![]() In fact, one of my favorite novels, Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier, begins with a dream: Of course recounting dreams can work in an opening, but they have to be used in interesting ways on purpose, not because I couldn’t think of a better place to start. Sometimes I find myself using wake-up scenes because it’s easier, and that is definitely not a good reason. If we are using sleep as a disorienting factor in our openings, such as when a loud banging wakes a character from sleep, that might work well depending on the genre, but ask yourself if it is overused. Does the reader really need to see this character wake up to understand her, what she wants, and what will keep her from getting it? Most times, the answer is no. She padded to the bathroom and stared at her reflection in the mirror …” I’m skimming down to find out where the action begins. The second I start reading a story that begins, “Light streamed through the window and she opened her eyes. He ends essentially the same person he was at the beginning. ![]() If a character makes choices and acts in bold ways during the story to create a character arc, ending with “it was a dream” robs the character of his change. When I discuss this ending with my student writers, they tell me they wanted to take the character back to the “real world.” Why? Why can’t the character live and operate in the world of the story? The Lord of the Rings doesn’t end with “And then I woke up” and neither should most stories. Most of their stories are stronger the moment they scratch out the entire first scene or redline the words “And then I woke up.” Why we don’t want to wake upĮnding a story with “And then I woke up” thwarts reader expectations (and not in a good way). Or, the story will end: “And then I woke up.” (I know, some of you are already sharpening your pitchforks on this one, so I’ll say it up front: of course, a wake-up or dream scene can be done well, but they must be done on purpose for a specific reason to be effective.)Ībout 75% of the first stories I receive from young writers will include one of these two things: They begin with light streaming through the window as the character gets out of bed. Tip 2: Eliminate waking-up or dream scenes at the beginning or end This character is going to upend what we believe about coming-of-age stories, and he sets it up in this one rambling sentence in Holden Caulfield’s distinctive voice. If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. How to begin a story: Salinger’s non-sketch openingĪ great example of a novel that subverts this kind of opening is Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. Some things might be obvious right away from clothing or the way a person carries himself, but most things are revealed over time in how a person (or in our case a character) acts in sticky situations. ![]() No one shakes our hand and launches into a full body sketch and family history (no one you want to talk to for long anyway). Some are exciting, others are sad, some are triumphant, and most are a mixture of different kinds of stories. When we meet new people, we come in contact with living stories. As a reader, I’m already asking John, “So what?” ![]() Also, as you read that sketch, did you imagine him standing still on a blank stage or canvas, as I painted details on him? It’s classic telling instead of showing. Characters who begin by explaining everything about themselves are usually not to be trusted. His wife left him three years ago, and he’s been living alone since, afraid to be hurt again. His wavy brown hair and green eyes came from his mother, but his habit of pulling his right ear came from his father. John is thirty-five and wears a trenchcoat even in summer. Tip 1: Eliminate character sketch introductionsĮmerging writers often begin stories by introducing the main character through a laundry list of his or her attributes, beliefs, and fears. Here are three tips to improve your beginnings and endings. Why are beginnings and endings so hard to do well in writing and life? It's often so difficult to know how to begin a story or how to tie it up at the end. Beginnings are often stressful, disorienting things, while endings might be joyous, grief-filled, and everything in between. ![]()
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