Starting a Story - Writers Forum

Oracle · 01-07-2005, 09:38 AM

I've decided to ask for a little advice here, because the longer I take to make this decision, the longer my novel series is gonna be put on hold.

I've finished the neccessary planning for the first book, and while there's still a few things to work out, I figured I'd write a skeletal draft and take it from there...

My problem is deciding on how to start the novel. It's a fantasy novel that takes place in a continent floating in the sky. I want to establish the nature of this at the beginning, or near the beginning of the book. I was thinking of doing a narrative prologue, in which I describe the world... But that just seems a little too direct.

And also, when it comes to opening with the main character, prologue or not, I'm lost. I just haven't figured out what approach I want to take.

So, how do you go about finding your approach at starting a story?

Novicewriter · 01-07-2005, 10:46 AM

Oracle.... I don't have an easy answer for you

I myself have trouble starting a story...that's why I am leaning more towards screenplays...What I do is close my eyes and envision it happening on screen...

For instance, if you were going to see a movie, what would you want to see? Would you want to see the story start in the middle and go back? Or have some kind of attention grabber at the beginning?

I've seen enough films in my life and I prefer an attention grabber at the beginiing. Check out my screenplay in the scripts/plays forums.... It's under the post First 18 pages of my screenplay.

Good luck to you and I hope that i've hepled some.

NW

daniela · 01-07-2005, 02:57 PM

I do not like prologues and I tend to skip them if it is at all possible. They are for the most part too direct as you think yours might be. Usually I think an author would have been better off if he/she had saved the details revealed in a prologue and instead sprinkled them throughout the rest of the book. If you must have a prologue, please make it different from the average fantasy novel. A large chunk of narration at the beginning is too common.

This is the way that a usually start a novel or short story.

I put the main character into a setting that defines him/her very well. For example, you could use a battle scene, an office, walking through a field or hallway, standing on the street, or even just sitting at home. Pick something that fits in with the facts you know about your character. I then create a situation in that setting that I can use to reveal a few details about the character such as a general description, inner and outer conflicts (not the major ones, most of the time I save those for later pages to keep people reading), a little bit of back story (not too much though, you don't want to make your readers fall asleep), or sometimes family dynamics. If you write about one or two of the most interesting details and hint that there are more to come, you should have your readers hooked.

I do have one suggestion that might make your prologue likeable if you choose to do one. You want to establish the setting of your novel right? Make the floating continent the main character of the prologue. Put it into a situation that seems natural for it. For example, open with a battle scene (plenty of action there to keep readers interested) and have one of the fighters fall of the edge of the continent. Focus on the man/woman as he nears the edge and let the battle fade into the background. After he falls, you can pull back and write a brief description of your world. Do not get into the main events of your novel and add as little history as possible. Stick to writing about the continent.

I hope my ramblings have helped you some. Feel free to call me an idiot if you disagree with anything that I have said.

--DM--

stereomuse · 01-07-2005, 03:00 PM

Ugh! This is the hardest part of writing for me. What I try to do is start out with a funny quote. I remember one story of mine's first line was something like: "Ugh!, this thing smells like my Grandma's underpants!". In things such as sword and sorcery fantasy (I don't know if this is what your trying to get at) I'll start out with a big battle. Then something bad happens and the protagonist wakes up. The main character had a dream, and what the dream was would actually happen later in the book, It makes for a good attention getter.

Hope I helped

Queasy Dillo · 01-07-2005, 03:46 PM

I'm one of the anti-prologue crowd. Generally, I think that if you can't work it into the body of the story it probably doesn't need to be there.

Regarding the start to your floating continent - my suggestion would be to start the narrative in a city, town, etc. Just like any normal civilization. Once you have a basic setting, maybe send one of your characters to visit the edge of the continent.

Not sure if that would fit in with what you have, but that's just what came to mind. There's also an MC Escher painting I thought of, though I can't remember the title....

My $.02

Oracle · 01-07-2005, 04:27 PM

Thanks for all the advice everyone. It's getting me motivated to figure this out.

Unfortunately I can't use the main character and the edge of the continent together. I'd probably do that if I could. The main character lives in a place that's incredibly far from the edges, so he'd have never been to the edge before.

I agree that sprinkling the details in throughout the novel is a good idea though. I think I'll try to lean more towards that... I'll keep the world as much a mystery to the readers as it is to the characters.

I think I've got some ideas now. Thanks for all your advice

swing_it_away · 01-07-2005, 05:17 PM

I have to ring in saying that I don't really like prologues. If you want to go into detail about the floating continent thing, maybe the character could be hearing a story about it, or walk into a room where there's someone talking about it? Something like that?

If all else fails, you could use the old cop out trick of starting with a part you know is going to be near the start of the story, and come back to the very beginning later.

Good luck.

bobothegoat · 01-07-2005, 05:54 PM

Sometimes it's okay to have narritive description if it's used for good effect, but in most cases you'd probably want to shy away from that. In your case, seeing as how the character doesn't go to the edge of this world, perhaps you could have it mentioned by another character. Perhaps simply talking of an event there or maybe even having someone speculating what may be below. If this is pulled off effectively, you can be having something that will interest the reader and explain the world at the same time.

