Interesting Introduction

What’s the most important first impression you can make with someone if you want to make friends?  Is it your looks?  Your voice?  Your clothing?  Those may help, but I believe the most effective thing you can do is to be interesting (or engaging, intriguing, refreshing, thought-provoking).

Likewise, the first scene in a movie, or the first page in a book, must have that same goal.

People, movies, books, are we not all the same? How simple can life be?

Promoting interest

To demonstrate the idea of “promoting interest,” I've provided in the table below the first scene of a number of movies.  My original intention was to point out a list of reasons why each opening scene is interesting.  However, I was surprised to discover that in each case, the scene either introduces interesting characters or an interesting “story problem,” or both.

This reduces the thousands of worries within your head when starting a story to two.

If neither your characters nor your “story problem” is interesting (intriguing, captivating), then you have a much bigger problem.

Watch the following opening scenes.  Ask yourself what makes the characters or the situations stand out.  Ask yourself why they're interesting.

First Scene in Movie	Introduces Main Character(s)	Introduces the Story's Problem
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)	X
2001: A Space Odyssey (1966)		X
They Call Me Trinity (1970)	X
Rocky (1976)	X
Saturday Night Fever (1977)	X
Star Wars: Episode IV (1977)	X	X
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)	X
Star Trek II (1982)	X
Blade Runner (1982)	X
War Games (1983)		X
Fletch (1985)	X
The Princess Bride (1987)	X
The Princess Bride (1987)	X
Die Hard (1988)	X
My Cousin Vinny (1992)	X
Sense and Sensibility (1995)		X
Mission Impossible (1996)	X
Galaxy Quest (1999)	X
The Matrix (1999)	X
Kate and Leopold (2001)	X
Ocean's Eleven (2001)	X
Matchstick Men (2003)	X
The Dark Knight (2008)	X	X
Ghost Town (2008)	X	X
Inglorious Bastards (2009)	X	X
Miss Meadows (2014)	X
The Gift (2015)	X	X
Baby Driver (2017)	X

It's all about the characters

Imagine, after watching the above scenes, replacing the characters with less interesting characters. Would the scenes be as memorable?

Therefore, instead of worrying about writing a memorable scene, create memorable characters who will then make the scene interesting for you. Let your characters do the work to make your story great! Your readers will love them, and you’ll be on your way to immense success.

Showcase your characters!  Be proud of them.  Have confidence in them.  Let everyone enjoy them.

Your characters and story problem introductions don’t require great fanfare.  If you walked into a party with great fanfare, your new friends might wonder about you.  The same goes for your stories.

Regarding the movie Ghost Town, you must see this additional scene, or you won't be able to live with yourself:

Ghost Town (scene)

As far as your social life, if you’re a writer, you’re already interesting.  That comes to you for free.  In case you don’t yet believe me, walk into a party wearing a shirt that says the following:

Caution: I’m an author.

Anything you say or do

may end up in one of my stories.

After that, you won't have any trouble at all.