This is not how I imagined starting the video.
I've re-written this opener somewhere in the ballpark of fifteen million times, and, ultimately,
what you're getting here is... a white flag.
And you know what?
That's okay.
Because the honest truth is that opening lines are really hard to write.
Among the hardest things you'll ever write, probably.
They are loaded.
They can make or break a story.
They're responsible for encapsulating and representing the whole thing, carrying the
full emotional force of the piece.
...right?
Well, the good news is that it might not actually be quite that intense.
We might just be programmed to expect it.
The more you think about this, the less terrifying it becomes.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Let's start... at the beginning.
A special thanks to Campfire writing software for making this video possible!
And now, with campfire blaze, you can get your entire world-building arsenal right here,
online!
More on that... later.
Welcome back to Tale Tips, where I use my vast robot intellect to answer the questions
you have about writing, storytelling, and fiction!...
Provided I can find a good way to start.
This month's question comes from our lovely patron Unnatural Green of Copper, who says:
"I'm having a lot of trouble with writing first lines.
Most of it stems from the conflicting advice of 'having a strong introduction' and 'just
write something'.
Do you have any advice for overcoming this block I've built?"
Well Green, you're in luck, because, as it happens, I do!
I've thought about this a lot and I'm really excited for the opportunity to share what
I've come up with.
Thanks for the wonderful question, and for the support!
Before we get into it, I want you to know that you are not alone.
Plenty of writers get stuck on the opening line.
I shudder to imagine how many amazing stories were never written for this very reason.
But as with most creative blocks, you probably aren't going to surmount this one with sheer
force of will.
When it comes to blocks, it's really important to understand the obstruction; the source
of the problem.
Once you deal with that, you'll most likely find yourself back in the flow of things.
For this particular block, there are three main culprits I can think of.
First, and probably the most wide-spread: you may not actually be as familiar with your
idea as you think.
It sounds a little counter-intuitive, but sometimes you need to create something before
you understand it.
It is exceedingly rare for an artist of any kind to conceive a work in completion, no
matter how hard they try.
Translating creative thought to reality is not an exact science, so the artist is bound
to encounter features of the product during the process that they had never intended or
expected, which in turn changes their initial concept.
By trying to define the thing in the first creative motion-if they even manage to do
so-the artist is making some major presumptions about what it will look like by the end.
It's a bit like trying to give a eulogy for somebody you just met.
You want to represent them well, but... all you really have are impressions.
It's not enough to do them justice.
Give your story the same courtesy.
Get to know it.
Write.
Let it be bad, let it be ineffective-that's what rough drafts are for.
Then, when you know your story a little better, go back and give it a proper introduction.
You might be surprised how often the first few words actually show up for the first time
somewhere in the middle of the story.
Of course, if you've already done this and you're still digging frantically for that
perfect opening line, writing and re-writing it ad-nauseum...
You may just be overestimating the importance of the opening line.
Which is the second possible source of block I've found here, and also very common.
Yes, being the first thing the audience experiences gives it some power.
It's a great place to make an impact or an impression... but your first line isn't a
sales pitch.
Chances are, if the audience is reading the first line, most of the work of convincing
them to try the story out was already done by its packaging-the title, cover, blurb-or
by its reputation.
Take Neil Gaiman's American Gods, for example.
A book about modern deities doing battle with old, worn-out, nigh-forgotten ones, rich with
social commentary and symbolism... and the opening line is "Shadow had done three years
in prison."
Doesn't give you much, but it does give you a reason to read the next line.
And like most lines in your story, sometimes that's all you need.
In fact, forcing it because you think you have to may actually just make you look pretentious
or flamboyant, which could actually have the opposite effect, driving your potential audience
away.
The most important thing is that they read the next line.
Get them to do that, and then do it again, and again, until they hit the last line...
which is where you can finally stop.
How... do you get them to read the next line, though?
Well, that question actually takes us to our third and final reason for first-line block:
you might just not know how to make it compelling.
And that... is a big topic.
We'll probably have to save most of it for another video.
But the short answer is that if you want someone to read the next line, you probably have to
make them curious about it.
Get them to ask a question, and they'll read on to find the answer.
Some easy ways to do this: Use narrative-active language, where things
are happening.
The audience will wonder "what's happening?" or "what will happen next?"
Stephen King does this at the beginning of his book The Stand, which opens with almost
nothing but dialogue as a man wakes his wife up during a disaster.
You can also use argumentation-logical threads, explicit questions, and reasoning-to make
the audience ask "where is this going?" or "what are they getting at?"
They'll stick around to see the conclusion as all the lines of rationale tie together.
My favorite example of this is, by far, is the beginning of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice:
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune,
must be in want of a wife."
You can use description to compel your audience, although it's a little harder to generate
questions that way.
As immersive as sensory details can be, they can also just make an interesting portrait
without posing any implicit or explicit question at all.
But entice the audience with the promise of an interesting experience, and they'll chase
that immersion, wondering "what is it going to be like to see things happening in this
setting?" or "what is the rest of this world look like?"
William Gibson does this with the famous opening line of his book Neuromancer: "The sky above
the port was the color of television tuned to a dead channel."
Surprisingly, yes, you can even use exposition this way... in rare cases.
Often, information is just information.
The audience will accept it without a question and move on.
But if the information you share should logically lead somewhere and it doesn't, or if there
are implicit questions... then you might just have the audience.
The book Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones does this beautifully with the opening
line: "In land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility
really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three."
This isn't an argument about the true nature of the world, this is exposition about the
nature of this fictional world-and it makes us wonder where the story is going.
Why is it unfortunate to be the eldest of three in such a world?
So there you have it, Green.
Get deeply familiar with your story by writing it, understand that the appeal of your product
doesn't weigh entirely on your first line, put a lot of energy into learning how to make
a compelling sentence... and this should be no problem.
Hopefully you'll come away from this video just a touch more confident...
But if not, there is a way to get even closer to your story.
Something that'll help you visualize and coordinate it in a way you may have never thought possible.
I'm talking, of course, about Campfire Blaze.
Campfire Blaze is a browser-based suite of tools to help you keep your writing organized.
Collaborate with friends in real-time or work by yourself to flesh out every facet of your
story.
Develop your manuscript in Blaze's word processor, create characters, design your plot, and worldbuild
without restrictions.
When you're done, share your story with your friends and fans easily.
Expand Blaze's free version by purchasing the tools you need, and then keep those tools
forever.
Alternatively, build your own subscription so you're only paying for the features you
need.
Add features for as little as fifty cents, or unlock everything for a few dollars per
month.
And if you're on the fence, no risk-there's a 30-day return policy.
It is an incredible answer for any writer frustrated with how difficult it is to keep
track of everything they've come up with.
Upgrade to Campfire Blaze, and find a place where you can visually organize the most complex
things you can dream up.
Follow the link in the description to learn more.
Write better stories faster with Campfire Blaze.
And finally, before we wrap up, I'd like to give a quick thanks to all the helpful humans
who support the show on Patreon.
All those words you see scrolling in the background of these videos?
Those are actually the names of our Patreon maintenance crew, without whom this show would
be impossible.
And a special word to all of our top patrons: Excelsius, Lord_Gatte, RPGgrenade, Puzzling
Shutterbug, and TheAutumnWriter - thank you so much!
We release a new Tale Tips video every month, so be sure to subscribe to the channel, like
this video, and leave a question of your own in the comments below!
Who knows?
Maybe I'll even end up answering it!
Until then, thanks for watching, and keep making stuff up!
I'll see you...
next time!
Bye!