Londongrey · 01-07-2005, 06:48 PM

I have to agree about prologues, I always skip them as they take can take away from the story if not written well.

As a reader, I tend to only find pure description of the character interesting, wether it be physical features using simile and metaphor or through decriptions of small behavioural habits. Through that the physocal environment tends to come out because we associate cerrtain behaviours and actions with certain scenes, we have been pre programmed.

All of my favourite books barely describe the physical environment, especially fantasy novels, let the readers inagination take over.

In fantasy you have to be so original, and thats very difficult, the idea of a floating continent seems a mixture between 'The Never Ending Story' and the Death Gate Series by Weiss and Hickman. If you can give an original reason or perhaps physical environment as to why or how the floating continent exists.

Just an idea.

good luck!

Alex

Nazareth · 01-07-2005, 06:55 PM

Oracle- beginnings need to hint at the main overall problem that the character will face throughout the story.

You want to start out with a bang- A strong start is necessarry to make people want to keep reading- You will wqant to do this both in a way that reveals character and reveals the world for htis story.

Beginnings really aren't much different than other chapters except that you need to capture the readers interest right away. The best way is through dynamic conflict.

I haven't got a clue what your story is about, but to show what I mean- watch how this opening draws you in (Note: I'll write it as though it's a floating world with edges very far away- the main character has to face the 'president' and expose the fact that the president has made a deal with another planet's president to sell off all the oxygen- The president and his staff & police will be the only ones with access to what little oxygen remains- This isn't really a good plot, but it'll do for showing how I'd open the story)

"Hey, Ken," Sam said. "I was in the bar the other night, and someone was talking about The Edge. She was telling her mates that her uncle travelled there. Yep, you heard me right. She also said that he not only travelled there, but made it back safely. And, get this, she said he told her that there was plenty of oxygen, too. You think she was full of it?"

Ken laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back in his 550 rocket chair. He looked his friends face over to check for any signs of a joke. "Are you serious? I can never can tell when you're pulling my leg."

"I'm as serious as an inflamed hemmorhoid (Sp?). She even showed me something she called a 'purple ruby'. It was gorgeous. She held it up to the Gronx's light source and I'm telling you man, it sparkled with colors I can't even describe with any accuracy. The best I can do is say it looked like a luminous Feron Flower."

Ken's eyes popped open. He knew then that Sam must be telling the truth. Sam had never in his life even heard of a purple ruby, much less seen one. Ken had seen three in his life. The color Sam described was exactly right on. The purplish blood iron color of the Feron Flower was about as close a description as Sam could have given.. Rocks that everyone in middle ground was used to were all green in color. Ken had heard that if you dug deep enough where they lived, you might find a silver rock or two, but definately no Feron colored rocks, that much he was sure of.

"So what do you think, man?" Sam asked. "I'll tell you one thing. It might just be worth it to venture to the edge. I'm getting sick of struggling for breath every twenty seconds."

Ken rocketted his chair closer to Sam and poked his finger in his friends face. "Don't you even talk about such nonsense." He flipped his head from side to side, scanning the room for active sensors. None seemed to be blinking. He turned back to his friend. "The president will feed you to the Fhronds if he catches you even thinking of such looniness. By the god's, man. What's the matter with you?"

Sam lowered his head. He flicked at the dirt from under his nails with his switch knife. "I was just saying is all. No need to go militant on me."

Ken turned his chair and headed for the door. He stropped, changed his mind and returned to his friend. He came to a screetching stop inches from Sam. He thrust his finger into Sam's chest and poked him several times. "You get that girl, that rock, and any rediculous ideas about travelling to The Edge out of your mind ... and I mean right now. Fire up your chair. I'm taking you to the clinic. you're getting your memory tweaked, immediately -- before it's too late."

Sam snatched Ken's finger and bent it back. He knew that even though his friend was a government employee that he could trust him to keep his flap shut. However, he wasn't sure that Ken's devotion to the military would allow him to look the other way when he ventured to The Edge. He applied just a bit more pressure to Ken's finger. "No sir. You can play servant to the man if you like. I'm going!"

Both men whirreled around in their chairs. Ken looked over at his freind and subtly beckoned him to hush. Captain John Wrangle stood in the doorway with a clipboard in one hand, and a warrent in the other.

What I've done here is give you the suggestion that something is happening with the world they are living on, that oxygen is not very good any more, and that on the edge, it's a little better. I've also set up the fact that Ken is a brown nose government dog, and that he can't be totally trusted. Sam thinkls he knows Ken, but does he really?

