How to Start a Story
Craft-focused prompts & exercises to help you consciously start interesting stories
This mini course is focused on the most difficult part of writing a story: starting with a focus, and infusing stories with “interesting.”
In How to Start a Story we’ll use three very different types of writing prompts to start a story with potential. Then, we’ll review how these prompts help you to reflect on what your story is “about.”
Each class comes with:
3 guided prompts to help you write more interesting stories
1 feature spot of your story on the Banana Pitch Press website
(if you send it in by August 10! Send submissions to submissions@bananapitch.com)
How to Start a Story
with
Michelle Kicherer
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Intro & What "Is" a Story?
In fiction writing, there are 2 timelines running through each story: the plot (ie; what happens in the story) and the aboutness: the emotional journey the character goes on; that deeper meaning behind a story that makes it “good.” After a short course intro, we’ll dive into the core elements of a good story.
In fiction writing, there are 2 timelines running through each story: the plot (ie; what happens in the story) and the aboutness: the emotional journey the character goes on; that deeper meaning behind a story that makes it “good.” After a short course intro, we’ll dive into the core elements of a good story.
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Plot, Aboutness and The 3 Ghosts Rule of Conflict
Every good story has conflict. It’s how our characters struggle and grow—and it’s how we keep readers asking: what will happen next? This lesson dives deeper into plot and “aboutness” and uses a beloved story example to demonstrate how to infuse conflict and curiosity in your stories.
Every good story has conflict. It’s how our characters struggle and grow—and it’s how we keep readers asking: what will happen next? This lesson dives deeper into plot and “aboutness” and uses a beloved story example to demonstrate how to infuse conflict and curiosity in your stories.
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Prompt 1: An Interesting Title
In this lesson we’ll talk about how a (good) title can help shape a story’s trajectory. You’ll get a sample title to start with, or you can choose your own.
In this lesson we’ll talk about how a (good) title can help shape a story’s trajectory. You’ll get a sample title to start with, or you can choose your own.
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Prompt 2: Starting with an Ending
In this lesson we’ll discuss how knowing a story’s ending helps shape its trajectory from the start. We’ll use an example from literature then talk about how to infuse these tools into the start of your story and reverse engineer a plot, and an aboutness.
In this lesson we’ll discuss how knowing a story’s ending helps shape its trajectory from the start. We’ll use an example from literature then talk about how to infuse these tools into the start of your story and reverse engineer a plot, and an aboutness.
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Prompt 3: Stretch Armstronging Yourself
This lesson and prompt is all about how to write away from yourself and create characters that are unique and “not you.” We’ll also pull valuable advice from one of our favorite public figures of the 90s.
This lesson and prompt is all about how to write away from yourself and create characters that are unique and “not you.” We’ll also pull valuable advice from one of our favorite public figures of the 90s.
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What you’ll learn
Course FAQ
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The first prompt in this course centers around a story called “Barry’s Parakeet.” You’ll be encouraged to write your own version of the story, with several ideas for where to take it. If you sign up and submit your story before August 10th, we’ll feature it on the Banana Pitch Press website!
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All participants that sign up between now and June 23 will be invited to participate in the live virtual class on June 23 at 4 pm PST. This will be a place to ask your questions and share your experiences with the prompts.
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Story must be titled “Barry’s Parakeet” and follow the parameters of the prompt used in this class (more details within the class lessons!)
up to 3,000 words
12 point font, double spaced, Times, in a word doc/x. No other file types will be accepted.
To submit: Email stories to submissions@bananapitch.com with the subject [Barry’s Parakeet] + Your Name + Registration Number
NOTE: Only those who’ve taken the 30-minute course will be qualified to submit their story
Story submissions will close on August 10.
No hate speech or excessive violence
No cheaters (no using stories you’ve previously written!)
Full guidelines explained in the course.
Enjoy!!