Who says a children’s story has to begin “once upon a time…?”This beginning is so popular that even one of the most recognized sci-fi movies begins with a similar and widely known phrase. I’m thinking space samurai, blasters, evil emperors, and Frank Oz and James Earl Jones (the series can not be the same without them).
The point is that, while this beginning is a classic, it doesn’t mean that we have to reuse it till it gets old and worn out. Let’s have some creativity, people.
Please, don’t misunderstand me. I believe that if we stop using clichés their meaning will become lost. Part of the reason some of these clichés have been used so much is because they are/were rich with meaning. I simply think that we must use the clichés in moderation to avoid them losing their meaning due to overuse.
The question is: how do we come up with this more interesting beginning? I am still reading, learning, and experimenting with that concept, hoping I won’t have to remind myself why people say “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
In the case of “Boys will be Boys”, I simply opted for jumping right in and getting to the point. “This is my main character, this is what he is like, and this is why I am writing the story about him.” When I wrote this opening I hoped it would be a good hook. I wanted the reader to know why they should even care about John.
If the goal of the opening page/pages is to get your reader to turn to the next page, I didn’t want to equivocate.
There is the option of creating suspense, where you give your reader questions that they want answered and make them have to keep reading to get those answers. This can be tricky. I am still working on learning how to use this method to advantage. The shorter format of a children’s book is something that would make this method especially difficult for me. The problem is trying to present the questions quickly without answering them. As a reader, if the author takes too long to build my interest, I will give up. If they answer all my questions too soon, I wonder what the point is in continuing to read since I already know the whys and wherefores.
You can begin the story almost at the end. Give the reader insight into where the character ended up, then guide them through how the character got there and move on through to the finale. I have only tried this method in one of the novels I am working on, so I am not certain how best to use this method in a children’s book format. In the novel, however, I think this is a good method. That could be only my opinion. I would deduce that the method should be about the same if used in a children’s book, only on a smaller scale. The problem is, of all things, fitting it into this smaller scale.
For those who work well within the realm of the short story, these methods should pose little problem. For those who work well within the realm of the novel or long story, we must continue to explore how to make the Long Story Short.
No matter how you choose to begin your story, remember to begin by enjoying the wonder.
If you enjoyed this post, please, share this site with others, and like this page. If you want to receive further posts directly to your email before they are posted on my site, subscribe. Feel free to leave a comment or make use of the Contact page.