Identification and Application:
The beginning of a narrative (or story) includes exposition. The exposition establishes the setting, the
narrator, the characters, the plot, and even the theme. As in other forms of writing, writers build
interest by using a “hook” to capture the reader’s interest. In a narrative, a hook can be an exciting
moment, a detailed description, or a surprising or thoughtful comment made by the narrator or the
main character.
The beginning of a narrative also establishes the structure of the story. Remember: A story does not
have to open with the start of the action. It can begin in the middle. This strategy “grabs” the reader’s
attention and builds suspense by making the reader wonder what’s going on. Some stories even
begin at the end and work their way backward in time. These strategies use flashbacks to capture the
reader’s attention, but they are not necessary. Most good stories start at the beginning of the action
and tell the events in time order. They use descriptive supporting details, engaging characters, and
unexpected plot twists to keep readers interested.
The beginning of a story might also offer clues about the theme. The theme is the message or “big
idea” about life that the writer wants readers to understand. The theme is developed over the course
of the text as the characters grow, change, and make decisions about life. Good writers drop hints at
the beginning of the story so that readers can consider the “big idea” as they read.
Model:
Reread the first paragraph of Shirley Jackson’s famous short story,“The Lottery”:
The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the
flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green. The people of the village began
to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o'clock; in some towns
there were so many people that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 26th, but in
this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two
hours, so it could begin at ten o'clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers
to get home for noon dinner.
The author begins by establishing the setting—the time and place in which the plot of the story will unfold.
The details about the weather and the village suggest a beautiful summer day in an ordinary small town,
with no specific characters being introduced. These details might not “hook” the reader, but then again,
what is this lottery? The lottery is mentioned twice in the opening paragraph without any explanation, as if
the narrator is “hooking” the readers in the hope of “reeling them in.”
As it turns out, the running of the lottery provides the action of the plot, and the outcome of the lottery
provides the story’s theme—that blindly following tradition is dangerous, especially when it leads to
injustice.
Notice that the author has done several key things in the opening paragraph—introduced the setting, or
time and place of the story, and given readers an inking of the conflict of the plot as well as the theme.
Practice:
Write a beginning for your story. It should introduce your setting and main character (or characters) and the
conflict (or problem) of the plot . Try to include hints that might lead to the theme, or “big idea” about life or
human experience. A hint to the theme might be a simple observation that the narrator or the main
character makes—or an offhand remark that will turn out to be rich in meaning.