How to Write a Book

The Basics - The Beginning

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The beginning of a story is crucial. It will need to be well-written and catchy. If not readers are not hooked on the first page, most of them will put the book down and not continue to read it. And sometimes, no matter how hard you try, your opening doesn't move the story forward enough.

Ok, so we have our story and our plot, but we need to find a way to slot them together like a jigsaw puzzle.

There are many ways to start a story but the best way is by introducing a character rather than give the reader a tour guide of the surrondongs. Readers seem to find this boring, but like to learn about the protagonist first. Are they outsiders or popular? Has something bad happened to them in the past? Are they human or not? Do they have special powers?

Here is an example:

• Raven looked down at the ground. Tears falling out of her grey eyes, and her jet black hair whipping around her from the harsh winds. She has been lonely ever since her parents had died two years ago. She was forced to move in with her evil Uncle Jon, but she was still an outsider at her school, she was bullied because she has a pink birthmark across her left face.

See?

Your opening scene sets the overall mood of the novel whether it is sad and gloomy, or happy and romantic. The reader will like to have an idea of the feeling that will continue through the book.

Books are not set in stone, so you can always rewrite or delete parts to your story. And don't be scared - its only words in a word processor, so it can't hurt if you start again!