Starting Your Fiction Story

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This time, let’s think about the importance of getting your story off to a strong start.

Starting your story

I read an interesting article by novelist Liz Nugent in the Guardian online, talking about the importance of a strong opening line.

I thought it might be helpful to look at the importance of writing a compelling story opening, in terms of fiction for “The People’s Friend”.

Once upon a time…

You may have read our previous piece on the importance of ending your story conclusively.

It’s equally – or perhaps even more – important to start your story off on a strong footing. Why?

The title and first line/s encourage your reader to read on. This is your opportunity to grab your reader’s interest. What, where, who, why – that’s what you’re establishing here.

At this point, you’re establishing the tone of your story, plus other essentials such as era, season, and location – you’re giving your reader a solid idea of what to expect.

You’re introducing your reader to your characters and to their world. You’re taking them on a journey and this is the starting point.

Fiction In The “Friend”

When the Team are considering your submissions, we won’t stop reading because the first line/s aren’t the strongest.

But it’s fair to say that by the end of the first page, we can usually tell if a story is going to be successful.

So it’s worthwhile paying attention to Page One.

You’ll find more writing tips, writing prompts and useful information from our Writers’ of The Week here.