: 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

Lots of fine answers here, and as many good choices for you. Starting with the running is great stuff if that's what your book is about. 'In medias res' is the formal phrase for it, and that tells you how often it happens.

But don't underestimate the moments before the running starts. It doesn't have to be boring, it can definitely be used to ratchet up the tension. Maybe he spots one of his pursuers, but he doesn't know what the others look like. He tries to blend in with a group and casually exit, but then runs into the partner.

Or maybe he's part of a group watching a dead-drop to see who collects the bundle of cash, and he's on the coms with his own partner. Then a maintenance truck blocks his view of the park bench, and by the time he gets through a crowd of people, the backpack is gone. He spots two people running in different directions!

The point is, the reader knows weapons are about to be drawn, and the running will start any moment. You have a chance to define good guys and bad guys, and display a bit of your protagonist's personality while building tension. You're just tightening up the spring until it snaps and the running starts.

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: I'm sure many people here are familiar enough with episodes of Doctor Who from 2005 onwards to know they faced this problem. Here's my advice: do what the series did from 1963 to 1989 instead.

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: 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

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: I'm sure many people here are familiar enough with episodes of Doctor Who from 2005 onwards to know they faced this problem. Here's my advice: do what the series did from 1963 to 1989 instead.

: How To Beef Up The Middle I feel that in any book I read or write, the most common problem I encounter is a drag in the middle of the book. What are some suggestions of how to stay on

: Approach to pop culture quotes in fiction writing I am contemplating writing a fictional character [nerd] who speaks in a pop culture references. I appreciate this question somewhat overlaps Referencing

: The use of footnotes to translate foreign words in a novel I'm writing a fantasy novel and one of my characters speaks in English, but sometimes utters single words in an ancient dead language,

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