Start in medias res, which means “in the middle.” This is in reference to the action and how you start a story.

Here are a few ways to write a good story beginning: The difference between writing a novel and writing a short story is the fact that your short story introduction has to be short, snappy, and filled with intrigue. You may decide to use one of these short story ideas and in that case, you’ll have to construct a catchy and enticing first paragraph/s in order to pull readers in. This is the very beginning of your story. Story Structure Milestone 1 – The SetupĮvery story needs a setup in which to move from. There are 5 key milestones in every novel, and for short stories, there are typically 4 (due to word count and lack of longevity in general). Let’s go over proper story structure so you can do these story ideas justice. No matter how many short stories idea you have, without the right story structure, they’ll be nothing more than just…ideas. If you want to skip down to your story ideas, click right here, otherwise, let’s dive into story structure and how to use these ideas effectively. If all you do is give your character’s entire background (which is indicative that’ you’re now following the rules of showing versus telling), your readers won’t be sucked in. Avoid info-dumping by beginning your story with action instead of information.Humans are empathetic beings and making something awful happen right off the bat to an unsuspecting character will help draw intrigue. Create sympathy for your character by throwing them in the middle of a struggle.

This is often done by creating confusion, starting by instilling sympathy for your character, or writing something downright shocking to read.

Shock your readers by writing something they wouldn’t expect or something that doesn’t quite make sense.

These are our tips for starting your short story: Whether you’re writing a short story or looking for your next big book idea, we’ve got tips to help you start it off right. Without being able to hook your readers with a strong introduction, they won’t get to enjoy the entirety of the journey through your story. Starting your short story is the most important part.

Samples of short stories to write