How To Start Your Story

Written by JJ Barnes

www.jjbarnes.co.uk

When you first start a story, and you’re introducing your characters, it can be easy to feel stalled. There will be lots of world to explore and lots of people to meet, so you may find you have lots to write about, but nothing’s actually happening.

People living their ordinary lives isn’t the point of your story. Even stories about day to day life, such as soap operas, have plot lines that begin, build, and climax. Ordinary life is saved for documentaries, but you’re writing a story. A story needs a plot.

So, how do you take characters that you know and love, and actually send them on a story?

What Does Your Protagonist Want?

How To Start A Story, The Table Read Writing Advice
Photo by Arthur Ogleznev on Pexels.com

The reason you’re jumping into your Protagonist’s life at this point is because they want something. The point of your story is to follow them on a journey. There’s something they don’t have, they want it, and they go in pursuit of it. The story tracks the Antagonist blocking their efforts to get it, and building to a final climactic moment where either Protagonist or Antagonist wins.

Before you start telling your story, work out what it is your Protagonist wants. Either something is missing in their life that they want to rectify, or something external is happening that they want to stop.

For instance, your Protagonist might want to find love. Their story is her journey to either finding her person, or to accepting life without a partner. Alternatively, something external such as aliens invading the planet is happening, and your Protagonist wants to stop them. For this, she’d be motivated to stay alive, protect the people around her, and save the world.

In all cases, your Protagonist wants something, and is motivated at the beginning of your story to get it.

Start A Story With The Inciting Incident

How To Start A Story, The Table Read Writing Advice
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The Inciting Incident is the moment that triggers your story to start. Prior to your story starting your Protagonist is not actively in pursuit of their goal, they’re just living.

So, if your Protagonist is motivated to find love, you need to give her something that makes that important enough to go after. Perhaps her ex is getting married and she needs a date to his wedding. If you’re writing YA, prom could be coming and she doesn’t want to go alone. But something happens that changes her vague need to fall in love into something she actively seeks to make happen.

For an external story conflict, such as aliens invading, the Inciting Incident is pretty clear. It’s the moment the aliens invade. However, I would recommend giving your Protagonist something they actively want that the aliens impact. Perhaps she is actively motivated to protect people she loves, or she’s involved in work to protect the planet. Either way, the aliens invading challenge her story goal and that is why she particularly steps up to the challenge of stopping them.

The Antagonist

How To Start A Story, The Table Read Writing Advice
Photo by ArtHouse Studio on Pexels.com

The Antagonist of your story is equally important to your Protagonist. Without an Antagonist stopping them from getting what they want, there would be no story. If your Protagonist wants to get a date, with no Antagonist, she’d ask someone out and off they’d go. The story would be over. Your Antagonist is what keeps the story active.

At the Inciting Incident, your Antagonist becomes motivated just like your Protagonist. Their role throughout your story is to try and stop your Progagonist achieving their goal. Either they same thing, and they can’t both have it, or they want to stop your Protagonist for their own reasons.

If your Protagonist wants a date to prom, the Antagonist could want to go with the same person. Or it could be her parent who wants her to stay at home and says she’s too young to date. Either way, somebody is actively blocking her attempts to get what she want.

For aliens invading, the Antagonist is likely the aliens who want to be taking over. Alternatively, it’s somebody on Earth who’s working with the aliens and is working to stop your Protagonist from saving the world. Perhaps masquerading as a friend or colleague to later be revealed as a traitor.

The #1 Writing Tool

Events Prior To When You Start A Story

How To Start A Story, The Table Read Writing Advice
Photo by Rendy Maulana Yusup on Pexels.com

You’re not just chronicling meaningless moments in your characters lives so the time prior to the inciting incident is very story relevant. As well as establishing the world your story is set in, and who your Protagonist is, you show what matters to them. Show what they’re frustrated with or what they’re worried about.

For the Protagonist looking for love, show her lonely and craving company or an emotional connection. For the external invasion, show your Protagonist worrying about the safety of her people or her world.

Use this time prior to the Inciting Incident to demonstrate to your audience what matters and why. When the story begins they will care enough to stick with it. They want to find out if the story ends well for the Protagonist, and they want what she wants.

When Should Your Story Start?

For a book, your Inciting Incident should come by the end of Chapter One. For a film, it should come in the first ten pages.

The time prior to that moment will feel dull and stalled if you spend too long. However, you can put the Inciting Incident as early as you want and get to know who the characters are and why their story matters whilst they’re already in action and pursuing their goals.

Your characters will stay motivated and in pursuit of their goals at all moments until the climax. Once the climax happens and the conflict is resolved, your story is complete.

More From JJ Barnes:

I am an author, filmmaker, artist and youtuber, and I am the creator and editor of The Table Read.

You can find links to all my work and social media on my website: www.jjbarnes.co.uk

Buy my books: www.sirenstories.co.uk/books

Follow me on Twitter: @JudieannRose

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38 thought on “How To Start A Story”
  1. This was a really helpful article ~ thank you!

    I have started my first every novel/MS/WIP {so many tags}, and I am about 30K in and realise that my 1st chapter {which I’ve called a prologue} is completely wrong. It’s about the wrong person/people, it doesn’t do what a first chapters’ intended for (to create a promise to the reader…?) and whilst I have stumbled upon a few great resources in the past 48hrs, the learning curve is STEEP with this creative outlet! Thank you for making it concise, precise and understandable. I am *actually* looking forward to rewriting this from the beginning (I will keep pushing on; as they say: the 1st draft has one job ~ to exist!), once I have a skeletal outline/1st draft…. “zero draft?” done.

