AcolyteI've been working on revising my novel, and part of that has been making my plot stronger. Doing this led me to decide to choose a different moment to open the novel. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to choose the right moment? I'd be happy to share more about the series, world, and plot if needed. But, my main character is a newly crowned ruler of a country which she had to free from the previous ruler. During that her mom (the rightful empress was killed). One of the ides is to have her mom's funeral or show her speaking to god at her mom's grave. Another few ideas are the day of her coronation, starting with her having left the castle to get a moment of freedom and lament over the changes of life, and then lead to the changes.
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Choosing the right opening moment
- Thread starter Law Wren
- Start date
pmmg
Myth Weaver
Yes....begin the story at the moment everything changes.
Sounds like its the prior Queen's death. So I would start there.
Sounds like its the prior Queen's death. So I would start there.
Prince of Spires
Istar
It's hard to give a definitive answer, because this is more art than science. It's also a personal preference thing probably. Best thing you can do is give the story to a few readers and ask them. Do they follow what is happening? Is the beginning slow and winding? Or is it to rushed?
Most stories start either just before everything changes or when everything changes. The moment you're looking for needs to be interesting enough to keep the reader reading, and ideally it should tie into the rest of the story. It should show us how the character needs to change or somehow have the end refer back to the beginning.
Lord of the Rings does both. It starts with Bilbo giving the ring to Frodo (everything changes). Then the first few chapters show how helpless the hobbits are in the real world. Then at the end, when the hobbits return, we see how much they've grown, when the retake the Shire all by themselves without outside help.
Most stories start either just before everything changes or when everything changes. The moment you're looking for needs to be interesting enough to keep the reader reading, and ideally it should tie into the rest of the story. It should show us how the character needs to change or somehow have the end refer back to the beginning.
Lord of the Rings does both. It starts with Bilbo giving the ring to Frodo (everything changes). Then the first few chapters show how helpless the hobbits are in the real world. Then at the end, when the hobbits return, we see how much they've grown, when the retake the Shire all by themselves without outside help.
The Dark One
Auror
How fascinating.
I've never heard of this principle, but looking back over all my published works, that's exactly what I've done.
Goes to show you pick up a lot about storytelling just by reading because no-one ever taught me that. I must've been absorbing the idea since I started to read.
Prince of Spires
Istar
Definitely. It's also an obvious one, once you start to think about it. Anything before that moment plays no role in the story. That's just life as usual, and life is boring. And because it's the moment things change, it's also important to the story, so you can't skip it because then the reader will have missed information.
The Dark One
Auror
Yes... every one of my first chapters starts with the status quo but everything has changed by the end of that chapter.
I've had six books published and yet I'm still learning. Excellent.
I've had six books published and yet I'm still learning. Excellent.
It's impossible to say with any certainty without knowing a lot more information about what you're doing with the plot. But my gut is saying, end chapter 1 with the character walking into the funeral, and begin chapter two with a brief page or two describing the funeral, leading into a scene that happens at, like, the "family brunch" that happens afterwards.
There's a few reasons for that. The first is that mourning is a tough sell, but especially for a character we the readers didn't get to know. It's all emotion, of the most unpleasant kind, which readers won't be feeling, and won't want to be feeling. So don't ask them too.
But, the funeral can still be a great turning point for the character. She's been the ruler now, or at least the acting ruler, for just a few days. We can see the ending of her baseline state in chapter 1, even if she's only living it for a short time, while she's grappling with the responsibility as ruler. The chapter begin with the character in a bit of emotional denial - "I don't need to know what I'm doing, I'll lean on my advisors, I'm still grieving, I'm still young, everything's fine" - as she faces a series of realizations that she's responsible, that her advisors don't always agree with each other, that it has to be her judgement, and then as she goes into the funeral, that nobody else is here to make the call for her anymore.
Of course, that's only based on the sliver of info you've listed.
There's a few reasons for that. The first is that mourning is a tough sell, but especially for a character we the readers didn't get to know. It's all emotion, of the most unpleasant kind, which readers won't be feeling, and won't want to be feeling. So don't ask them too.
But, the funeral can still be a great turning point for the character. She's been the ruler now, or at least the acting ruler, for just a few days. We can see the ending of her baseline state in chapter 1, even if she's only living it for a short time, while she's grappling with the responsibility as ruler. The chapter begin with the character in a bit of emotional denial - "I don't need to know what I'm doing, I'll lean on my advisors, I'm still grieving, I'm still young, everything's fine" - as she faces a series of realizations that she's responsible, that her advisors don't always agree with each other, that it has to be her judgement, and then as she goes into the funeral, that nobody else is here to make the call for her anymore.
