James Ruse Graduate’s Tips on How to “Show, Not Tell” in Creative Writing
May 27, 2024
How to Write an Engaging Narrative Opening
Whether you are preparing for your selective or scholarship entrance exam, high school exam, it is crucial to master creative writing. To start strong with any narrative, the first few lines must grab your reader’s attention and draw them into your story. See below to learn how to hook your readers from the start:
Briefly establish setting
Provide just enough specific detail to ground the reader in your narrative’s world. A few well-chosen details in your first paragraph can create a vivid sense of place without boring the reader with too much description. For example, “The marketplace buzzed with the chatter of vendors and the aroma of fresh spices”.
Establish the conflict immediately
Introduce or hint at the central conflict right away. This makes your readers care about your protagonist’s situation and what happens next. For example, start with your protagonist in the middle of a dilemma or about to make a critical decision to immediately engage your readers.
Make the reader curious
By presenting intriguing scenarios while you set up the conflict, you encourage the reader to ask questions like “Why is this happening?” or “What will happen next?”, driving them to keep reading. For example, “As soon as she opened the letter, her hands began to shake” makes readers want to know what’s in the letter and why it’s affecting her so strongly.
What to Avoid:
Long descriptions of characters or setting
Long descriptions can slow down the narrative and lose the reader’s interest. Instead of starting with a very detailed depiction of a character’s appearance or the setting, weave short snippets of imagery throughout your story between the action and dialogue.
Cliché phrases
Clichés such as “my heart was thumping in my chest” are overused and can make your writing feel dry. Aim for original expressions that convey the same emotion in an interesting way. For instance, instead of using the cliché to describe fear, show the character’s hands trembling and use hyperbolic statements such as “a million eyes glared from the shadows”.
Only writing the inner thoughts of the characters
Focusing solely on a character’s internal monologue can make the pace of your story too slow. While thoughts can reveal important insights into your characters, they should be balanced with actions and dialogue to create a dynamic scene and move the plot forwards.
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