The 10 Worst Story Openings…

Posted on by Chris The Story Reading Ape

To read this informative article by Laura L.M. click on the link or her photo below:

10-ways-not-to-open-story.html

laura

26 thoughts on “The 10 Worst Story Openings…”

  1. Pingback: The 10 Worst Story Openings… — Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog – sandrafirstruleoffilmclubharris

  3. I think one of the most important points to note about this post is that this is about OPENINGS. Some of the items that Laura assembles as problems are fine later in the story. For example, the weather or detailed character descriptions. The latter are best dribbled out a little bit at a time; never all at once. If simply anecdotal background, the weather might not seem purposeful to include. But like character facets, it might have some plot or story arc significance.

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  4. Interesting article, and while – like several others here – I may not always agree with all of those statements, I find it amusing that almost no one seems to have noticed the “parting shot” at the end of the article. That is, the one that says “once you know the rules, feel free to break them.”

    Of course, I may be biased and prone to focusing on that statement, since it’s always been something of my motto (and not just for writing.) I like rules – or “strong suggestions” – mainly because I get to try to flex my mind-brain to contemplate reasons why one might wish to circumvent those ideas. XD But that might just be me.

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  5. I dont agree with all of these points, unless writing for children. Nothing is original anymore, so there’s no point in pretending that avoiding those clichés is going to make your work original. I think if you were to follow all these points, a person’s writing would be stripped back to the bare bones. Thats not always a good thing. Its finding a happy balance, and writing in your own voice which makes a story original and unique, not whether you you start your story with a prologue or your protagonist waking from a dream. In my opinion.

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  6. Thanks for reblogging Laura’s interesting article Chris. While I agree with some of the points made in her post there is, I believe a real danger that writers become so hung-up on writing the “perfect” beginning that they lose spontaneity. What one reader considers cliched may well be perceived by others as constituting great writing. Kevin

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  7. Read this and thought: No, Nope, not so absoluteish …
    Could only heartily agree with two things. Do not start with a detailed description of the character (unless that is of first importance – when your character is not your standard human it would be nice to know – but do not go into elaborated description mode – give it a kiss (keep it short and simple)) and do not lay out your world in detail – again only what you really need for understanding and following the action at the beginning with hints that there is more to it (or you end up with a world that has the distinctive feeling of being just a façade.) At the beginning you do not need much!

    But that was about it. The rest is up for discussion.

    If you want to avoid “what everybody else has used” you have to stop writing. EVERY SINGLE THING THAT IS WRITTEN NOW somebody else has written previously. More often not only ONE person has written that. What makes your text stand out is the way HOW you write it. Be creative and surprising, let the reader think for themselves and still come along with a believable different solution!

    Clichés can be used as a stylistic device – but you have to be aware of that and use them sparingly. If you make your main character a cliché, you end up with a predictable story – and hence the reader gets bored.

    What one of the previous commenters on the blog has written: Start with a conflict! Outline the rough edges of the trip on which you are taking your reader. The conflict is what moves your hero/ine. The conflict is at the heart of the story – you need a first glimpse of it at the beginning to give the reader an idea what this is all about!

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      • Thank you. But even this comment is not the all that is to know. In fact, novels which begin with all of those “cardinal sins” the OP wrote about may still be great novels. Some readers prefer to KNOW how the main character looks like. A writing friend of mine is like that. She wants to get an idea through whose eyes she sees the world. Others like epic landscapre descriptions for whatever reasons.
        If you slavishly follow all those writing rules all you get is unsurprising mainstream literature, like format radio …

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          • What is far more important than every do write this and do not write that advice is to ask yourself the question with every word, every sentence: Does the story really need that? What for?
            That question leads to a lot of cutting back on stories. Because sometimes writers are just so blindly in love with their own wording, they forget they are telling a story. Even that may have its audience, though! This is no iron rules, the only rule I myself try to follow is Do Not Bore Thy Reader!
            A friend of mine, who is one of the few readers I have and still my friend 😉 said to me “Surprise me!” when I asked her what she expected from a story.

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        • At the risk of being boring, once again I agree with what you say. One man’s meat is another’s poison. Likewise with literature. The “cliche” that one person wholeheartedly detests is thought to be rather effective by another reader. I recollect with one of my short stories, “Samantha”, being told by a reviewer that my description of Sam (a young woman forced into prostitution) appearing like a rabbit caught in the headlights of oncoming vehicles was cliched. As the author I respect the reviewer’s perspective. None the less I disagree with their opinion although, as the author I would say that wouldn’t I …!

          On 3/26/16, Chris The Story Reading Apes Blog

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