What you gotta do for openings is to subtly set up some important questions that readers want to know the answer too. I've given just a little description of the world in which they live- A reader probably would want to read on to find out why oxygen is in perril, and to find out more about this strange little world. They also want to know why it is so dangerous to travel to The Edge. Also, I've left the prologue at the end with a very important question for the reader "Why is captain standing there with a warrent? Had the military learned that Sam had been talking about The Edge already? Had they bugged the bar? Who is the warrent for? I've shown that The Edge is dangerous, but we don't yet know why it is- We do know that the governemnt keeps people from going there- Do they do it because they are protecting the people? Or because they are hiding something? Or trying to keep the people from finding something? We'll never know unless we read on.

I wouldn't go into massive narrative detail about the world in the first chapter. You want just enough details to let the reader know the world is unique, but going into an all out description will just bore a reader and spoil the fun of discovery for them- Bring out little details of the world in following chapters so that readers come to learn it like they learn about details about friends, by little bits over long periods. The thrill of discovery is what it's all about.

I'd start the first chapter after the prologue by showing Sam in prison, looking out his cell window at the landscape beyond, wishing for freedom. you can fill in a chunk of description of the world here. Show his inner thoughts, and give us some details of what life is like here in this chapter. About halfway or 3/4 through the first chapter I'd show that he was in jail for not paying his rent on time.

Rigth at the end of first chap[ter I'd have the Captain release him from jail at htre front gate, and spin him around, grab him by the shirt, and say "I know what you're up to." (You could have this scene describe the ground around them being super dry, cracked atc. Show the three suns beating down relentlessly as the two of them scurry to pull their protective clothing as one of the suns lets off a solar flare etc.)
I'd leave it at that- Now the reader doesn't know if the captain knows about Sam's plan to travel to the edge, or if it's about something else entriely. In chapter 2 or maybe three- I'd show the captain spying on Sam & hint that maybe Ken is tipping the Captain off about Sam's doings.

Oracle · 01-07-2005, 08:08 PM

Hmm... I see what you mean.

As far as the beginning goes though, I was thinking of having it lead into the event that really gets things started, but perhaps I should start right at the climax of the event...

lol, I liked your take on the things I had revealed so far. Your example was far off from the story, but I found it really interesting. I see what you mean though about building interest in the readers.

Nazareth · 01-07-2005, 08:57 PM

Yeah I figured I'd be way off- didn't have much to go on, but it was fun to come up with.

Just give a very basic hint of the main conflict- don't spell it right out- be vague to keep the readers interest- they gotta wanna read on to find out what is really going on

Oracle · 01-07-2005, 09:24 PM

Hmm... I've spent the past little while experimenting with some different beginnings, and I think I've got something that'll work.

At first, I wanted to open with the main character sparring with a soldier who he often trained with... But I realized it still just didn't have that hook I was looking for.

I had been going about it all the wrong way... I was trying to start it at a slow and boring pace, just to introduce the character's life...

But I realized that I have to start where the real action does. So, I'm starting right in the midst of the event that will shape the story that's to come.

Here's the first few paragraphs. (Just a draft. They'll more than likely go through several editing stages).

How could Jede have been so foolish? He trusted that dirty, rotten thief… He actually trusted him. He’ll have to remember that he couldn’t trust a man just because he came up with a bunch of rubbish about a world-threatening danger, or just because gave Jede comfort after the news of his father’s death. Jede should’ve turned this man in to the guards the first time he noticed him on the castle grounds.

Chasing strange old men through the castle’s underground passageways was not how Jede had planned on spending his evening. He had his stepbrother’s coronation ceremony to attend, and it was starting in less than an hour. The maids would be furious if Jede became roughed up from this asinine squabble.

Jede could barely keep up with the thief. For such an old man, he sure could run. Jede, a young and rather athletic man, could barely keep up. He only caught a glimpse of the man for a moment before he turned a new corner within the twisting tunnels of the underground passage.
There was no way Jede would let this man steal from him. To think that Jede trusted this man… If this wretched bandit escaped, Jede would never stop regretting it.

The passage continued to twist and turn, and Jede’s legs were carrying him as fast as they could. Adrenaline and the unwillingness to surrender his most prized possession pushed him onward, despite his loss of breath.

forlorn phoenix · 02-28-2005, 05:46 PM

You don't need to mention EVERYTHING about the location at the beginning, just like the end might be hinted in the biginning: you could say at the beginning that the character had the feeling that he wouldn't live through something, or in the middle say that the clovers were wilting, which hints location and problem. You can explain the character map thoroughly throughout the story, as not to bore the reader with character descriptions (people rarely read a prolog, and that means they skip the long stuff). so keep it brief and keep it like the little chocolate sprinkles on a cupcake...a little here, a little there, but never too much. the main character can be told or say that something is different in the environment, or that the sun was so bright it woke them up or something...I have to go right now, but I'll continue after...

Avarice · 03-04-2005, 10:59 AM

I think nazareth had a much better version LOL I hate books that have no real dialogue at the start and begin telling you about his brother and sister and mother and that it was raining so he was worrying about the clothes on the line and all that boring rubbish, nazareth had an eye catcher, which is what ever writer needs, including moi

( incase I sound like a posh homosexual critic with a martini in his hand)