First line, the hook, or the Very first sentence in a book... - Writers Forum

snufflesx00 · 11-23-2005, 07:21 PM

i need help, i have a really great idea for a plot but i cannot think of how to start it off, any ideas?

Kimahri · 11-23-2005, 07:40 PM

Uh, what's the story? What do you have so far?

kimahri

snufflesx00 · 11-23-2005, 07:45 PM

my story plot is about two women (Emmeline and Keira) who are phroposized to be the only ones who can destroy the evil that has been spreading in the lands. Emmeline is part of the Great Council of Arden and Keira is a very skilled knight... i am still forming the plot but most of my other story plots form themselves as i write so...

mammamaia · 11-24-2005, 07:52 AM

what is 'phroposized'?

jordanazor · 11-24-2005, 10:13 AM

Like prophecy, Maia.

I have nothing but love and respect for you after all you've done around here, but that did seem a little condecending. Unless of course you were generally confused, then I apologise to no end.

(By the way I'm a 'lurker.' That's someone who frequents internet forums but never posts. I've been around for a few years now... Eh, has it been that long.)

mammamaia · 11-24-2005, 10:28 AM

sorry, but i was genuinely confused, since 'phroposized' didn't even come close to 'prophesied' or 'prophetized'... no insult intended...

as for how to open your story, why not just start out with the prophecy itself?... you can put it above the opening paragraph of the first chapter in italics, then dive right into who it's referring to and what she's/they're doing at the time the story begins...

Mike C · 11-24-2005, 05:43 PM

If you aren't sure how to start it (and without knowing what's inside your head, nobody can start it for you) move on. Start anywhere, and build on it. Whether it's a plot outline, chapter 2, or whatever, just write. Write until it's finished. Then go back and see if the beginning's any clearer.

Writing your novel isn't a straight line A to B journey. If you're doing it right you'll rewrite it a dozen times and most likely end up throwing out half the stuff you thought was really cool first time around, so starting out without a beginning is really a very minor issue.

Avarice · 11-25-2005, 07:07 AM

writing a novel is psychotic. And I hate when people act snide saying " Dave, will it be a best seller by christmas?" but luckily i unleash hell with my bitchyness. And um... ya, just write and pick a good line out of it.

Hand · 11-25-2005, 09:41 AM

Best trick to an opening line is to make it stick in the reader's head. Everyone remembers "Call me Ishmael".

ravravrav · 11-25-2005, 03:26 PM

They do?

Just make sure it's something so imaginative and yet blisteringly profound that it sticks like Rakim's lyrics in your head! - or something of equal finesse.

SeattleGhostWriter · 11-25-2005, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snufflesx00

i need help, i have a really great idea for a plot but i cannot think of how to start it off, any ideas?

The only thing I can suggest is this:

1) Start out with a premise. This is usually a one or two sentence stating what you want the story to tell.

ie, Mickey Chandler is haunted by the death of his wife and comes across a woman who has connections to the killer's identity. This mystery woman is murdered to keep the killers identity silent, but Mickey Chandler begins to have visions of his wife and is thrust into a game of cat and mouse of paranormal porportions.

Okay, so that may be weak, but a good example of the premise. You want to capture what you want to say in one or two sentences.

Once you have the premise done (you don't have to name your character just yet), you want to write out the moral of the story. Every story has a certain moral that is related - or should be related.

After these two steps taken, I'd suggest then to brainstorm for ideas. Now that you have the premise, the moral. Brainstorming could take various forms.

Outlining too may also help - this keeps your ideas organized, and coherent for the progress of the story line.

When you actually set out to write, I wouldn't worry about what will hook the reader, just start writing. Let your mind follow the outline, allow your characters come to mind. Picture them dressed (or undressed), talking, what type of actions. Ask what if questions.

That is the best advice I could give.

Mike C · 11-25-2005, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeattleGhostWriter

Once you have the premise done (you don't have to name your character just yet), you want to write out the moral of the story. Every story has a certain moral that is related - or should be related.

The moral? Every story has a... moral?

Why? who says? what of the immoral or the amoral? or just ther plain non-moral?

SeattleGhostWriter · 11-25-2005, 06:46 PM

Clarification:

Moral - something the character learns. Something that thrusts them from their ordinary world, into an extrodinary world. The change the character must make.

Moral (not in the conventional sense) but of the immoral, or amoral.

For instance. If you were to write something about a lady who is having an affair on her husband. The moral of the story would be something to the effect that She learns one of too things - a lesson.

1) She realizes her true love lies with her husband and returns to him and has to divulge her affair.

2) She realizes her true love lies with her husband and returns to him, keeping the affair to her own self.

3) She realizes she no longer loves her husband and must make a choice between happiness and a life of misery

etc.

The moral is something the ready comes away with. The reader expierences what the character experiences. Every pain, emotion, uphill battles, downslopes, valleys, etc. The reader becomes the character and what affects the character, affects the reader. They suddenly share in the adventure. This is what I mean by the moral of the story. What the reader gains after they close the book and digests what they have just read.

Whether it is something good, something bad. If it is something bad, then the reader comes away with a sense of guilt, the guilt the character experiences.

I don't know how to better say this.

strangedaze · 11-25-2005, 07:13 PM

To be honest, I don't think you should worry about your first line. Just write. Start anywhere, get it down on paper. Sometimes I get so hung up on getting that killer first line that I never end up starting the piece. Besides, by the time you're through, you'll have a better idea of the tone you want to set with opening sentence.

Seattle, I don't think I agree with you. In fact, I don't agree with any statements that speak in terms of absolutes. I don't think a character has to change. Take Duddy Kravitz, if you're ever read it, or any number of books that focus on an anti-hero. Often they end with the main character in shambles but still clinging to their flaws. I think you're talking about two different things. In the first part of your above post you say that a moral is what the character SHOULD learn. In the second part, you talk about something the reader experiences while reading the text. I wouldn't consider the latter a 'moral', really, because everyone is going to take a novel or whatever differently, for whatever reason. You speak of this 'moral' like it's universal, which I don't think I agree with. Moreover, I think you're absolutely right when you say that the reader has to be made to come away with something, a feeling, guilt (that's a personal favorite

) or whatever, I just don't think that that constitutes a moral.

At any rate, I'm just being argumentative because I'm on the verge of a drinking binge of epic proportions and I've still got a few hours before my partners in grime arrive. It's all love

As for the wonky spelling of prophecy, I got it, and when I read mamma's comment I thought, 'fuck, relax." Then she clarified that it was an honest mistake and I was appeased. So all is merry in happy land.

mammamaia · 11-26-2005, 10:10 AM

Quote:

a lady who is having an affair on her husband

her true love lies with her husband

sounds pretty kinky, t'me!