What is the best way to begin your writing? Are there any "rules"
Ernest Hemingway said to start this way: "Write the truest sentence you know." It's a good idea.
I am a novice, but that does not stop me from answering this question. I just put one word on paper the rest flows out. Then I cross out everything that does not fit the story. (Usually about half of what I have written.) Then I hope for the best, or keep it to myself.
No rules because all writers have different voices and have different POVs. But that first line or paragraph is crucial to the piece. This is where you grab your reader's attention. The last thing you want to do is take your reader on a "scenic route". Where they are lost and don't understand what you've written. You need to get their attention from the start, then go from there. Give it your best shot. Through your writing, your readers will either want to finish your masterpiece or put it aside.
Thank you for all the good advice. I am working on a new hub and hope to publish it soon. For right now my best learning tools I have found are reading all the wonderful hubs and advice from all you talented hubbers........
It all depends on what you're writing and what you're trying to convey. But mastering the art of the "first"--the first sentence, first line, first page, first paragraph--are all important in writing.
That is your lead-in and what's going to hook the reader. If you can't get your reader pas the "first," it's a wrap.
But there are many types of lead-ins: you can use a quote, a statistic, a question, a foreshadow, dialogue, setting or some other device to open up your writing.
This is my writing motto: "Now the rules before you break them!"
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