Q&A for How to Start a Story

In the beginning, you might want to focus on a character who is training for the war and all the emotions that they are feeling. Then, at the climax, the war begins and something terrible happens to that main character. Maybe a best friend dies, or they get injured very badly. Make it seem like there is no hope. Then, you can write about how they persevere and get through their troubles.

Do some research if it's a specific place or city or maybe a beach or a camping site. Write about the environment, like a wave splashing at your feet, wind, or low-hanging clouds or the drops of rain making a sound as they hit the ground. Describe smells like that of wet soil or fresh bread. Describe the sounds your character hears like people talking, cars driving by, music, etc. You can practice by just going somewhere and writing a detailed description of your surroundings.

There are many ways to have a very appealing ending to a story. Leave a cliffhanger: A cliffhanger is an untold ending. Cliffhangers can make the reader stay in suspense, wanting to know what happens next. They also may read more books by you so they can figure out what happens next. Don't introduce new characters and hope for the best: Introducing new characters will make you have another part of the story unless you don't want an ending. Tie up loose ends quickly: If you do that, then you will be able to end the story with ease.

Use a specific piece of information such as, "his mother's skirt was red," or "the tree outside her new house was oak." Then go on to elaborate why your character remembers this so specifically. Maybe he hid behind his mother's skirt as the man arrived to take him away, or that the oak tree was incredibly different from the pine that was at her old house.

First, figure out your story and mystery. Then, after knowing exactly what's going to happen in the story and mystery, think about the clues that can help the reader find the answer without directly giving it away. Finally, introduce the story while giving subtle hints and foreshadowing throughout.

Its all about the length of the description. If it is too long, then readers will get quickly bored, uninterested or confused, however if it is too short, than the readers will question the point of the description and may become frustrated.

Flashbacks can be the thing that holds your story together. Write it in the third person and do not provide a lot of information, just as much as is needed. You can write a traumatic experience that the person has had and is recalling the memories. Make it either subtle if you're going for romance or very dramatic if it is for something bad or violent. Make the reader feel how the person feels, but do not give any information about what is going to happen, only what has happened.

Have something terrible happen to the lovers so they can no longer be together.

If the story is about you, just sit down and write down exactly what happened and use as much detail as you remember.

Just think of it the same way you would a story about people, what is their society like, their daily lives, etc., then come up with a conflict or problem for your dragons to face.

Maybe you could start with a conflict that requires someone to take a journey to find the solution, or rather a character who is trying to find something. Add in some struggles to make the reader want to find out how he/she will cope.

It really depends on the type of emotions you want to convey to the readers. Is it an action story, or a calmer story? Is it an epic or a romance?

Cut out any unnecessary scenes. You may have to remove a character or two. If you've included several conflicts, eliminate all but one. Simplify. Figure out how to get your characters from point A to point B quickly.

I, personally, use a lot of dialogue to start. Usually something short and non-descriptive, leaving the reader curious. "JACK!" she screamed. Melanie's voice muffled through the door as Jack slipped away, smiling. He glanced in his hand to see...

1. Separate your plot in to three chunks: Intro, Body, Closing. What happens in the very start? Write the key parts down. What is the story mostly about? Write that down, too. How does it end? Write it down, then read your notes and edit/improve if you want. Then you can read over your plot and create and draw it into your comic! 2. It really depends on the plot. If it's historical fiction, research is very important! Learn about that time and what was going on around then before you create. If it's set in the present, not very much! 3. On sites like DeviantArt, not long at all. It depends on how long it is and the quality of the art.

Think of exactly what your faith has done for you. Choose a particular hardship and explain how your faith helped you overcome it. Readers like specifics.

Start with the setting and introducing the characters (spy, bad guy), then create a plot with the good character(s) going on an amazing adventure to kill the bad guy. End with the spy and the bad guy having a huge fight. The good spy wins and everything ends well.

I'd suggest you start with a line of dialogue that captures the kids. Be careful not to make it something dramatic, sad or shattering. Use a happy moment or funny line to reel them in, so they want to be your protagonist's friends. Continue in three ways. 1. Make the problem happen. Start your climax ASAP so you can elaborate more on the climatic situation or how the characters overcome it. 2. Introduce more characters. If you have more than three, produce a sequence (e.g. a stroll or other movement down the street) where you get to know each character a little. This can develop the kids' view on each, drawing them closer to the story. 3. Continue the dialogue. Let the characters explain the story line.

You can get some great tips from the wikiHow articles, Begin an Autobiography , Write an Autobiography , and Write an Autobiographical Essay .

Start with the character's position -- who they are, why you are including them in your story, their purpose. Next, make a general baseline -- their driving motivation, personality, flaws, what they need. After making sure you have an end goal for your character, develop them.

You could ask someone to read the story for you, someone who you know is good at writing, or find a beta reader. Beta readers are better then friends, since they don't have a personal bias because they know you. There are many websites where you can find beta readers for free. If you don't have the time to find a beta-reader, or you are hesitant to reach out to a friend, you could try reading your own story but instead of reading it as a writer, let yourself get immersed in the story as a reader, someone who doesn't know what you, the author, knows. See if the story is interesting and clear.

You can't make readers react a certain way. Read the kinds of books that give you goosebumps, and take notes. Why about the words made you react that way? Then try emulating the style yourself. Don't copy, just be inspired.

you could write what you had dreamed about and you can exaggerate on it. Also,try using great settings like flashback, dialogue, etc.

Horror stories might start as a regular day, slowly moving into horror. Maybe a newspaper reports the escape of a cannibal from jail. Or you can start by starting in the middle of the action, then use a flashback to describe the events before the story in several chapters.

It's not unheard of, but it's not way overused or anything. You just have to be careful, though, because you don't want your readers to feel like you've intentionally tricked them into believing something that isn't true.

Describe every detail of the fight, but still balance it out to be fast-paced. Add in a couple of times when the main character thought all hope was lost, then rises back up, in quick detail.

You could start with a news report about the infection or describing how families are shattered due to the members being infected.

Consult Write Historical Fiction .

Try the methods in Get Over Writer's Block .

So you don't become confused, note down your new characters and plot in a notepad. When you write, have the notepad next to you so you can check if you are using the correct plot and/or characters.