↠ detail 'a how to book'

↠ #2 tip ↠ WHERE DO I START MY STORY!?

KNOW WHAT TO WRITE? Here comes the second advice:

Urgh now I have to start writing?! But how?! Where?! When?!

Well then let's get started to describe what you got in mind! I'll be using my example from before where I made a list of things I reaally wanted to write about. Those brainstorm points turned into a french morning with a cute guy and a girl in a beautiful dress!

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    ↠ find out when you want the story to start

But I know that already? In the morning with the alarm clock! Why is that important to consider?

Okay it's not irrelevant as to where you'll begin your story! Let's take a look on my example - if you start it off with the girl waking up in freaking Germany then it'll probably take a long time for you get to that morning scene you really wanna write about! And we don't want to loose interest in writing - so start it of in the interesting part! Start it in the middle of it all - if it's interesting to write it'll be interesting to read.

TWO EXAMPLES WHICH EXPLAINS WHAT THE HELL I'M BABBLING ABOUT: 

the no - no way: 

My alarm clock went off just as usual  and I rose from the bed. Checked my reflection in the mirror and saw my blonde shoulder length hair which had that light shimmer of bronze, that stood in perfect contrast to my icy blue eyes. I had spent ten minutes brushing my hair to perfection. Then I brushed my teeth for two minutes and put on some black tight jeans and that shirt which I got for Christmas which had a pattern that ....

[i'm so bored writing this that i will stop now because it'll take ages to get to the interesting part and what happens before is not that interesting to hear about]

the yes - yes way:

It seemed like ages ago I had woken up in my bed and gotten dressed [see how quickly I skipped it all?]. And now I was running through the misty streets of Paris hand in hand with a guy I barely knew - and even in a crimison red silk dress. The fabric felt smooth against my skin as my breath became visible in the air as I exhaled. His warm hand against my cold one seemed as a connection of electricity. He was leading us to a café which had just opened I realized. How had I ended here? My heart beat was racing as I smiled joyfully.

[that's a lot more interesting - why does she wear a dress like that in the morning? why is she with a random dude? is she crazy? what is going on? why are they running? what is this? what?]

Conclusion of this tip is don't be scared to start in the middle of it all! Start when it's most interesting! Start it off in a night club, in the middle of the fight, at the very first time the girl sees that mystery guy, in the middle of a class in school where the teacher passes out!

This is basically a way to sort away all that is irrelevant for the plot of the story. Sorry to say but it isn't of great great importance whether her hair is blonde or not. And it isn't interesting to read about how you prepare yourself in the morning - unless it's a totally wicked and freaky way, which is important to know in order to understand the character! You should be able to give a reaaally good reason as to why then. The thing is that you have to catch people's attention very quickly! So you might have a great idea - but if it takes 3 pages to get to the interesting then no one will ever read your great idea!

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ASSIGNMENT:

Think of three different interesting places/scenarios to start a story - which are strange, original, nervewrecking maybe? Post your ideas bellow! How unusual can you start your story?

 

my assignment answer I want to start my story...

▵ where the girl first meets the french guy!

or

▵ the place where she puts on her red silk dress!

or

▵ the following morning where they are running through the streets! [so this was the one I went with in my example]

or

▵ the place she tries to speak french to a random on the street because she lost her way in paris!