Start a story

[Oo_Bugsy]

How to Start a story?

I have just discussed with my partner the idea for my story.

Though as some of you know, I am a complete newbie to writing.
I fear I am being too 'overly critical' of what I write.

Therefore I just need some suggestions on how to open/start a story.
I know that every story is different, but there are still right and wrong things to do.

Just asking for a gentle shove in the right direction

Bugsy

 

[Oo_Bugsy]

Bump of desperation

 

[GrrlFriday]

For the first draft, try and leave the criticism at the door when you write. Just treat it as a warmup - you can always go back and edit it later, and noone has to see it but you. As you improve your writing, you may be able to edit more on the fly, while you're writing, but for now, the challenge is just to write.

Depending on the story, you can always start in the middle of the action, and have the protagonist explain how they got there. You could also describe the scenery, engage the senses - blinking at a bright light, or smelling something.

 

[Eilan]

For the first draft, try and leave the criticism at the door when you write. Just treat it as a warmup - you can always go back and edit it later, and noone has to see it but you. As you improve your writing, you may be able to edit more on the fly, while you're writing, but for now, the challenge is just to write.

Depending on the story, you can always start in the middle of the action, and have the protagonist explain how they got there. You could also describe the scenery, engage the senses - blinking at a bright light, or smelling something.

What she said.

The hardest part is often getting started. At some point you have to Just Do It. Don't judge. Just write. Then you can go back and spend time revising.

 

[Oo_Bugsy]

Thanks for your replies, very helpful!

Bugsy

 

[positivetension]

If you keep it in your head waiting for it to be right, it will never happen. You have to bite the bullet and get it out (as ugly as it is) so you can start improving it. I know it's painful to see when it's rough because you're always your own worst critic. But writing it down gives you the raw ingredients to actually work with, instead of just making a shopping list in your mind.

Good luck!

 

[erotica_n_s]

1. "Theme" + "Start at the end"
   
2. "Mood(s)"/Music/soundtrack
   
3. "Layers"

"Theme" + "start at the end" -

e.g. if I'm writing a "first time" story, i.e. about a young woman losing her virginity, then I'll ask myself what thoughts is the main character going to have at the end? What's going to happen in the "epilogue"? Then I know what "direction" the story should be moving in when I write...​

Mood(s) -

yeah, I ask myself what mood does this put me in? e.g. when I'm writing a cuckold story, there's almost always a sense of "sadness" - the heartbreak and utter humiliation of the loving husband when his wife chooses to get impregnated by another man. And I feel that music is probably the most effective means of conveying mood or "emotional colour". So I'll make reference to a melancholy piece of music, e.g. in one story, I'm writing a scene where a woman asks her husband for permission to get pregnant by another man. Initially he pleads with her not to do it, but she breaks down and begs him to agree, then she has to taunt him and humiliatingly remind him that he is the one that is infertile, and that she feels he is being unfair by denying her the right to get pregnant; after a long, emotionally strained discussion, the husband finally relents and gives permission to his wife, and they are sitting together, in silence, the husband with tears of sadness in his eyes, and the wife with tears of relief; I would make reference to the piece "Questa Volta" by Ludovico Einaudi to describe the mood in the room - a beautiful piece of music, but with a touch of sadness...​

"Layers" -

I know I said "start at the end", but in practice, I find that I have to have the outline of the story in my head from start to finish, and then I divide the story into acts and scenes, and then work on each act/scene separately, but bearing in mind they must all link together smoothly.... I also need to think about the locations where the scenes take place - where do the characters have sex? What decor is there in the rooms? What does it smell like? What sounds do they hear? What's the weather like outside? And it's also interesting to think what do they do immediately after the sex? Do they, e.g. decide to have some coffee?​

Having said all this, this approach takes a very long time... I still haven't published a single complete story!