How to Start Stories With a Bang
- 1). Start your story in the middle of an exciting event so that the reader will not want to stop reading. If your story is about an adventure, for example, begin with your hero in the middle of an event fraught with danger or uncertainty right on the opening page of your story. If your story doesn't involve action or imminent danger, begin with an intense conversation.
- 2). Pose a question to the reader, either by addressing him directly or posing a question to a character that the reader can also consider. For example, if you're writing an action-based short story, you could ask, "What would you do if a forest fire burned behind you and a river raged in front of you?" Or, you could pose the question indirectly through a character: "Dave felt the heat of the forest fire burning behind him and looked at the raging river in front of him. 'Will I escape?" he wondered."
- 3). Start with a descriptive passage that appeals to one of the reader's senses. If you're writing a romantic short story, you could write about how the heroine dabbed the sweet smell of strawberry perfume on her neck as a way of enticing her lover. This type of description would appeal to a reader's sense of smell and help her relate to the situation. A sensory image will make your words come to life for the reader, prompting her to keep reading.
