LAUGHS LOUDLY

OK but like… first sentences don’t have to be there forever. I cannot begin to count the number of times I’ve started a story like:

And just write the ideas down until the story starts to shape itself. Then when you’re ready, go back and delete everything before the point where the story actually starts. 

Writing yourself into an idea is a time-honoured technique, and it works. 

And sometimes I need to write a scene badly before I can write it well.  Like, I need something to react to, to get it right.

Oh, so much all of this!

My first paragraph/section is always my notes. Who, what, when, where, how. Snippets of dialogue or the bare bones of scenes I want to include. I colour it red, then refer to it when I get stuck, and cross out bits that I’ve already done (but don’t delete, never delete your notes!)

The next paragraph/section is the start of the story. It might not be the start, but it’s a start.