Is it bad to start a story with dialogue?

Question

I'm a writer, and most of my stories always start with dialogue. Is this bad? A lot of people have said don't start with dialogue, and most books I've read don't. But I'm really confortable with starting with dialogue. Do you find stories annoying or bad if they start with dialogue?

Also if anyone could suggest how I could open a story without starting in dialogue?

Answer 1

For some wonderful tips on how to begin a story, check out http://www.hatrack.com/writingclass/lessons/1998-10-29.shtml

If you mess up the opening, nothing you do later in the story will fix it. And because mistakes in the opening will reverberate through the rest of the story, when you finally do fix the opening you usually have to throw out and redo everything that you wrote after it. With rare exceptions, you simply have to get the opening right before you can go on.

But what is the "opening"? The first sentence? Having a good first sentence is nice, but it's not the opening. By definition, the first sentence is in the first paragraph, and the first paragraph is free. That is, the first paragraph of a story does not have to be in the same voice or mood or tone as the rest of the work. The first paragraph is important for setting the scene, for giving vital information that allows what follows to make sense. But the real opening is after that first paragraph -- when the story starts in earnest.

Answer 2

Starting a story with dialogue is a very good writer's tool.
Who cares what 'other books' or authors do? The goal is to create interest for the reader.

Write in your own style. If you write dialogue well, pursue that practice. If you don't know how to start a story otherwise, start it with very well-written dialogue.

Excellent, creative dialogue gives you an opportunity to inform the reader of many details about the characters that would be absolutely BORING if you just wrote them into descriptive passages.

Answer 3

Start however you want.

Orson Scott Card begins each chapter of his sf classic "Ender's Game" with dialogue between two (usually) unidentified people.

The key, of course, is how the dialogue functions within the story. Is it just there because you can't think of anything else to do? Or is it serving a purpose by introducing an important element (e.g. characters, conflict, theme)?

If you're looking for different ways to open, I'd suggest picking up an anthology of short stories and looking at the ways the various authors open their stories.

Answer 4

Simply give the reader some insight on where the characters are and what they're doing. A few simple sentences would do the trick. Then just go into the dialogue. Many movies start out this way, and many of them are based on a novel.

Good Luck!

Answer 5

Pft! A bunch of great stories start with dialogue. Pride and Prejudice, for example. Just make sure you have an opening that will hook your readers. I can't say I understand people who won't read a story that starts with dialogue because they don't know the characters yet. That's an excellent way to get to know characters-by listening to what they say. Plays are all dialogue, for example, and you still are able to learn about the characters through their discussions.

Answer 6

What is the best way to open a story? I suppose with a sentence that is simple, but attention-grabbing or maybe a sentence that is cleverly worded. I always loved the opening sentence for Pride and Prejudice (who doesn't?). "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." Brilliant. What is the worst way to open a story? With dialogue, unless you're very talented and know how to do it right. Or with describing something. "A simple red chair stood tall and dark, with four buttons in the center. This chair may seem ordinary to the naked eye, however, this chair held a secret...." Ugh. That's horrible. Or with anything along the eyes of, "I always thought I was a normal girl..." or "My life was average... that is, until *he* came into my life...." No! No! No! What is the easiest way to open a story? "Once upon a time..." or "It all started with...." Anything that makes you have to lead directly into the story. Dialogue can also be an easy way to open a story, but as I said before, unless you know how to do it right, don't do it at all. What is the hardest way to open a story? With bricks. Haha, I'm so funny. Yeah, you can just ignore that ^ For me, the hardest way to open a story is with action. I just can't seem to do it in a way that it all flows together. When I do action, I have to build up to it, not just jump right in. But this is all opinion-based, of course.

Answer 7

No. Start with anything that catches the attention of the reader. Dialogue sounds like a good attention grabber.

Answer 8

Personally I never start any story with dialogue as it is meaningless due to you r lack of knowledge of the characters. Instead I like to start out with action, showing, instead of telling, what my characters are like.

If you are going to start with dialogue, make sure the first sentence is extremely thought-provoking, as that is all you get to interest the reader.

Good luck
-MrC

Answer 9

Stick to your own style...who knows...you might get famous for this...but if you're going to start with a dialogue, just make sure it's striking/intriguing enough...this usually works in movies or plays...but in books, readers might have a hard time guessing what you're trying to portray

Answer 10

Any place you start is a good place to start. However, very few author write without changing things around to make a more involving story. And even fewer can open with engaging dialoge that doesn't sound corny.