Staring at 85,000 words of a first (or tenth) draft and trying to find where the story starts is like wandering in a field of goldenrod looking for a yellow flower. A beta reader of mine said she had a hard time getting into a story, but past the beginning, she couldn’t stop reading (her words, not mine). Fixated on beginnings, I dug in, researching everything I could about this elusive question.
Where Does a Story Start?
Matt Bird in THE SECRETS OF STORY writes, “Most successful stories are structured around one and only one problem. It begins or becomes undeniable in the first scene…” (p. 29, emphasis in original). Pinpointing where that undeniable problem presents itself seems uncomplicated. But is it when you meet the person who hates the protagonist and wants to see them fail? Is it the misbelief/flawed backstory that keeps the main character stuck? Is it the moment when the crime occurs, the planning of the crime, the discovery of the crime, the coverup?
The pundits seem to agree that stories should not start with weather, prologues, lengthy descriptions, or backstory. Yet in DON’T MURDER YOUR MYSTERY, Chris Roerden debunks everything writers are told not to do when beginning a story by offering successful examples of authors who did just that (pp 27-70)! “Where is the beginning, anyway,” Roerden asks. Then answers the question with, “It’s where the first sign of trouble appears” (p. 54, emphasis in original).
Action Beginnings
Turning to some of my favorite middle grade and young adult stories, I found these opening scenes: stealing a roast (THE FALSE PRINCE), removing a mechanical foot (CINDER), moving out of a guardian’s house (PAPER THINGS), making a to-do list to deal with a displaced life (SIX IMPOSSIBLE THINGS), getting ready to search a park for a missing hiker (THE BODY IN THE WOODS). In these stories, the characters were compelling, too. Was the hook in the character or the unusual action? What kept me reading?
My research seemed to bring me full circle. I know a good start when reading a published story. Finding it while writing or revising? I wish I could!
Any advice on how to recognize the true start of a story? Leave a comment or share your experience. Thanks! : ) Professional Lee