Starting a piece of writing is easy, isn’t it? We just start at the beginning. That sounds so simple, until we sit down to write the first draft. For instance, we start off saying, “This idea or event would make a great story/novel.” But we still have to untangle WHY that event or story was worthy of all the words we will set down, to ourselves and to the reader. That is often the place we want to start, but figuring it out is the hard part.
Many years ago, I started on a novel I had planned to be a romance. It IS a romance now, but it is less about two people than the relationship between the main character and a way of life in the country he chose over America, a way of life that is now threatened. Still, the question remains, where, at what point in his story, should the novel begin? A writer friend pointed me toward Hooked:Write Fiction that Grabs Readers at Page One and Never Lets Them Go. The author, Les Edgerton, recommended identifying the event, no matter how small, that triggers the action of the whole piece. The little ball of snow that starts rolling down the mountain getting bigger and bigger until a whole avalanche of plot comes with it. As an example, Edgerton mentioned the very beginning sequence in a film. Often, that sequence seems to be about orienting the viewer, but is usually filled with key details that will be important later.
The presence of those key things means that when we first start writing, we probably don’t know what path the piece is taking on the story. (Except for the inveterate plotters or architects.) Often, just getting traction, we throw stuff into the beginning because we writers are feeling our way along. That’s good, as long as we just aren’t afraid to edit later.
The next most important point about starting is not, NOT to throw in backstory too early. As a writer, I know the almost irresistible urge. “They just have to know x, y, and z or they won’t understand!” But, when I READ, I want to be drawn into the action and don’t mind being played along inhaling the atmosphere of the piece. Later, more details can be introduced. That works for me as a reader. Before backstory can work, the reader needs to be invested in the character. Pick up a bestseller in the bookstore or library and read the first few pages. Do we really mind that there isn’t any backstory?
Knowing exactly how to start something from a blank page isn’t important for writers. Discovery is part of the intriguing process. If we have a good idea where the action begins, so much the better. Getting words out on paper or on a screen, discovering our characters and how they are doing what we want them to be doing, is primary. Our characters sometimes surprise us. We need to let them, or correct them, as the case may be.
Then, we can go back to tinker with properly beginning the message of our story. Maybe, we will know more what the piece is actually ABOUT. But don’t be surprised if it takes a few trial and error drafts. In the meantime, we need to give ourselves and others time to let the creative process happen.
