How to Start Writing a Story
by Mary Kole | Former literary agent, now a freelance editor, writing teacher, and IP/story developer for major publishers and creators.
It’s tricky to know how to start writing a story, especially if you’ve never done it before. What kind of first line will either draw in an agent or publisher, or impress a reader? Here are some of my favorite opening lines from published works of various genres and categories that illustrate why they work so well.
How to Start Writing a Story: Picture Book
On the outside, Bernadette was mostly monsterly.
At the start of Tammi Sauer's Mostly Monsterly, illustrated by Scott Magoon (Paula Wiseman Books, 2010), Bernadette, the monster protagonist, is quickly revealed to be different. The saying 'You can't judge a book by its cover' applies in this case, as there's an implied inner conflict that Bernadette has to face: she doesn't meet people's expectations of her.
Little Mabel blew a bubble, and it caused a lot of trouble.
With that, the story of Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy, with illustrations by Polly Dunbar (Clarion Books, 2008), kicks off. You don't need to include the book title in your first sentence, though it's been done here. This simple line of introduction works very well for picture books, setting up an immediate conflict—which should factor into your thinking on how to start writing a story.
On her birthday, Eva was given a very special present.
This comes from Magic Box by Katie Cleminson (Hyperion, 2009). It’s a fanciful PB book and the opening line is less about a conflict and more about an invitation for an adventure (see the opening to From the Mixed-up Files … below for an MG book example). This raises the question: What was in the box? You might consider how to start writing a story with a mystery, as this approach is always popular.
How to Start Writing a Story: Middle Grade
Once upon a time, fairy tales were awesome.
Adam Gidwitz's 2010 novel A Tale Dark and Grimm spins a wild retelling of the classic Hansel and Gretel story. The novel begins with an emblematic phrase: "They were awesome, sure, but then they got lame, so here’s a truly awesome retelling." It also cleverly plays with the traditional fairy-tale phrase "once upon a time," and introduces the reader to the unique tone and language of the book. This can be seen in Gidwitz's use of the word "awesome" in an ironic and humorous way. Consider how to start writing a story with voice. (Go here for more considerations on writing a retelling.)
I was raised in a gaunt house with a garden; my earliest recollections are of floating lights in the apple-trees.
I didn't want to quote from the well-known M.T. Anderson novel Feed, so I'm going with The Astonishing LIfe of Octavian Nothing: Volume 1 (Candlewick, 2006). The author's beautiful writing is evident right away with images of lights twinkling in the trees. Octavian's loneliness is also palpable; the house is described as "gaunt" and his earliest recollections are not of people but of those distant lights. It's a powerful start to the book, and imagery is a good approach for how to start writing a story.
Claudia knew that she could never pull off the old-fashioned kind of running away.
This is an excerpt from the classic book, From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (Aladdin, 1967). Right away, we get an action-packed introduction and an idea of the narrator's voice. We can tell that Claudia is running away, not just planning a trip to the bookstore down the street. Claudia certainly accomplished her goal of having an incredible adventure in this book!
There is no lake at Camp Green Lake.
The novel Holes by Louis Sachar (Random House, 1998) begins with a hilarious line that instantly draws readers in. This isn't just to make us laugh—the first sentence also introduces us to the kind of witty narrator who would pick up on such clever details. Humor is a delightful choice for how to start writing a story.
Ms. McMartin was definitely dead.
This sentence is taken from Jacqueline West's The Books of Elsewhere(Dial, 2010), which dives right into an intriguing scene. Who is this woman? What was her untimely demise? Do these characters have something to do with it? It may not pass the vague test (see the link for more tips on what makes a good novel first line), but I quite enjoy this explosive opening! These examples of how to start writing a story for middle grade run the gamut.
How to Start Writing a Story: Young Adult
In these dungeons the darkness was complete, but Katsa had a map in her mind.
This excerpt is from Kristin Cashore's Graceling (Harcourt, 2008). Immediately we become aware of Katsa's presence in prison, and the reasons for her being there. She also appears to have a plan to escape. Furthermore, she knows her way around the dungeon, which draws us deeper into the story and raises the stakes. It's intense and urgent.
They took me in my nightgown.
This scene is from the powerful novel Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys (Philomel, 2011). It follows a family deported to Siberia during WWII. The author isn't just describing the action; she highlights the mood of helplessness. By suggesting that it was nighttime and that the protagonist was in her nightgown, we instantly feel the vulnerability of the situation, and any kind of emotional danger is an intense way of how to start writing a story..
The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don’t got nothing much to say.
I chuckle to myself when I remember the opening line of Patrick Ness' The Knife of Never Letting Go (Candlewick, 2008). Manchee (the dog) has to be one of the greatest characters I've encountered in my last ten years of reading. In just these few words, we get a glimpse into the central relationship of this story, as well as its unique dialect—and the peculiar fact that dogs can speak! The humor is a nice bonus, too.
How to Start Writing a Story: Your Turn
When wondering how to start writing a story, ask yourself: Is your novel's first line special enough to stand out from the slush (or shelves, if the story is published)? For instance, take "It was the summer before everything changed.”
That’s far too generic and could thus match any story. There's story tension implied—the idea that something is about to shift. The reader also knows more than the characters, because they know there will be change, but it hasn't happened yet in the plot. Not bad. But it could be stronger.
How to start writing a story that will stand out requires more detail. Instead of simply mentioning that summer as a generally vague point in time, we should mention what makes this particular summer special or different—why everything changes during this precise moment in time.
It was the summer before the world transformed. The Zorlots were still the ones in charge of the vessel and the androids weren't causing chaos yet.
Make your opening line specific and full of action, emotion, and/or intrigue. When wondering how to start writing a story, you should search for a powerful first line, one that is unique to your book and no other.
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