It’s been said (and sung) that the beginning is a very good place to start. And figuring out how to start is a problem writers and creators have faced since they began creating. A good opening has to catch the audience’s attention, draw them in, and set the tone for the whole story or piece.
Fairy tales have mastered openings. Not only do they set the tone well, they’re immediately recognizable. As soon as you read “Once upon a time,” you know exactly what you’re getting into.
Once Upon a Tweet
In 2019, Chitra Soundar wrote a tweet that quickly gained widespread attention. She shared that, in the Tamil language, fairy tales started with a phrase that translates to “in that only place” and asked others what story starters their native languages used. She was quickly flooded with responses from around the world and eventually compiled a PDF with everyone’s responses.
Of course, even within languages, there will be regional and dialectal differences. I find it so fascinating to learn about how people have passed down the almost ritualistic introductions to stories. The way they’re presented can say a lot about a people or a culture.
The majority of stories seem to open with common elements. They set the story in a long-distant past, a long-distant place, or both. Many repeat a word or phrase, adding a cadence to the story’s beginning. Some places even use a call and response where the audience gets to participate, which I imagine is popular with antsy kids who didn’t want to sit still for very long.
My Favorite Openers
I thought I would share several of the story openers that I discovered and really loved. Though, as a disclaimer, the list itself is far from comprehensive and, much like Wikipedia (which also has a list I’m pulling from), anyone can contribute without fact checking. So there’s always a chance the translations aren’t accurate. In no particular order:
- Czech: “Beyond seven mountain ranges, beyond seven rivers . . .”
- Irish: “Before you were born, and after the sun first shone . . .”
- German: “Back in the days when it was still of help to wish for a thing, . . .”
- Aboriginal: “In the early days, of the Dreamtime . . .”
- Iraqw (from Kenya and Tanzania): “I remember something that our father told me and that is this:”
- Korean: “Back when tigers used to smoke . . .”
- Somali: “Story, story, a story of silk . . .”
And, of course, honorable mention goes to the intergalactic: “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away . . .”
What’s your favorite way to start a story?
Until next time, word nerds!
Kate G. Jameson 