Win often says to students, “Where do you start you story? With this, The trouble started on Wednesday.” Begin your story on Wednesday, not on Sunday. Sunday is back story. (Be bold. Begin with dialog, if that feels right.)

When we edit manuscripts, we often see the first pages rambling around the block, shuffling their feet and staring up into the sky. Then we discover the first sentence, and perhaps an opening paragraph, on page fifteen. Eureka!