Many short story writers will try to start their stories in a scene, usually a scene that feels important and engaging. Starting in scene will hook the reader right away and ground them in the story.  You should choose a scene that is essential to the main character or the narrator and shows them in action, doing something that will have consequences later or sets up the plot. For example, rather than start with, “Walter thinks the day will be the same as usual,” you may start with, “Walter wakes up from a bad dream and realizes that today will not be like any other day.” Though you may decide to use the past tense for your story, using the present tense will give the story a sense of urgency, which can help to propel the reader forward. For example, starting with “Today, I will rob a bank” may be more effective than “Yesterday, I robbed a bank”, as the present tense allows the action to unfold for the reader in real time. The reader gets access to the main event and experiences it with the characters. This type of beginning is useful if the setting of your story is essential and you want to establish a certain mood. Perhaps your story is not very plot heavy but it does have a distinct setting that you want the reader to get into right away. You may use a character’s perspective to describe the setting and focus on one detail that will be striking or interesting to the reader.  For example, in the short story “Oceanic” by Greg Egan, the first lines focus on establishing the setting of being in a boat in the ocean: "The swell was gently lifting and lowering the boat. My breathing grew slower, falling into step with the creaking of the hull, until I could no longer tell the difference between the faint rhythmic motion of the cabin and the sensation of filling and emptying my lungs." Egan uses specific, sensory detail to give the reader a sense of sitting in the cabin of a boat and starts his story in a particular moment in time.  Keep in mind you can also do scene setting later in the story if you do not want to start right away with setting. If theme or plot is more important to your story than setting, you may start with these elements first. You should still try to start your story in scene so your reader is engaged right away. Another option is to start with a strong narrative voice or a strong description of your main character. This may be a good option for stories that are character-driven, rather than plot driven. Often, first person narratives will start with a voice driven opening line. You can show the reader how the narrator views the world and present their voice so the reader knows what to expect for the rest of the story.  Though J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is a novel, not a short story, it has an opening line that establishes the narrative voice right away: “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.”  The narrator sounds sour and rough but he also draws you in with his frustrated view of the world and his disdain for traditional narratives. The narrator has a distinct perspective that gives the reader a good sense of what the rest of the story will sound like. Starting your story with a strong line of dialogue can be effective, but the dialogue should be easy to follow and to the point. As a general rule, dialogue in a story should always be doing more than one thing and never be there just for the sake of conversation. Good dialogue will reveal character and progress the story’s key events or plot.  Many short stories will start with one line of dialogue and then zoom out to tell the reader who is speaking or where the speaker is situated within a scene. The dialogue is also usually spoken by a main character or one of the central characters in the story. For example, in Amy Hempel’s short story “In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Was Buried”, the story begins with a striking line of dialogue: "Tell me things I won't mind forgetting," she said. "Make it useless stuff or skip it.”The reader is drawn into the story right away by the funny, strange dialogue and the presence of a “she”. A good opening sentence should raise questions in the reader’s mind, spotlighting a minor conflict or a mystery. This could be something as simple as a character considering a recent event and their reaction to the event or a more complex mystery, such as an unsolved murder or crime. Avoid presenting a mystery that is too big or confusing for the reader right away. Let the first line hint at a larger mystery and ease the reader into the conflict. For example,the opening line for Jackson’s short story “Elizabeth” raises several questions: “Just before the alarm went off she was lying in a hot sunny garden, with green lawns around her and stretching as far as she could see.” The reader wonders why the main character is dreaming about a hot sunny garden, what she is waking up for, and what the dream will mean later to the character. This is a minor conflict, but it can be an effective way to ease the reader into the larger themes or ideas in the story.
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One-sentence summary -- Start in scene. Establish the setting. Introduce your narrator or main character. Open with a line of strong dialogue. Present a minor conflict or mystery.

Q: You can find him at the south building from the Inn (rotate your camera angle to see the portal). Get inside and then approach the dashing-looking Knight at the left side of your screen.  Before you can even click him, the Rune Knight Manuel will automatically talk to you and even offer you a drink. Choose “Sure, let's have a drink” to trigger the event. Continue on with the dialogue, and Manuel will talk about friendship and then say that you look ready for a new path. Choose “I'm ready to be a Rune Knight.” Manuel will then tell you to meet his comrade at Glast Heim. Travel to Glast Heim either on foot or with the help of a Priest. Once there, head to the northwestern part of the map and you will see Knight Jungberg standing next to the sword statue. Talk to him and choose the option "I came to be a Rune Knight" to proceed to your very first text.  Jungberg will tell you to find the hidden gathering room of the Rune Knight inside the Glast Heim Chivalry. Travel to level 2 of the Glast Heim Chivalry. You will find an NPC there named Rune Knight Staff south of the middle of the map. Talk to him, and you will be warped to the meeting area of the Rune Knights. In the meeting area, head directly below the point you entered to find the Rune Knight Captain. To talk the Captain for an introduction and a few dialogues then head southeast to talk to Rune Knight Lunarea. Be sure you have all the things you need such as your preferred weapon and armor before taking the next exam.
A: Head to Prontera City. Speak with Splendid Looking Knight. Meet Rune Knight Jungberg. Talk to the Rune Knights.

Article: This will open the Apple ID login window. Create Apple ID. You will need to be logged in with an Apple ID in order to download items from the store. Creating an Apple ID is free, but requires entering credit card information. Click here for instructions on creating an Apple ID without a credit card. You can have five computers associated with your Apple ID at once. If you are setting up iTunes on your sixth computer, you won't be able to authorize it to download your purchased content. You will need to deauthorize one of your older computers, or deauthorize all of your connected computers at once if you don't have access to them anymore.  Click here for detailed instructions on authorizing and deauthorizing.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Click the small profile icon next to the "Search Store" bar. Enter your Apple ID information, or click . Deauthorize an old computer (if necessary).