How to Start a Story: 12 Unique Approaches to Captivate Readers

Learn how to start a story using 12 unique methods, with examples and actionable steps to craft an opening that hooks readers from the first line.

By Julie Tyler Ruiz

CONTENTS:

• The beginning of a story: an overview
• How to start a story: 12 methods + examples
• How to write the beginning of a story: 3 steps

The beginning of a story: an overview

The beginning of your story is your first—and perhaps only—chance to hook readers. A strong opening doesn’t just grab attention; it sets the tone, introduces the character’s predicament, and reveals the central conflict. These elements are non-negotiable, but how you present them is where creativity shines.

Whether you’re writing an epic fantasy, a cozy mystery, or a contemporary romance, the way you open your story should align with your themes, genre, and the emotional experience you want to create for readers. From diving straight into the action to opening with a subtle, symbolic detail, you have many options for hooking readers from the first line.

In this article, we’ll explore twelve approaches to starting a story. You’ll see examples of how these methods have been used successfully in well-loved books and discover a simple process for drafting an opening that draws readers into your world and keeps them there.

Let’s dive in and find the perfect way to open your story.

How to start a story: 12 methods + examples 

1. Dive into the inciting incident.

How it works: Starting with the inciting incident plunges readers directly into the moment when everything changes for the protagonist. This approach creates immediate tension and raises questions that keep readers turning the page. This approach can work for any genre, but you might find it especially useful in fast-paced, action-driven stories like thrillers or suspense.

Writing prompt: What is the exact moment when your protagonist’s normal life is disrupted? How can you heighten the stakes to make this moment impossible to ignore?

Example to play with: A man wakes up in a hotel room he doesn’t recognize, with blood on his hands and no memory of how he got there.

Published example: The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka begins with Gregor Samsa waking up to discover he has transformed into a giant insect. This shocking and surreal moment happens in the very first sentence, immediately upending his life and driving the story’s conflict from the start.

2. Describe the protagonist's predicament. 

How it works: Opening with a vivid scene that shows the protagonist in their daily struggle establishes sympathy and introduces their central dilemma. This method works well for character-driven stories where readers need to connect with the protagonist right away.

Writing prompt: What is the most defining aspect of your character’s life at the story’s start, before the real action begins? How can you dramatize this struggle in a single, compelling snapshot?

Example to play with: A single mother juggles a screaming toddler while trying to charm a potential client on a Zoom call.

Published Example: The opening of Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple reveals Bernadette’s chaotic life, filled with quirky challenges and her complicated relationships with family and neighbors.

3. Reveal unique or startling facts about the character.  

How It Works: Revealing something intriguing about the character in the opening line or paragraph gives readers a clear sense of who they are. It's best if the unique or startling facts help to set up the story’s central tension. This approach works particularly well for character-driven stories focused heavily on the protagonist's transformation. 

Writing prompt: What is the most interesting or contradictory thing about your protagonist? How can you convey this while hinting at the central conflict?

Example to play with: Harrison wasn’t a coward, but he wasn’t brave either. And tonight, courage might cost him everything.

Published example: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell begins, "Scarlet O'Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were," revealing a defining feature of the protagonist's personality. 

4. Set up a mystery.

How it works: By introducing a puzzling or unexplained event, you immediately engage the reader’s curiosity. This method suits genres like mystery, suspense, or speculative fiction, where intrigue drives the narrative.

Writing prompt: What unresolved question or strange occurrence can you show right away to intrigue readers? How does it tie into the central plot?

Example to play with: Every night, Clara hears the sound of footsteps circling her house, but there’s never anyone there.

Published example: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier begins, "Last night I dreamed I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive, and for a while I could not enter, for the way was barred to me.” This opening raises questions about the narrator’s past and the mysterious events at Manderley.

5. Start at the end. 

How it works: Opening with the end of the story creates immediate intrigue and suspense by presenting a climactic moment or revelation before the narrative reveals how it came to be. This method plays with the reader’s curiosity, prompting them to wonder what led up to the event. It's especially effective for stories with twists, suspense, or mystery, as it builds tension by showing the aftermath first.

Writing prompt: How does the story end? What's the most significant or shocking aspect of this ending? How can you hint at or fully reveal that event early on, then take the reader back to unravel the events leading to it? Consider how this reversal can add suspense and deepen the story’s mystery.

Example to play with: The crowd was screaming. Jack stood frozen in the middle of the stage, the microphone clutched in his hand. He had just told the truth—every lie he’d told for the past decade was out in the open, and there was no turning back.

