Starting Your Story in the Right Place
Posted by annastan on July 23rd, 2010. Filed under: Books, Craft, Writing Rants.The other day I picked up a book I’d been looking forward to reading for a while. Sadly, I couldn’t even get past the first chapter. The first few pages were almost all description of the setting and of characters we hadn’t met yet. After that, the narrative launched into an extended flashback; it felt like I was being told about an important event instead of actually being able to see it. The overall problem? The story had started in the wrong place, so much so that I wasn’t compelled to keep reading to see when the real story would start.
I know this is something I’ve mentioned in the past, and it’s one of the big points of Les Edgerton’s Hooked; one of the main challenges that writers face is figuring out the right place to start their stories. It’s a tricky balance. Ideally, the story should start at or near a moment of change, but we need to be clued in to the character so we care that things around her are changing. That, I suspect, was the reasoning behind keeping the pages of description and the flashback at the beginning of the book mentioned above. But ultimately those were symptoms of not trusting readers to “get it.”
If you find that your entire first chapter is essentially an explanation, you might want to consider scrapping it. Some people might argue that readers no longer have sufficient attention spans to appreciate slower-paced books and that all readers want these days is action. But I would disagree. Readers want tension. We want to see things happening instead of being told about them. Ultimately, we want to care about the characters by living their stories along with them, but that can only happen if we feel like we’re right there with them from the beginning of the book, instead of having to wait pages and pages for the actual story to start.
(Just a reminder: It’s the last day to enter my Celebration Giveaway! But don’t worry, the party will continue even after the contest is over.)
July 23rd, 2010 at 8:36 am
Excellent points. I agree that sometimes writers forget to trust the reader. I also agree that readers don’t have the attention span, but if you drop the reader right into the story (and not the background) with enough tension, you’ll hook them.
July 23rd, 2010 at 9:09 am
I sometimes have the opposite problem. I have to go out of my way to include more information. And finding the best place to start is one of the hardest things for me!
July 23rd, 2010 at 9:58 am
It is a tough balance. I’ve read entries in ‘first 250 word’ contests in which the reader is thrown into the action without having an emotional connection to the character. But you’re right. Start a novel like the one you read, and I won’t make it past the first chapter.
July 23rd, 2010 at 11:06 am
Great post. It is a delicate balance, like everything else. We need action, but we need to care about that action. What’s significant about it in relationship to that character. This is my exact struggle. I’ve altered my beginning four times. I think I finally have enough balance with action and interest in the character. At lest I hope.
July 23rd, 2010 at 11:11 am
So true! I’ve been reading Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and it definitely has that problem. I’m three tracks in (with my dyslexia, I do audiobooks) and I FINALLY got to the story. It’s a good premise, but man, it took him a long time to get there.
July 23rd, 2010 at 11:28 am
I just read a book that did everything wrong. (dream sequence, getting out of bed, etc) It drove me crazy. I thought the rest of the story felt like walking through swamp water after that rough start.
July 23rd, 2010 at 11:42 am
I agree with you! I think starting a story with tension is just as affective as staring in media res or with lots of action. Even if it’s just dialogue or a calm setting, if there’s tension propelling me towards inevitable action, it’s a hook!
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Andrea, that’s exactly it – hooking the reader through tension. It sure is tricky, but oh so necessary!
Laura, I struggle with that too – trying to figure out where to put important info and how to get the reader into the story. It’s all a delicate dance, isn’t it?
Stina, I agree that those bang-boom type of beginnings aren’t all that engaging either. The most exciting things could be happening, but we need to actually care about the people they’re happening to.
Sheri, you are not alone in struggling with your beginning. There is so much pressure on those opening pages – that’s why I’m always surprised to find books that don’t pass the first-pages test!
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:12 pm
It’s so tempting to want to fill the reader in on your world. There so much that they need to know! But then we forget that readers WANT to be intrigued and they want to figure things out.
This is also hard for me as well. But I’m learning the best way is just to push the reader into the story and let them enjoy the ride.
Also, love the HOOKED craft book. Great stuff in there.
Have a great weekend, Anna!
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:14 pm
Kyle, you are a much more patient reader (listener) than I am! If a book doesn’t grab me after three chapters, I tend to put it aside.
Anne, that’s an excellent point – if a book has a rough start, it tends to color the rest of the story, no matter how good it might be.
Laura M, so many people think action = tension, but they’re so not the same thing. Tension is what really hooks us!
Karen, that’s so true that readers want to be intrigued. I know I tend to get annoyed when things are spelled out for me. And yes, isn’t Hooked great?
July 23rd, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Good reminder, Anna. It really is a tricky thing. Balancing between letting us get to know the characters enough to care and jumping right in the action. I tend to be a go for both kind of person. Why can’t I have it all?
July 23rd, 2010 at 10:08 pm
Anna–I love this line: “Ultimately, we want to care about the characters by living their stories along with them…”
And the piece about explanation. These are very good reminders.
July 24th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
I think all writers struggle with this to some extent. It’s easier to see in other people’s writing than in your own! Even when you know it’s an issue, it’s often hard to figure out where to start. Great post!
July 24th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Lisa, there is nothing wrong with wanting it all! Now, if we can just figure out how to do that in our writing…
Thanks, Heather. I’m glad this was a helpful reminder – definitely a good one for me!
Ruth, that’s the tricky, isn’t it? We can spot faults in other books but not always in our own. It’s an ongoing battle.