Here are considerations that you need to work out in your introduction and first paragraph.

Introduction

Whatever you choose in your introduction:

• Sets the scene for the story as it progresses
• Should be maintained consistently throughout e.g. first person recount.

Style

Once you have worked out what your story is going to be about, think about how it would be best to tell it. There are two a few main variables here:

1. Who is telling the story?
2. When did the story happen?
3. What is a suitable language style?

Who

When you write a story, you can write it from different perspectives:

• NarratorYou are the external narrator: you know everything that happens and are not limited by the perspective of one of the characters. This viewpoint allows you to include as much detail as you want, and doesn't restrict what you can say.
• CharacterYou are writing from inside the perspective of one of the characters: you know only what this character can see or know, but you also have very direct access to their thoughts and feelings. This is a good way to write, about your own experiences and memories, or stories where you identify strongly with the main character.

When

When did the story happen? Many years ago? Last month? Is it happening now? It's important that you know, and you give the reader an understanding, of when your story is set. It will also help you work out other details of the story while you are writing.

Language

What kind of language would the characters use? What kind of place are they from? It's important to match the style of the writing to the characters, time and place: for example, a baby or toddler cannot say complicated things, a man from the nineteenth century will not use modern slang, and so on.

The first paragraph just builds on the introduction and is the very first action that leads towards the main event.

Now, let's do some example questions to practice writing our introduction and first paragraph on:

Topic & Given Plot	Introduction & First Paragraph (approximately 120 words)
	A wombat who lives deep in the woods aims to cross the train line to the other side but gets scared often.
	Competing in a rowing competition and practicing up to the lead up.
	Attending a concert to see "Death Adda" and feeling helpless when getting caught in a mosh pit.
	Visiting the city from the country and navigating through major landmarks with a map. Losing the map along the way.

Key Rules to remember:

• The introduction

  • Sets the scene for the story as it progresses
  • Should be maintained consistently throughout e.g. first person recount e.g. don't change mid-way.

• The first paragraph just builds on the introduction and is the very first action that leads towards the main event.

Now it's time to do your assignment.

1. Download the assignment question here.
2. Print it out or if you want to do it electronically, save it.
3. Complete the questions to it.
4. Then check the solutions on the video below.
5. To get the worded solutions/sample essays, download them here.

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