Worst way to start a novel?

[serria]

I saw this writing prompt just a moment ago, and it kind of made me laugh. What "opener" pet peeves do you have? I'm kind of sick of symbolic dreams tossed right at the beginning, or characters just waking up. It feels too overdone to have much of an effect on me anymore.

Comments

[serria]

I actually think that's kind of a cute idea, starting with a scrapped scene. lol I don't believe I've ever done it myself, but I think there could be potential merit in "fake beginnings," though I reckon there are hard to do effectively and in a way that is relevant enough to the opening that justifies any reader's frustration that they've been led on.

But I agree completely that too much can happen right at the beginning. By all means, start the story when something actually happens, but toss me in the middle of a battle I know nothing about or a tense drama I don't understand, and it's more overwhelming than exciting.

[ljwrites]

Yeah, it's one of those things that could have worked if done well. I don't think I brought that level of skill to it, unfortunately. *embarassed laugh*