Published example: We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver starts after a school shooting committed by the narrator's son Kevin. The novel then takes us back through the shooter's childhood, as the narrator, his mother, reflects on red flags and indicators of her son's true nature. The opening draws us immediately into the themes of motherhood, guilt, and the nature of evil. 

5. Introduce a symbol, object, or place of importance. 

How it works: Beginning with a symbol or an object of importance is a powerful way to introduce the themes, conflict, or emotional atmosphere of your story. Objects can carry rich layers of meaning that resonate with the story's larger message. This approach works well for stories with deep thematic exploration or when the object or symbol plays a pivotal role in the plot. By introducing it early, you immediately anchor readers in the story’s emotional tone and give them a tangible connection to the events that will unfold.

Writing prompt: What object, symbol, or place is central to your story? What does it represent for your protagonist or for the larger themes of the story? How can you introduce this object or symbol in a way that both intrigues the reader and hints at the deeper conflict or meaning behind it?

Example to play with: The old, cracked pocket watch lay on the kitchen counter, its ticking deafening in the silence. Sarah had never been able to get rid of it, even after all these years. She could still remember the day her father had given it to her, the day everything had changed.

Published example: Beloved by Toni Morrison begins with a vivid description of 124, a house that is haunted by the ghost of a dead child. The house’s haunting is symbolic of the trauma and unresolved grief experienced by the characters. By introducing the house as a central symbol right from the start, Morrison sets the stage for the exploration of memory, loss, and the ghosts of the past that the characters must confront.

7. Establish an unusual setting. 

How it works: Opening with a vivid and unique setting immediately immerses readers in the world of your story, giving them a sense of place that grounds the narrative. An unusual setting can also establish tone, genre, and themes while sparking curiosity about the characters and conflicts that inhabit this world. This approach is especially effective in speculative fiction or stories where the setting is as much a character as the people within it.

Writing prompt: What is the most striking or unusual aspect of your story's setting? How can you describe it in a way that conveys its uniqueness while hinting at the story’s tone or central conflict? Think about sensory details—what would readers see, hear, or feel if they were there?

Example to play with: The river was red. Not with the muddy hues of clay but the bright, glistening scarlet of blood. Yet no one in the village seemed to notice as they fetched water, washed clothes, or cooled their feet in the crimson current.

Published example: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien introduces the reader to a quaint, whimsical setting—the hobbit-hole of Bilbo Baggins: "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." This opening is simple yet vivid, sparking curiosity about hobbits and their world while grounding the reader in a cozy, fantastical environment.

8. Use a conversational hook.

How it works: A conversational hook immediately draws readers in by creating the feeling of a personal exchange between the narrator and the audience. It establishes a strong, engaging narrative voice while hinting at the story’s tone, central conflict, or character perspective. This approach is particularly effective for first-person narratives or stories with a narrator who has a compelling or unique worldview.

Writing prompt: Imagine your narrator sitting across from the reader. What would they say to captivate attention right away? How can their words reveal personality, hint at stakes, or set the tone for the story to come?

Example to play with: You’re not going to believe me, but this all started because of a stolen lunchbox.

Published example: The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger begins, "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth." With this opening, the narrator reveals his casual manner of speaking and reluctance to explore details of his life with the implied listener, getting readers to wonder what "it" is that the narrator doesn't want to "go into."

9. Use a strong narrative style to establish voice and mood.

How it works: Starting with a distinctive voice or tone sets the mood for the story and gives readers an immediate sense of the narrator or the world. This approach works well for stories where the narrative style plays a key role in immersing the audience. Whether the tone is humorous, melancholic, biting, or whimsical, a strong narrative style can turn even a mundane situation into an unforgettable opening.

Writing prompt: What mood or tone do you want your story to convey? How does your narrator’s voice reflect the world they inhabit or their personal perspective? Write a few sentences in the narrator's voice that highlight their personality or attitude while introducing the setting or conflict.

Example to play with: The town had three things going for it: a coffee shop that stayed open until midnight, a library with a secret staircase, and exactly one resident who didn’t think I was crazy. And even he was on the fence.

Published example: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams begins, "Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun.” This quirky opening sets the tone for the absurdity to come.

10. Describe an inevitable doom.

How it works: Opening with a foreshadowing of inevitable doom creates instant tension and intrigue. Readers are pulled into the story with the promise of a devastating outcome, and the narrative becomes a journey to understand how events unfold to reach that moment. This technique works well in stories where the stakes are high and the ending feels unavoidable. You can also use this technique to dramatize tragedies in history, such as the September 11 attacks or a deadly hurricane. 

