B is for Beginning

...and not bumnugget as some will lead you believe *coughcoughMaresNestcoughcough*

Moving on.

Beginnings are pretty important to a reader. If the beginning catches their interesting, they're more likely to read on.
The first things you have to know before you can start is:
Who your major characters and protagonist are.
What you want to happen in the first scene, and, loosely, in the rest of the story.

What usually starts a story is a catalyst. A catalyst is an event which causes something to change. It's also known as The Inciting Incident (now that sounds dramatic).

The catalyst doesn't have to happen right at the beginning. Usually, we see the status quo, the way things are before the story starts, first. That way, what happens afterwards has more of an impact. Then the catalyst happens (which could be anything from starting a new school to someone being kidnapped), and that status quo changes, because the catalyst has affected the characters in some way.

Let's put that into steps:
1. Status quo
2. Something happens
3. The characters react to it
That last bit is important. The event has to affect your characters, even indirectly, or it's not a catalyst.

Now that you know the basic structure, now it's time to start putting sentences on the page.
If you're stuck on what to actually write, I find the best way is to make your protagonist do something. Something that is relevant to their current situation, perhaps tells you a little about their character, and possibly foreshadows the catalyst.

Eg, Jessica watched the rain glumly.

Now you can think about where Jessica is (in school, at home, outside in the park?) and why she's glum about the rain. If you know what your idea is, you can lead on from there.

I hope you found this post helpful :) Come back tomorrow for a post on C is for Characters!