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When in doubt, make it count for something. Many authors begin the story at a place which is or will be a pivotal part of the plot. Only you will know where or what this is, of course. That is not...
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#3: Attribution notice added
by
System
·
2019-12-08T02:08:45Z (over 4 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/4810 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision
by
TLP
·
2019-12-08T02:08:45Z (over 4 years ago)
When in doubt, make it count for something. Many authors begin the story at a place which is or will be a pivotal part of the plot. Only you will know where or what this is, of course. That is not to say that you should elaborate or explain why this particular passage is central, of course. Suspense and lack of information will drive your story forward. A few famous examples: [_The Accidental Tourist_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Accidental_Tourist), by Anne Tyler begins with the main event: The time when the protagonists wife asks him for a divorce. This is the event that triggers everything that transpires in the book. _Lord of the Rings_ by Tolkien begins with him describing the hobbit race. They will turn out to be the main focus of the books. _The hitchhiker's guide the the galaxy_, by Douglas Adams begins with a description of Earth, and its subsequent destruction. The reasons for which are not immediately obvious. _The Da Vinci Code_ by Dan Brown begins with the assassination of an old man, which puts us firmly in the middle of the conspiracy and a murder mystery. Perhaps more or less all books can be crammed into such a category, but the point is, this central point was invented (or discovered) by the author. Follow the threads in your story, see where they originate, and begin there.
#1: Imported from external source
by
System
·
2012-01-14T17:17:35Z (over 12 years ago)
Original score: 4