Writing prompt: What is the most catastrophic or significant event in your story? How can you hint at it in a way that makes readers eager to learn the details? Consider focusing on a single image, a key phrase, or an ominous tone.

Example to play with: They say the town was cursed, and by the time the first snow fell, everyone believed it.

Published example: Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez begins, "On the day they were going to kill him, Santiago Nasar got up at five-thirty in the morning." The story opens with the foreknowledge of the protagonist’s murder, setting the stage for a narrative exploring how and why it happens.

11. Begin with the antagonist.

How it works: Starting the story from the antagonist's perspective or focusing on the antagonist's actions right at the beginning allows readers to immediately understand the central conflict. This approach establishes the tone and stakes, giving readers a clear sense of who or what will oppose the protagonist. It’s particularly effective in stories driven by a powerful, menacing force—whether a person, creature, or abstract force—because it sets the stage for a battle between good and evil, or forces the protagonist to confront something they cannot ignore.

Writing prompt: What is your antagonist's most defining trait or action? How can you show that in a compelling way that immediately positions them as a central threat to your protagonist? Consider showing the antagonist in their most active form—whether in conflict, pursuing their goals, or enacting their villainous plans.

Example to play with: The shadow waited at the edge of the forest, knowing she would come. He had all the time in the world.

Published example: It by Stephen King begins, "The terror, which would not end for another twenty-eight years—if it ever did end—began, so far as I know or can tell, with a boat made from a sheet of newspaper floating down a gutter swollen with rain." The chapter continues with the terror, in the form of Pennywise the clown, killing a child at the opening of a sewer, establishing the central horror of the story: a malevolent entity preying on children. 

12. Open with an internal conflict

How it works: Opening with an internal conflict immediately immerses readers in the protagonist’s emotional or psychological struggle, revealing their desires, fears, doubts, or moral dilemmas. This approach is effective for stories about personal growth or transformation, as the conflict drives the plot. It sets the tone for the emotional stakes, establishing immediate tension and making the character relatable. Readers are drawn to see how the internal struggle unfolds and is resolved.

Writing prompt: What is the biggest emotional or psychological battle your protagonist is fighting when the story begins? Consider a moment when they’re caught between two conflicting desires, or when they're haunted by a past decision. How can you use their thoughts, feelings, or actions to show their inner turmoil? You don’t have to state the conflict outright—subtle hints can create even more intrigue.

Example to play with: Jacob couldn’t decide which hurt more: the idea of staying in a life he hated, or the thought of stepping into the unknown without a plan.

Published example: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald begins, "In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since." The first chapter continues with the narrator Nick Carraway's reflections about Jay Gatsby and "what preyed on Gatsby," enticing the reader to discover Gatsby for themselves and form their own opinion. 

How to write the beginning of a story: 3 steps

Step 1: Summarize your story’s arc

Start by writing a brief summary of your entire story. Outline your main character, their predicament, the journey they will undertake, and how the story ends. Reflect on how the character changes from the beginning to the end. This step will give you a clear picture of the story’s structure, key plot points, and overall tone. By understanding the full arc, you’ll be better equipped to choose an opening that aligns with the entire narrative and sets the reader up for what’s to come.

For more ideas on how to reflect on and summarize your entire story, see "How to Write a Novel" and "How to Outline a Novel."

Step 2: Choose the right story starter method

Consider which of the opening techniques—whether it's starting with a character description, an internal conflict, an object of importance, or an unusual setting—works best to introduce your story’s themes and central tension. Think about what will immediately engage the reader while foreshadowing the main conflict or emotional journey. What do you want the reader to experience right away? Should the beginning invite curiosity, set the mood, or introduce an important dilemma? This step ensures you select an opening that aligns with your plot’s tone and pacing.

Step 3: Try out a few openings

Experiment with writing a few different opening drafts based on your chosen method. Play with different approaches, from a striking character introduction to a tension-filled scene. Don’t worry about getting it perfect on the first try—this is your chance to explore how each approach feels. Once you have several options, choose the one that resonates most with the emotional tone and narrative direction you want to set for the story.

Story starter tips to keep in mind

• Consider writing the beginning after developing the story's volume: Get a sense of your characters, plot, and conflict before tackling the opening for a more grounded and authentic introduction.

• Seek feedback from others to get insights on how well it hooks readers. (Link to your article on giving and receiving feedback).

• Be prepared to revise and tweak. The opening often evolves as the rest of the story develops, so expect to adjust it throughout your writing process.

For guidance on writing your story's ending, read "How to End a Story: 10 Methods to Create a Lasting Impact."

Want more craft tips and storytelling inspiration?

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