Where to Begin: Part II

Last week, the post on Beginning a Book began with a brief discussion bout Hooks.

Let's say your plot cannot begin with that exciting climactic material that would be the textbook-definition of a 'hooky' opening. What do you do to make a solid beginning? 

 Take a Snapshot

Let's say your book features some of the most mundane characters ever, living a (seemingly) ordinary life. The most cliche thing you can do is open your book with an introduction of themselves, waking up to an alarm clock, or looking in a mirror. Why? Because it draws attention to itself. What do these things have in common? These scenes are beginnings of themselves. Nothing screams "I'm beginning a book" than with beginning with someone's first day at a new school.

So take a snapshot. Since these characters had lived years of life up until this plotline, act like they had a life before and are not simply coming into existence when you first started writing them. Starting the book by jumping right in the middle of their commute to work, a conversation at dinner, dance recital, etc. Pay close attention to the little things, like the specific way the character likes to order Chinese food, or the dislike they have for holiday decorations. Point out the fine details and contemplation that only your character would point out. Make it sound like the reader interrupted your character's life at a random, inopportune and personal time--and not at a self-aware beginning. Still has the effect of a fast-pace with Lights, Camera, and Action on your first words.  

Paint a Picture

No book can happen without a setting, everything has to happen somewhere. So sometimes your setting should get a glimpse of the spotlight. Think about a cozy mystery that paints the picture of that old-fashioned roadside diner whose neon lights glimmer against the rain-splashed roadway just past midnight, where inside the detective orders a reliable cup of coffee brewed just the way he likes it. Let the reader glide into the scenery of your world with some establishing shots.

Meditate

The opening of the book is where you can devote some space to ruminate about the underlying messages and themes about your book without being intrusive to the plot. Open with a couple of truths and/or a couple of questions to set the tone about what challenges or boundaries your character may have to overcome (but do this gingerly and subtly). Maybe in the process you redefine what is constituted as normal in your universe. But only give them a taste. You want to lure them in a way that provokes curiosity, you don't want to show them your full deck of cards. This approach can be much like having a narration at the beginning (cue Morgan Freeman voice).

So here are three different angles you can use to attack "boring" beginnings with, using 3 different foci: your character, your setting, or your message. You may even be able to marry all three of these into a whole chapter. 

 And for additional inspiration, you're probably watching shows & movies on your favorite streaming device, you're also watching beginnings on a regular basis. So remember: Write it Like You'll Watch It!