Knowing how a story ends, but not how it begins

Eric S. Kim

Eric S. Kim

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Do you know what stinks?

I'm working on the first book of a Science Fiction trilogy, and I have no idea how to start the story. The characters are set, the settings are chosen, and the ending is kept safe on paper and in my brain. But I can't seem to figure out how I should introduce the characters in the first few chapters. Basically, they're a group of soldiers who protect civilians and factories from rebel fighters entering their territory. The soldiers are led by the Administrator of one of the last surviving American cities when half of the world is turned into an authoritarian empire.

I keep asking myself, how do I start the first book? Do I have these characters participate in a sudden skirmish against their enemies? Do I have them participate in a chase scene on the freeway where they're hunting down a rebel spy? Do I have one of them participate in an obstacle course and, if he passes the test, is promoted to a higher-ranked Regiment and joins the other characters? Ugh, I've never experienced such a discomfort when I'm trying to write.

Maybe I'll find the solution in a few days, or maybe a few weeks. I just wish I could just select the best way to start the story.
 
Just start with one of those scenarios and write it. You may change your mind and leave that part out, by the time you finish the book, but it's better to start somewhere than to not start at all. :)

If you start, you'll probably find that it leads to somewhere, and tells you stuff about your characters that you didn't even know, and things may change.
 
As Dusty has said, start writing. You might be surprised by what happens. It's an organic process, after all. Good luck.
 
^ What they said.
There's no set way of knowing if those first few chapters will be the right starting point. There's a good chance you'll cut them later. But if you don't start somewhere you'll continue second guessing yourself.
 
Starts are something I find trickier than endings, as a rule.

The first draft is just the roughest of sketches (or can be). Don't stress about it at this stage. Write a first scene, even if it's ropey, and crack on from there. When you have the whole story, even in rough form, to look over you'll see if the scene just needs refining or if something else would fit better.
 
Go with your gut instinct and get a start down - as everyone else has said above. Your novel will only really be set in stone when you publish it, before that it can be re-written again and again if you feel it doesn't work.
 
Your first draft is going to be basically an outline anyway, so as the others have said, have at it. See what evolves out of the first scene you write. See what characters emerge, what action unfolds, what story begins. It's not like you're going to publish this first step, so have fun, take your time, and gradually work it into the rest of the story once you know what's going on.
 
Just be careful of the risk of writing for the sake of getting to a cool ending, because what should be relevant plotlines might become filler in the rush.
 
I've been in that position, and I found it helped to employ the toddler strategy.

Say for example your book ends with the characters blowing up their own sun and retreating into deep space looking for a new home. Ask yourself why. Then you might find out they did it because it was the only way to save their people from invaders. Ask yourself why. Ask it enough, and you have a story. Either that or you tell yourself it's because you say so, now go sit in the corner.
 
Seconding, thirding, fourthing everything that has been said so far. It's no use being too precious with your beginning; chances are you'll have to cut/edit/change radically when it comes to editing phase, anyway! :D
 
Write the ending. You might do one of those ''this is how it ends, lets find out how it started' false starts that happens sometimes.
 
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