How to Start a Story (Without 'So Basically...')

“So, basically…” “I guess I’ll start by saying…” “To give you some background…”

If you start your story with any of these phrases, you are losing your audience before you’ve even begun. This is what we call “throat-clearing.” It’s a nervous habit where we try to set the scene so perfectly that we forget to actually tell the story.

In the world of professional storytelling, the first ten seconds are everything. You don’t want to build a bridge to the story; you want to drop your listener right into the middle of it.

Here is how to start a story that people actually listen to.

1. Start with Action

The easiest way to hook a listener is to start with a verb.

• Boring: “I was thinking about going to the store, and I finally decided to go.”
• Hooked: “I slammed the car door and realized the keys were still in the ignition.”

Action creates immediate questions in the listener’s mind. Why did you slam the door? How are you going to get the keys out? They have to keep listening to find out.

2. Start with Dialogue

Drop us into a conversation that is already happening.

• Boring: “My boss called me into his office to talk about my performance.”
• Hooked: “‘Sit down,’ my boss said. He didn’t look up from his desk. ‘We need to talk about Tuesday.’”

Dialogue is high-energy. It forces the listener to imagine the scene, the tone of voice, and the tension.

3. Start with a Specific Time or Place

If you can’t start with action, start with a “time stamp” that carries weight.

• Boring: “A few years ago, I lived in a house that was kind of weird.”
• Hooked: “At 3:00 AM on a Tuesday in October, I realized I wasn’t alone in the house.”

Specificity feels real. Generalizations feel like a lecture.

4. The “One Time…” Trick

If you’re really stuck, use the phrase “One time…”

It’s simple, it’s classic, and it signals to the brain that a narrative is coming. “One time, I accidentally joined a cult.” Boom. We’re in.

The “Delete the First Paragraph” Rule

If you’ve already recorded or written a story, look at your first few sentences. Often, you’ll find that the real start of the story is actually about three sentences in.

Delete everything before it.

Don’t wait for permission to start. Just start.