How To Write A Book...Step 2: Once Upon A Time

I often argue with myself over the answer to this question: which is more important, the beginning of a book, or the end?

Actually, I think there are things to be said for both. Let's concentrate on the importance of the beginning.

The first chapters of your book will act like bait: luring in a reader and convincing him to keep on reading. You'll want to be strengthening your characters right from the very start as well.

But how do you begin a book? Here are just some of the ways:

1. Drop the reader right into intense action, making him wonder what's going on.


2. Describe the opening scene, giving detail about surroundings and making the reader see a strong picture in his head.


3. Traditional "Once upon a time..."


4. Give background history, especially if your book is about something deep-running, like a war. How did the tyrant king steal the throne? What caused the rising tensions in a war-embroiled country?

Whatever you do, don't sweat on the beginning...yet. No writer has a perfect finished product after the first draft. And that's what you're writing--a first draft. If you can't find the absolute perfect beginning, then just find one that will work and plunge into the story. Later, you can brainstorm a better one.

For the first draft, you will want to be referring back to your outline (if you made one, which I would encourage you to do) many times. First drafts are only the bare bones of a book, getting the idea down into a slightly more fluid form than a point-by-point outline.

This is what the introduction of a story might look like. Remember that for the example I'm using 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' by Brothers Grimm.

The outlined version of today's example:

A: Introduction
1. Snow White was a prince's daughter growing up in a castle.
2. Her jealous stepmother wants to kill Snow White.
3. The huntsman ordered to kill Snow White doesn't do his job, and she wanders in the forest.
4. She finds the house of the Seven Dwarfs, and they agree to hide her from her stepmother.


And the actual introduction to the story:

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Once upon a time in a great castle, a Prince's daughter grew up happy and contented, in spite of a jealous stepmother. She was very pretty, with blue eyes and long black hair. Her skin was delicate and fair, and so she was called Snow White. Everyone was quite sure she would become very beautiful. Though her stepmother was a wicked woman, she too was very beautiful, and the magic mirror told her this every day, whenever she asked it.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the loveliest lady in the land?" The reply was always; "You are, your Majesty," until the dreadful day when she heard it say, "Snow White is the loveliest in the land." The stepmother was furious and, wild with jealousy, began plotting to get rid of her rival. Calling one of her trusty servants, she bribed him with a rich reward to take Snow White into the forest, far away from the Castle. Then, unseen, he was to put her to death. The greedy servant, attracted to the reward, agreed to do this deed, and he led the innocent little girl away. However, when they came to the fatal spot, the man's courage failed him and, leaving Snow White sitting beside a tree, he mumbled an excuse and ran off. Snow White was all alone in the forest.

Night came, but the servant did not return. Snow White, alone in the dark forest, began to cry bitterly. She thought she could feel terrible eyes spying on her, and she heard strange sounds and rustlings that made her heart thump. At last, overcome by tiredness, she fell asleep curled under a tree.

Snow White slept fitfully, wakening from time to time with a start and staring into the darkness round her. Several times, she thought she felt something, or somebody touch her as she slept.

At last, dawn woke the forest to the song of the birds, and Snow White too, awoke. A whole world was stirring to life and the little girl was glad to see how silly her fears had been. However, the thick trees were like a wall round her, and as she tried to find out where she was, she came upon a path. She walked along it, hopefully. On she walked till she came to a clearing. There stood a strange cottage, with a tiny door, tiny windows and a tiny chimney pot. Everything about the cottage was much tinier than it ought to be. Snow White pushed the door open.

"l wonder who lives here?" she said to herself, peeping round the kitchen. "What tiny plates! And spoons! There must be seven of them, the table's laid for seven people." Upstairs was a bedroom with seven neat little beds. Going back to the kitchen, Snow White had an idea.

"I'll make them something to eat. When they come home, they'll be glad to find a meal ready." Towards dusk, seven tiny men marched homewards singing. But when they opened the door, to their surprise they found a bowl of hot steaming soup on the table, and the whole house spick and span. Upstairs was Snow White, fast asleep on one of the beds. The chief dwarf prodded her gently.

"Who are you?" he asked. Snow White told them her sad story, and tears sprang to the dwarfs' eyes. Then one of them said, as he noisily blew his nose:

"Stay here with us!"

"Hooray! Hooray!" they cheered, dancing joyfully round the little girl. The dwarfs said to Snow White:

"You can live here and tend to the house while we're down the mine. Don't worry about your stepmother leaving you in the forest. We love you and we'll take care of you!" Snow White gratefully accepted their hospitality, and next morning the dwarfs set off for work. But they warned Snow White not to open the door to strangers.
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I hope that was a helpful example on what your story introduction should look like. Remember the key to an introduction: set up the story.

Stay tuned for How To Write A Book...Step 3.

Yours without wax,

Izori