Tips for writing beginnings

#1yoshi006Posted 4/15/2012 10:31:08 PM(edited)
For some reason, almost all my ideas for stories start with the ending. I'll know what I want the story to build up to, and I may have some ideas for a few major events on the way to the end, but I always have trouble with the beginning. It's like I know exactly where I want to go, but I have no idea how to start.

Does anyone else have this problem? Any advice on how to write (or even just figure out) a beginning?
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#2RobazoidPosted 4/16/2012 1:29:32 AM
It really depends a lot on the kind of story you're writing.

Something like Chrono Trigger wouldn't have worked if it started right in the middle of the time travel, but something like Super Metroid wouldn't have worked if it showed Samus sitting around in her ship for twenty minutes. Different genres, different styles.

Sorry for using video game examples but I couldn't immediately think of books.
#3luctheladPosted 4/16/2012 5:09:24 AM
I think the most common tips are:

1) Slip exposition into action, instead of describing then telling/showing.
2) Start right before or during some sort of action.

This has a lot of good advice in it:
#4RuzinusPosted 4/16/2012 8:21:03 AM
Start where the first thing happens. Where things start changing.
"It's really big, but it's cursed."
#5ryanm32Posted 4/18/2012 11:13:33 AM
if you are having issues with beginning, just think about how two key characters will first meet, and right from that position. You can then fill in story before their intial encounter if you so choose.

For exmaple, you have the ending planned where a guy named Joe will stab himself on a mountain and officially end a bloody war blood. He is the hero, the good guy, and you make the antagonist actually win but he feels sorta bad thats how he won. Ok. Well think about where Peter the antagonist will begin is desire for war and where he will come across Joe. Do they know eachother for a long time? If not, begin where Peter finds him in the woods playing with, um, hunting deer. Ok. he teases him calls him a stupid hunter, what have you. then branch from there

They should be striving to the ending, and your thoughts should reflect that. think about what they need to get to that ending, and start by writing from where two key characters meet.
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