So far this week, we’ve studied the importance of and how to write conflict/central ideas, titles, endings, and now, guess what we’re going to talk about? Right! How to open your stories, but before you craft an opening, you need to know what story you’re going to write. That’s where brainstorming comes in.

Use the blank cluster diagram below and spend ten minutes plumbing firsts from your second decade, years eleven through twenty. Those teenage years should give you lots of material, but make sure you narrowly define your topic and create a s-story. Repeat the clustering process until you have a story you can wrap your head around.

Watch today’s lesson on writing openings and pick the best option for your story. Make sure it continues the work of your title and compels the reader to absorb the next paragraph and the next and the next.

Draft your story, post it in the comments section below, read the work of a few of your fellow challengers, and include a word or two of encouragement. Let them know how their openings impacted you as a reader.