Stories That Start This Way Are Inherently More Interesting

“Nazis were going door to door, and theirs was next. They put on as many fur coats as they owned and ran.”

I’m leaning forward, elbows on the table. There are four of us, tucked in the corner of a dimly lit restaurant. My wife holds my hand as we listen to our friend tell the story of her grandparents escaping the Nazi invasion of their Polish home.

“And then what happened?” I ask.

“They went west. From town to town. Every border crossing, they paid off the guards with one of the fur coats.”

My wife squeezes my hand. “Did they make it?”

“They made it.” Our friend smiles. “They arrived in Brooklyn with a single fur coat left. From there, my grandfather pushed carts like a cheap horse to survive. He always said it was better than the alternative.”

Stories that start this way—in the middle of things—are inherently more interesting.

This storytelling technique is used in bestselling books, blockbusters, and compelling presentations.

The Iliad by Homer: "Sing, O Muse, of the rage of Achilles, son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans."

↳ Homer doesn’t begin with the start of the Trojan War. Instead, we are thrown straight into Achilles' burning anger in its final year.

The Dark Knight (2008): The film opens with a tense, high-stakes bank robbery executed by The Joker and his men.

↳ Instead of explaining who The Joker is, we meet him in the middle of the heist. Instantly, we’re hooked.

Steve Jobs’ 2007 iPhone Keynote: "This is a day I’ve been looking forward to for two and a half years."

↳ Jobs doesn’t start with specs or slides. He builds anticipation, then drops the revelation—Apple is about to reinvent the phone.

The story begins, and we are left with more questions than answers.

It’s a powerful tactic.

Tomorrow, I’ll explain exactly what it’s called, when to use it, and how you can make it work for your storytelling.

Write on 🤙

Payton

P.S. Great stories are everywhere—you just have to listen. As you write more, you’ll train yourself to notice and capture them. One of the best sources? The news. I personally recommend 1440 Media.

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