09-11-2012, 08:49 AM
That's what beta readers are for, or at least SHOULD be for. I've found them invaluable, at least when they're willing to share where my story could be better (as opposed to stroking my ego). I usually think of other ways to polish a story as well once I think about what they've said.
As for beginnings, I've found that starting it with something happening that matters gets readers pulled in (a love relation, but there should at least be some doubt and going sour is even better, or a violent confrontation, or a disturbing scientific experiment that hints at its purpose or the designs certain patrons have on it rather than the experiment itself are all examples to get the reader to CARE or at least be intrigued rather than yawning and finding something else). Once the imagination is captured then start the REAL story (obviously the beginning needs to tie into the story, preferably sooner rather than later). A lot of TV dramas do this, btw, like showing a very dramatic or violent or even bizarre scene (and more to tease rather than being clear on what exactly is going on) with the characters of the show entering the story after the first commercial break and the clues begin (but there's no real resolution at that point, or if there is then the resolution quickly collapses as an unexpected twist bends the plot into another direction). We just watched the movie Van Helsing, it also started the same way with villagers breaking into the castle and all kinds of fighting & drama before the actual story began ("one year later").
Fanfiction gives an alternative: start the story as a typical episode, but keep it short. In a few paragraphs make it feel like a typical episode (with your own touches of course, that is pretending you're actually writing an episode to be aired before you take it in your own personal direction) and then connect it somehow to your story. For example, when I did a Kim Possible fanfic I could actually hear the TV show music as the scene took place but they were (as is normal in KP) interrupted by a regular character who got them to the next scene which was my actual story (with some brief foreshadowing so that my fic continued to feel connected to the characters as it unfolded).
As for beginnings, I've found that starting it with something happening that matters gets readers pulled in (a love relation, but there should at least be some doubt and going sour is even better, or a violent confrontation, or a disturbing scientific experiment that hints at its purpose or the designs certain patrons have on it rather than the experiment itself are all examples to get the reader to CARE or at least be intrigued rather than yawning and finding something else). Once the imagination is captured then start the REAL story (obviously the beginning needs to tie into the story, preferably sooner rather than later). A lot of TV dramas do this, btw, like showing a very dramatic or violent or even bizarre scene (and more to tease rather than being clear on what exactly is going on) with the characters of the show entering the story after the first commercial break and the clues begin (but there's no real resolution at that point, or if there is then the resolution quickly collapses as an unexpected twist bends the plot into another direction). We just watched the movie Van Helsing, it also started the same way with villagers breaking into the castle and all kinds of fighting & drama before the actual story began ("one year later").
Fanfiction gives an alternative: start the story as a typical episode, but keep it short. In a few paragraphs make it feel like a typical episode (with your own touches of course, that is pretending you're actually writing an episode to be aired before you take it in your own personal direction) and then connect it somehow to your story. For example, when I did a Kim Possible fanfic I could actually hear the TV show music as the scene took place but they were (as is normal in KP) interrupted by a regular character who got them to the next scene which was my actual story (with some brief foreshadowing so that my fic continued to feel connected to the characters as it unfolded).
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