Post History

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/33873
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/33873
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

### This is a somewhat usual start for something that goes in the direction of a horror story - which means it works for the general audience

You will want your character to wake up and have a look at her surroundings. After getting a first impression you should dwell for a moment on the fact that she does know who she is, but she does not know how she got to this place and why she is there - there is a gap in her memories.

Often you will find that this gap is an important part in keeping the reader engaged by giving them little bits of information and having the character remember a bit more. Maybe they only remember leaving their house in the morning like every other day - before suddenly waking up in this cold and dark place, their head hurting like they've hit the ground pretty hard. And then they slowly start to remember how they took the bus after leaving for work. For example because they met a friend there and something they found in the creepy place reminded them of that friend.

It's a normal way to start and like every story has been done quite often. That means it works pretty well and as long as your character is engaging and your narration of the environment is interesting your readers will probably like it - they likely expect something in this direction from a _horror_ story.

You need to keep in mind:

- Who is your character? -\> What does your character know? What do other characters that are nearby know?
- What is the last thing your character remembers? -\> What are important bits that need to be recovered? What are helpful things that your character will try to act on?
- Where is your character? -\> What does it look like? What does it smell like? 
- How does your character feel in this situation? -\> Is your character scared out of their mind? Is your character trying to remain calm as best as possible?
- What will your character first try to do? -\> Will your character run away at the first noise from a mouse? Will your character try to examine the room they woke up in?

Original score: 3