Introductions can be incredibly daunting; they almost make you want to not even start. You have a theme and an idea of where you want it to go maybe. But how do you start it? How do you get there and make it pop? We are always told that the introduction needs to be interesting. It needs to guide your story or paper or whatever it is you are writing.
That is all true, but there is so much pressure to do that, so we freeze up. Maybe it never gets done because we have certain things we need to live up to make our audience want to be involved in our writing. So here is a thought, next time you start working on that piece do yourself a favor and make that introduction a complete crap draft, choppy maybe just a couple ideas, maybe it’s not full sentences, heck, make a bullet point! Whatever, just put a basic idea there so you can start the rest of that writing. For some people this is probably not the way for them, everyone is different so maybe this isn't your style.
Anyway, don’t touch the intro again until you have finished the rest of the writing. I mean it! Now that you have finished that piece, go back to your crap of an introduction. You have written a full piece that is great and captivating. And because you have written the rest of it, you know exactly what to do for your introduction because you know your story and your theme much better now. You know what needs to be in this introduction because you already wrote it, and you can make it pristine!
Captivate your audience with an introduction that makes them hunger for the rest of that writing! Because you waited until the end you no longer need to wonder how it needs to start, the introduction is the whole piece guys. You already wrote it; now summarize what you need to be introducing before it starts.
I have always had a huge problem starting on most of what I write, it’s part of the reason I didn’t start writing my latest book in progress for more than a year after I came up with the idea. Sometimes, when I can’t come up with the beginning I lose confidence in my writing, then I tried this out. Write it like no one else will read it, that is how you start. Then, you’re rocking their socks off!
Good luck next time!
~TKNott~
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