Writing is something that everyone has done before, whether for school, work or for the simple pleasure of it. When it comes to creative writing, however, you notice there are far fewer people who do this line of work. Why exactly is that? What makes creative writing different from other types of work?
First of all, it’s a matter of the content. Creative writing is something that you are making up entirely on your own. Unlike school or work, where you are asked to write about something specific, creative writing is coming from one source: your own mind. As a result, it can make writing down a cohesive idea very difficult.
Everyone has probably thought of some really good ideas before, maybe when you wee in the shower, or watch a movie, or play that new game you were incredibly interested in. These things tend to get you thinking and therefore make you come up with unique ideas. Perhaps you had a few of these ideas before and thought it would make an excellent story.
The main issue people hit when they begin writing their story is the introduction, and how to execute it. Most writers would agree, this is one of the hardest parts of writing a story. An introduction has a lasting impression on the reader and often will tell someone what this story is going to be about. It usually informs someone if this is a book for them or something to pass up. So, what exactly makes an introduction good?
When it comes to fiction, you want to stay interesting. You can’t start it off too boring, but you can’t be generic either. Most people want to know what your world is like in a fantasy setting. If you’re going for a futuristic, cyberpunk, dystopian universe, your first paragraph needs to show this. This will really draw the reader in, as they will be interested in the universe you are trying to create.
Creative Writing Story Introductions With Action
Another good way to start off a fiction story is during an action scene. Maybe it’s the setting of a big battle that changed the world forever, or perhaps it’s simply a small fight scene that sets the stage for the rest of the beginning. A fight scene makes someone intrigued to know who’s fighting, what they are fighting, and what’s happening in general.
Another great way to tackle an introduction is to write a scene that starts off mid-way in the story. A lot of people do this, as they usually have a solid idea for an overall plot, but not a way to get it started. If you write the middle of a story, perhaps you can get enough ideas to figure out how the story got to this point, and write a solid start.
Hopefully, this article helps to kick-start your imagination into writing that fantasy novel you always wanted to.
Hi Chris, Yes I have dabbled in creative writing myself. Have a few books I started writing but never finished. I think absolutely this is something I am going to have to get back in one day and hopefully I will expect that my blogging has a big influence on this. Recently I read a copywriting book can send you a copy if you like and learned quite a lot. One thing was as you mention the beginning. It should hook people in immediately. Within the first line and think best way to explain it is with a news report. Look up any one and see what the first line is. This is designed to get you interested enough to read the full article but this is a universal concept. Movie scripts, fictional novels, sales letters, songs, poetry and the list goes on.
Many thanks for sharing;
Kind regards;
Alex