How do you start your story in an immediately effective way?
Ask a question. Remember questions demand answers and that is what a story must provide for the reader-answers!
1) Won’t you come in? said a tiny voice.
2) Can we forget about yesterday, please?
3) Why are you wearing those chains, Henry?
4) Did you set fire to Grandfather yesterday?
5) What is that smell? It reminds me of …
6) Who do you think you are behaving like that?
7) Did you cook this all by yourself?
8) Why do you still trust me after all that has happened?
9) Where did you leave the surprise?
10) Who’s sitting in my chair? Do I know him?
11) Why did you take the car out at 3 am? And why is it covered in dust?
12) Will you be my new, best friend?
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Try writing five of your own. Then go back and after each, write a few notes on the answer to your question.
This is a simple way of generating material for stories. Questions demand answers. That’s what a story is really.
A story is an answer to a question, whether the question is asked directly or not.
Why are your new boots covered in mud/blood/strawberries/chocolate/confetti, mother?
Are you the same person I married?
What’s going on in your head?