    Thanks. I will definitely be looking for more of your inspiring content.

    1. That’s so good that you’re feeling happy about getting into it!!! I’m SO glad I’ve been able to help 🙂

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    Spine density, a measure of excitatory potential, remained elevated in hippocampus four weeks after pubertal
    AAS withdrawal in rats (Cunningham et al., 2007), consistent with the time interval that long-term aggressive
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    2004). Further, lengthy lasting modifications to the glutamate system within the hypothalamus, BNST, and amygdala were discovered following three-week
    cessation from pubertal AAS (Carrillo et al., 2011).
    These long lasting results of pubertal AAS on mind structure and performance suggest that AAS abuse by human adolescents may completely alter the conventional trajectory of
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    with familial hyperandrogenism display increased hippocampal exercise (Mueller et al.,
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    Our findings suggest that essentially the most incessantly experienced AAS dependence signs differ between men and women who use AAS.

    However, the proclivity in the direction of aggression was not
    restricted to the unconditioned stimulus qualities of the tail pinch, per se.

    When the opponent male was tail pinched the AAS treated male still reacted by attacking the opponent, although there was no
    physical consequence of the tail pinch. In short, the exposure to physical provocation, experiential or noticed, seems to induce a state of heightened readiness to answer a potentially threatening stimulus (ie.
    vigilance). The ability of AAS-treated adolescent males
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    AAS and management animals both show sexual habits towards sexually receptive female
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    Others, such as nandrolone (Anadur), haven’t any therapeutic use, but athletes use them.
    In the Uk, AAS are classified as class C medication, which places them in the identical class as benzodiazepines.

    AAS dependence was measured using the Structured Medical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Disorders (SCID-II) for
    substance dependence, with variations for AAS by experts
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    reliability and validity [29]. Lifetime AAS dependence was evaluated based on seven symptoms, that
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    from 1–3 (absent, subthreshold, present). Participants have been thought-about
    dependent if they offered with three or extra signs.
    In subsequent analyses, the entire variety of AAS dependence symptoms have been summed to approximate severity of dependence.
    Some members practiced bloodletting (i.e., drawing and disposing of venous blood)
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    At excessive doses, some results are clear; others are equivocal (see
    tableAdverse Results of Exogenous Anabolic Androgenic Steroids).
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    Medicinal remedy of steroid abuse, particularly if that
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    the particular person is using anabolic steroids.

    References:

    PedsElite

  3. Over‑the‑counter merchandise such as legal SARMs (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators) are still murky legally, so
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    under the Managed Substances Act 1984 (SA).
    Dr Piatkowski said both medication could produce extra
    masculine characteristics, whereas stanozolol was more of a
    liver toxin. Mr Cooke mentioned he relied closely on info from online boards and word-of-mouth when he was utilizing unlawful PEDs.
    Focus on a balanced food plan, constant training,
    and contemplate natural dietary supplements to help your health journey.
    It’s difficult to find respectable sources, as the underground market is rife with counterfeit products.
    Introducing synthetic hormones during this time can disrupt normal brain maturation, affecting
    areas liable for decision-making, impulse control, and emotional regulation .
    A 2019 examine by the National Drug and Alcohol Analysis Centre (NDARC) discovered that 1.4% of Australians aged
    14 and over had used steroids in the past yr.

    For individuals seeking to make use of steroids for reliable medical functions, obtaining a prescription from a healthcare professional
    is the most secure and most legal choice. To find a reputable steroids provider in Melbourne, you will want to contact a well
    being care provider or specialist who can prescribe steroids for medical reasons.
    Anavar has gained a strong reputation within the fitness industry for its effectiveness
    throughout chopping cycles and its capability to take care of muscle mass whereas decreasing fats.
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    When used for efficiency, anabolic steroids are classed as efficiency and image-enhancing medicine.
    Firstly, it’s essential to grasp what steroids are and why they’re used.
    Steroids are synthetic hormones which are used to build muscle, enhance energy,
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    anybody contemplating their use. As we’ve seen, the price of steroids in Australia can differ
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    Nonetheless, there have been reports of individuals being able
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    Folks buy anabolic steroids in Australia as they may help even inexperienced athletes to get maximum profit from
    their utilization. Anabolic steroids, also identified as anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), are synthetic substances designed to imitate the results of testosterone.

    For instance, in NSW, possession can result in as a lot as 2 years imprisonment or fines, while trafficking can carry penalties exceeding
    $200,000 and even life sentences depending on scale. It is important to make use of Anavar responsibly and contemplate regular well being check-ups to monitor any potential side
    effects. In this article, we will evaluate Anavar with other generally used steroids, analyzing
    their advantages, unwanted facet effects, and total effectiveness.
    Acting Commander Operations West Shaun Senior stated the ABF
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    Underneath this act, substances which would possibly be classified as managed substances are illegal to fabricate,
    possess, or distribute without a license from the us Anavar has additionally been proven to be efficient for treating a variety of medical situations together with
    anemia, HIV/AIDS, cachexia, and muscle loss.

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    Anavar, also recognized by its chemical name Oxandrolone, is
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    Inspecting the consequences of anabolic steroids earlier than and
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    compares the key elements, including bodily attributes,
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    The history of anabolic steroids in Australia could be traced
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    Anabolic steroids, also referred to as anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), are artificial
    variations of the hormone testosterone. Testosterone is of course produced within the physique and plays an important
    position in selling muscle growth, bone density, and the development of secondary sexual characteristics in males.

    References:

    PedsElite

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