Ways to Begin a Book

By: Book Diva Lauren, Articles Editor
Email feedback to lauren@bookdivas.com

Begin with a Quote

I always enjoy books that begin with quotes. You read the quote and it means something to you. the mystery develops in what that quote means to the author. Often times, when reading, I'll refer back to the beginning quote to see if its relevant to what has happened up to that point in the novel. A quote is a good way to set the stage for a story. You can spiral off of the words of the quote itself, or perhaps talk about the author of the quote or where the quote itself came from. Anything such as these can be seg-ways to your story.

Begins with a Crisis

A sure-fire way to draw in a crowd! Enrapture their thoughts with a crisis. There are so many questions to be answered when a book begins with a crisis. How did the situation end up like this? Why are the characters in the middle of this dilemma? Following the crisis, the author will have to, undoubtedly, retrace the steps of the characters to explain what led to this point, and of course, make a case of what happens to them afterwards. This method may be difficult because you are beginning with the pinnacle of the story and working your way down. Jodi Picoult's "The Pact" begins with a crisis, alright. The story launches with a hug between the two main characters, then a kiss, and finally, a gun shot being fired. Talk about intense! The author will have to write in both the past and present tense, and maybe even the future. It may seem that after 'the crisis' everything should go back to normal and everyone live happily ever after. This can't be so when the crisis is at the beginning.

Begin in the Middle

Many books start this way. At first, you may not notice it but any book that has a progressive story line (don't they all?) and utilizes flashbacks has started the story somewhere in the middle. Leah Stewart's "The Myth of You and Me" is an example of this. The story begins with Candace in her mid-twenties. The book covers her childhood from about 14 up to her age in the beginning of the book, and then progresses forward about 2 months from when the book begins. Okay, this may not be the exact 'middle' per-say, but its neither the beginning nor the end.

Begin with a Description

Then again, there are a fair share of books that start with descriptions instead of actions. Here, you are setting the complete stage to give the read a 100% visual picture of what is going on in the times. It becomes not to much about the characters but about their surroundings, their world. This is what influences them. The author starts on the outer skirts, describing everything, and slowly works inward. It may not be until the third chapter until you have met the main character, if there even is a main character.

Begins where it Ends

Oh, the tantalizing begins at the end trick. This is always a good one, similar to the "begins with a crisis," although here it is likely the overhead voice of the story will be speaking in the past. Individual scenes can be written in the present - as they are recounted as if they were happening just then. The overall story it is often done in recollection of events that happened. When stories end where they begin, sometimes you forget that you know what happens to them. You are able to get to know them over a course of time and then, just when you think you have it figure out, you realize you knew the ending all along. -

Begin... in the Beginning!

That's why they call it the beginning! This method almost combines all of the other 4.The author must include some description to set the stage, raise awareness of a crisis to capture attention, and make it evident the book will come full circle to a complete end. Quotes can, of course, be used for inspiration anywhere throughout a book. Deciding the time frame will establish if you, as the author, are just moving forward, looking back, or doing both. Maybe the main character is sitting there thinking of all the things she has done and dreaming of all the things she will do - so the only thing that acutally happens in real time is her sitting there, thinking!