Wednesday, June 20, 2012

The wonder of beginnings

  In today's fast-paced world our stories compete with a huge variety of entertainments. Hence, our beginnings have an important role in hooking the reader. The words of a first paragraph may determine whether you captivate a certain reader; they may increase your chances of reaching a wider audience or convince an editor to get to the gist of your story. (On the other hand, a first paragraph that is not captivating is not an indicator that the story is not worth reading).
   Powerful beginnings are those that set an emotion or make an interesting statement that kindles our curiosity. They may set a specific situation or a conflict that intrigues the reader. They may throw us into a vivid setting that we want to explore further.
  In my case, writing a compelling first paragraph can become the force that pushes me to write the whole story. It can be the key to unblock the rest of it.
  Let's examine the beginnings of some short stories by well-known writers.

"Thomas withdrew to the side of the window and with his head between the wall and the curtain he looked down on the driveway where the car had stopped. His mother and the little slut were getting out of it. His mother emerged slowly, stolid and awkward, and then the little slut's long slightly bowed legs slid out, the dress pulled above the knees. With a shriek of laughter she ran to meet the dog, who bounded, overjoyed, shaking with pleasure, to welcome her. Rage gathered throughout Thomas's large frame with a silent ominous intensity, like a mob assembling."
Wow. This is a very strong beginning.We see a clear scene and there is conflict. Thomas does not like the woman getting out of the car with his mother. The narrator calls her a "slut" and the tension is intense right from the start because he is very upset, but the slut does not seem to care. What's going on here? We are compelled to read on. This is the first paragraph of the short story  "The Comforts of Home" by Flannery O'Connor.

"My husband gave me a broom one Christmas. This wasn't right. No one can tell me it was meant kindly."

Brief and funny. A woman received a broom as a Christmas gift and, not surprisingly, is offended. We all wonder why her husband did that to her. What was behind his action? Would you keep reading? This is the first paragraph of the short story "An Interest in Life" by Grace Paley


"Miss Adela Strangeworth came daintily along Main Street on her way to the grocery. The sun was shining, the air was fresh and clear after the night's heavy rain, and everything in Miss Strangeworth's little town looked washed and bright. Miss Strangeworth took deep breaths and thought that there was nothing in the world like a fragrant summer day."
 I like this first paragraph because it describes a vivid scene with simple words (sun shining, fresh air, little town, fragrant summer) and it transmits a strong emotion about the character. This is the first paragraph of the short story "The Possibility of Evil" by Shirley Jackson. It won the Edgar Allan Poe Award and was first published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1965.

"There must be some approach to this, a method, a technique, that's the word I want, it kills germs. Some technique then, a way of thinking about it that would be bloodless and therefore painless; devotion recollected in tranquility. I try to conjure up an image of myself at that time, also one of you, but it's like conjuring the dead. How do I know I'm not inventing both of us, and if I'm not inventing then it really is like conjuring the dead, a dangerous game. Why should I disturb those sleepers, sleepwalkers as they make their automaton rounds through the streets where we once lived, fading from year to year, their voices thinning to the sound of a thumb drawn across a wet window: an insect squeak, transparent as glass, no words. You can never tell with the dead whether it is they who wish to return or the living who want them to. The usual explanation is that they have something to tells us. I'm not sure I believe it; in this case, it's more likely that I have something to tell them."
This beginning enthralls me.The narrator wonders something about those who have died. Do they need to tell us something? The narrator is evoking a memory, an image of herself set in the past. I feel intrigued because I  would like to know how  this matter about those who died connects to her recollection. Her voice is strong too and compels me to read on. This is the first paragraph of the short story "Hair Jewellery" by Margaret Atwood.

What do you think about these beginnings? Let me know about your experience when you write the first paragraphs of your stories.

20 comments:

  1. These are all well-written and compelling first paragraphs. Not sure I could ever write anything as well written as these are.

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  2. Hi Richard. I'm glad you like the choices I made for the blog entry.

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  3. Good beginnings are essential, and your examples are superb. I have been teaching writing for many years, and I cannot stress enough to my students the importance of that hook. I also agree that less-than-captivating openings often compel us to look no further.

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    1. Sometimes good beginnings make us feel as though we are about to embark on a journey...we don't want to miss it.

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  4. Great post, Julia! There are two books I read recently and immediately fell in love with the opening sentences: "Bernadette had been dead two weeks when her sisters showed up in Doyle’s living room asking for the statue back." in Ann Patchett's 'Run', and; "Though I often looked for one, I finally had to admit there could be no cure for Paris." in Paula McLain's 'The Paris Wife'.

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    1. Interesting beginnings, Kimberly. Thanks for sharing them.

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  5. Great post, always interesting to analyze beginnings. From many books I love, the beginnings dont grip me. Yes, interesting
    I suck at writing beginnings
    Xx

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    1. I agree, Michelle. Beginnings are not always a hook. We need to dig deeper. I chose these beginnings because I thought they were good.

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  6. I've never tried to write fiction, but I want to. I find your discussion interesting. I do write columns and features for newspapers and magazines, ad I can tell you beginnings make the difference in your story being read, or scanned before flipping to the comics.
    I read a book recently by Sol Stein called Sol Stein on Writing and he gave very specific techniques on how to improve your writing.
    Thanks.

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    1. Thanks for the book recommendation, Rick. And I agree with you. When I write my articles I try to write a good first paragraph to catch the reader's attention. Excellent point!

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  7. Another thought for your blog - I'd lose the word verification. The spam guard captures 99 % of the spam so I find the word verification unnecessary on my blog.

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    1. Thanks Rick. I don't even know why that verification is there. I never asked for it. I will have to figure out how to get rid of it, I suppose.

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    2. Sorry to weigh in, Julia... but I second this! I've lost a few comments to you because the word verification can be difficult. I've got great eye sight, but even I have difficulty making out some of thoe words and letters. In trying to be too smart for machines,the system winds up being too 'smart'for humans, too. : )

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    3. I think I corrected the issue. Let me know.

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  8. These were great examples, and this post comes at an excellent time: I'm trying to come up with a compelling opening for the next rewrite of my MG mystery.

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  9. Thanks Elizabeth. It's good to know you find it useful. Enjoy your challenge!

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  10. You're right that first paragraph is so vital. As is that very first sentence. I like simple but powerful.

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    1. Good point. Certain beginnings can be very powerful and draw you to the story.

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  11. Great examples. Slow beginnings are rough. I hate when you have to push 5 chapters through a book before you start to enjoy it. Not fun. Important to have your reading intrigued from the first line!

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I appreciate each and every comment. Thank you.