RESPONSE FOR 1/14

     Response to Ann Hood's "Beginnings"

     I thought that Ann Hood's "Beginnings" was very helpful because she kept her ideas short and to the point and provided examples of each different type of beginning she discussed. I never realized there were so many different ways or structures to beginning a story, or that some are more difficult than others. I also do not think I realized how important the beginning of a story actually is until Hood described how much effort and editing she outs into her beginnings of her stories on page 2. Now it seems obvious that of course the beginning has to be interesting, because no matter how interesting your story is in the middle, if the reader cannot make it through your beginning they will never get there. I never realized that beginning a story with dialogue was one of the most difficult ways to begin, and that a simple fact could describe so much to  my reader about my character. I linked how Hood gave examples of each different type of beginning, since I did not understand what all of them meant, especially old saw and in media res. In my own writing I am going to try to move away from beginning with dialogue and try to use a description, in media res, philosophical or a fact to start my story. I will probably try to stay away from an old saw opening because while I think it worked for Dickens, I will not be able to pull off such a clichéd opening.