writer writes like that, I'm not quoting anyone, I'm talking about a SUBJECT not about a WRITER. I'm in a bad mood, sorry if I offended someone.

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Writer is quite a big word for someone as little as me.

Ralizah

Beginnings are real bitches, but as long as you know where you're going, you shouldn't have too much trouble. Just jump right into the action.

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Thoughts: Philosophy is the basis of human morality and thus it is also the basis of human life; loving life is a result of applying a healthy philosophy.

safari invasion

I am aware that serious writers would not actually write crap like that, but there are loads and loads of people that aren't real good at writing. It sounded to me like you were putting them down. I apologize for being mistaken.

I agree whole heartedly.

moonandsun

I think, as far as bringing the reader into a new place the route I would take is description. If your charecter is amazed, surprised or such by this town then definatly go into description about customs and inhabitants s but if this town is much like the charecter's hometown then description. Personally, as an avid reader, I'd love to get a very descriptive feel of the new city.

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"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. "
-Groucho Marx