Where and How to Start a Story

Start anywhere. Start in the middle. Start at the end. Write a scene that keeps playing in your mind. Write a description of the town your character lives in. Write a conversation between two characters. Write whatever is compelling to you, whatever keeps nagging you, and don’t worry if it’s the “right” thing. Outlining and doing character charts is awesome, but can sometimes lead to paralysis for writers who cling too rigidly to them. Writing is a discovery process. To start with, just write whatever excites you, and then let your writing teach you where the beginning is, and where to go next. What you write first will not necessarily be the beginning of your story anyway, even if you try to plan it that way. There is no such thing as wasted time. Put something—anything—down on paper, even if it’s just a paragraph. Do it tonight. I’m rooting for you.