How to Write Stories People Will Love

Question 88: Opening scenes

starryeyedturtle asks: Something I have always struggled with is finding an exciting way to open a story if it isn't an action sequence. For a particular story I'm writing at the moment, it is meant to open with very little action and mainly just setting the scene. I always find myself being much too critical, and scrapping my openings over and over, which therefore prevents me from really progressing forwards. Do you have any advice on what makes a fairly calm opening gripping for a reader?

Opening scenes don't have to be action. In fact, it might be hard for readers to care for any of the characters if it launches straight into action because it allows very little time to get to know the characters. When a bunch of people are fighting in the beginning, the reader could be thinking, "Who ARE these people??"

Go for Interesting

Instead of striving for "gripping", try "interesting". This is the first draft, and "gripping" puts a lot of pressure on you to come up with something amazing. Let yourself off the hook and think of scenes that pique curiosity instead. If it involves action, that's fine, but all you need is a situation that makes people wonder what's going on there.

It doesn't take much. Think about all the times that traffic on the road slowed to a crawl because drivers just had to slow down to see something going on at the side of the road, and it was just someone changing a tire! But humans are curious, nosy creatures, and someone pulled over when they should be driving is out of the expected routine.

Pique Curiosity

For your opening scene, first think about where in your plot your story needs to start. Reread Chapter 32: Rework the Beginning for a refresher on this. Now to think of an out-of-the-ordinary scene to start with. Let's say it's the first day of school. Brushing one's teeth or eating breakfast is calm but boring. However we can add elements to these scenarios to make them interesting without having to resort to action.

EXAMPLE:

This morning I dreamed all my teeth had fallen out and I had to go to school toothless. People were staring at my gummy mouth and all I could do was wish for dentures. Teenagers should not be thinking about dentures.

I stare at Grandma's dentures soaking in the glass on the bathroom counter and try to shake off the stress dream. I turn my attention to the mirror, to my perfectly healthy, though slightly crooked, teeth. What is wrong with you? Just brush your teeth already!

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Here, we are opening a story with someone brushing their teeth, usually a no-no. But we've added some stuff to it so the scene is actually interesting. People think thousands of thoughts a day, usually nonstop. By tapping into these thoughts, any scene can be interesting. Here, we learn that the main character is worried about their first day of school for some reason, and that Grandma seems to live there too. Also, we showed that the character is stressed via a funny dream, rather than stating "I'm so stressed because it's a new school and I wonder if people will like me." Let readers wonder why this person is stressed. Mysteries, even small ones, make readers want to learn more.

Let's do another one, with breakfast this time.

EXAMPLE:

What do most kids have for breakfast on the first day of school? I've enviously watched TV show moms cooking scrambled eggs and and bacon for theirs. My mom decided years ago that she didn't want any part of that and left.

So instead, I get leftover pizza.

I open the box from last night's feast, plop a slice onto a plate, and stick it in the microwave. I actually don't mind. I like pizza, and Dad is really good at ordering it. It's never just ordinary pepperoni. Sometimes it's Italian sausage. Sometimes it's got pesto. One time it had anchovies, and it was actually fine. Well, okay, the cat thought it was fine when I gave it to him. But other than that, Dad says I'm as easy to feed as a garbage can. I think that's a compliment.

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Breakfast, which is often a boring scene with someone eating and musing about school, can be a time when snippets of the character's life come to light. We learn the mom is out of the picture. We learn that Dad probably isn't much of a cook and orders pizza a lot. We also learn that the character seems to be easy-going rather than complaining about the situation.

In these ways, opening scenes can be opportunities to learn about the character and setting without it feeling like a monologue. Such scenes also show pieces of characters and settings, rather than explaining the dry details. When slivers of information are offered up in a personable way, readers want to find out more about this person and this situation.