: Re: The problem with beginning I don't mean "sitting down to write", I mean the literal beginning. The story itself starts with my protagonist running. I need to get him to run, then I'll have

@Caterina108

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The first part of a book / story should almost always be the normal life before the event that really pushes the story forward.

If you don't want to do that, you need to ask yourself why he's running. If he's running for a reason (emergency, he's in danger etc.) then "he ran" is absolutely fine.

You can also decide how much information you want to give at this point. Saying something like "Looking over his shoulder again, he ran. His breath, laboured as he struggled to fill his lungs while his suit jacket flapped around him." You reader knows he's running and he's scared but doesn't know what he's running from. Or towards.

Equally, you could start the book where he doesn't want to run (over did it at the gym last night and his legs are really hurting today?) but by the end of the chapter, something else has happened that means you can end that chapter with "he ran."

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