Of course, that's only based on the sliver of info you've listed.
Dylan
Troubadour
Choosing the right opening moment is such a crucial decision. It sets the tone and hooks your readers right away. From what you’ve shared, starting with your MC at her mom’s grave could be incredibly powerful, it immediately dives into her emotional state and the weight of her new role. Alternatively, the coronation day idea, with her sneaking out for a moment of freedom, could also work well to show her internal conflict and the pressure she’s under.
Think about what vibe you want to set: do you want to hit readers with raw emotion right off the bat, or build up to it with a mix of tension and introspection? Either way, make sure the opening moment reflects the core themes of your story and gives readers a reason to care about your MC.
The Dark One
Auror
Put yourself in King Charles' shoes.
At the time his mum died he would have been sad, but a part of him must have been thinking: "At bloody last!"
At the time his mum died he would have been sad, but a part of him must have been thinking: "At bloody last!"
I'm curious, where does the novel start now, as currently written? What about that beginning led you to think it was the wrong place?
Of all my completed works (eight, counting the short stories), I can think of only one where the finished product opens where I had it in the first draft. Were the revisions in the "right" place? *shrug* I reckon that's up to the reader to decide.
I'm not sure what to make of the "everything changes" advice. Taken literally, it's nonsense. In no case does *everything* change. The question then becomes, which things change sufficiently (remember, change itself comes in degrees) to merit the opening of the story? Even then, it could be more effective to start the story later, in media res as the phrase goes, and the reader only later learns why the world is as it is, why the main character is behaving this way.
With my own works, I can tell you I've changed openings anywhere from a few to many times. Somehow, and I regretfully cannot say how, I get to a point in the revision process where the opening feels settled. It may still need revision and polish, but no other point will serve as an opening; at least, not without utterly rewriting the whole story. But *this* story needs *this* opening. And for me, I don't reach that milepost until I've written much of the novel. That's how I know this opening fits this story.
Of all my completed works (eight, counting the short stories), I can think of only one where the finished product opens where I had it in the first draft. Were the revisions in the "right" place? *shrug* I reckon that's up to the reader to decide.
I'm not sure what to make of the "everything changes" advice. Taken literally, it's nonsense. In no case does *everything* change. The question then becomes, which things change sufficiently (remember, change itself comes in degrees) to merit the opening of the story? Even then, it could be more effective to start the story later, in media res as the phrase goes, and the reader only later learns why the world is as it is, why the main character is behaving this way.
With my own works, I can tell you I've changed openings anywhere from a few to many times. Somehow, and I regretfully cannot say how, I get to a point in the revision process where the opening feels settled. It may still need revision and polish, but no other point will serve as an opening; at least, not without utterly rewriting the whole story. But *this* story needs *this* opening. And for me, I don't reach that milepost until I've written much of the novel. That's how I know this opening fits this story.
Prince of Spires
Istar
I can definitely imagine him thinking this. People are complex after all.
It very much depends on the circumstances of the death. Someone living to be something like 250 (as was the case with the Queen) and dying after a sickbed of a few days is very different from someone in their 30's dropping dead suddenly.
Another thing I've noticed in the few funerals I've attended is that they're very different for next of kin and those further removed. The next of kin has been grieving for a few days, and the funeral is usually the closure of the whole thing. And when it for an elderly person, often most of the grieving has already been done. While for those further removed, the funeral is the main place where people grieve and it's the hight of the grieving.
dollyt8
Sage
I usually start one chapter before the main conflict, though I know other people prefer to start right with the main conflict. In my mind, this gives me time to flesh out the world and characters before throwing them into a bad situation. In my latest book, I actually started two chapters before, but I had a lot of foreshadowing in those two chapters to lead directly to the conflict. And in a book I wrote a while back, I started with the main conflict but then went back; basically a "how did we get here" kind of thing. I think those can potentially work, but best practice is generally considered to start on or very close to the main inciting incident that sets the protag on the main quest.
Rexenm
Maester
Maybe have secret identity, even ones where they are double agents, playing as themselves. You could have the same staff, and court - even though a fairly similar kingdom reigns under the new figurehead - but a magnanimous rule.
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