Rodolphe, the chocolatier, cocked his head quizzically. Karl, his neighbor, was aiming at him with a rifle. "No!" With the sudden blast of the rifle, Rodolphe dropped to his knees, blotting his damp, chocolate-covered hands on his denim jeans. As Rodolphe's body grew stiff, Mireille ran screaming toward the two men, but she too fell down like a folded cloth and heard nothing else except for the throbbing of the stre

Nobody knows more about the importance of beginnings than fiction writers, because the beginning of any narrative is the part that hooks the reader from the start. Not each beginning is suitable for any one piece, and some beginnings become pass? after decades of overuse; nevertheless, it is a good idea to take a look at the few types of beginnings used in fiction.

At this time, applying the same storyline, I’d like to write a few exercises. Each exercise will be for a different type of a beginning.

• Beginning with the setting:
  

  The city of Bern snuggles into a U shaped arm of the river Aare, extending its reach to the other sides by historical bridges and railways. Surrounded by densely wooded areas and mountains, Bern is not a crowded city, except for tourists. At 1800 feet altitude, as the highlight of the Bernese-Oberland region, the city ticks to the tune of a modern civilization, although still cuddling its centuries-old astronomical clock tower at the east gate right around the marketplace where one can buy Swiss goods at a much lower price than at the imported price anywhere else.

• Beginning by inserting characters into the setting:
  

  At the east gate of the city of Bern in the marketplace in a tidy corner, Rodolphe's magasin de chocolat or Schokolade Speicher sits facing the setting sun, and across, Mireille's Spielzeugspeicher boasts with all sizes of plush baby bears at its window. Rodolphe sees those brown and gray plush toys with a wary eye. He knows from behind that window, Mireille's husband Karl is watching his every move.

• Beginning with the thematic way, which is with a truism, a generalization, or a philosophical idea:
  

  Our greatest deeds we do unknowingly. Like love. Most of us fall in love unknowingly, and that is what exactly happened to Rodolphe in his chocolate store while he watched the plush toy bears from across the street and wondered if Mireille, the owner of the teddy bear store, was as cute and cuddly in bed.

• Beginning the factual way; that is, a realistic no-nonsense opening derived from real events:
  

  In 1879, Rodolphe Lindt of Berne, Switzerland, produced chocolate that melted on the tongue, creating the fondant. Two centuries later in the same city, his namesake Rodolphe sat in his Schokolade Speicher that faced Mireille's toy store, his neighbor across the street. As he rolled a soft sweet fondant in his mouth, Rodolphe thought of Mireille, her thin waist, her large green eyes, her overly made-up face, her cadenced walk, and her syrupy smile.

• Considered to be the most successful by some, beginning through the emotional way, which is aiming for the heart and appealing directly to the reader's emotions:
  

  In the middle of the street in Berne's marketplace, a jealous Karl shot the unsuspecting Rodolphe with a hunting rifle as his traumatized wife Mireille ran about screaming. Rodolphe, the chocolatier, had the reputation of a saint to young and old alike; however, for Karl, Rodolphe was a scorpion who knelt in prayer while raising its tail to kill.

• Beginning with action, that is, starting with any significant movement:
  

  Rodolphe, the chocolatier, cocked his head quizzically. Karl, his neighbor, was aiming at him with a rifle. "No!" With the sudden blast of the rifle, Rodolphe dropped to his knees, blotting his damp, chocolate-covered hands on his denim jeans. As Rodolphe's body grew stiff, Mireille ran screaming toward the two men, but she too fell down like a folded cloth and heard nothing else except for the throbbing of the stree

  It's A Buyer's Market - Check Out Gilbert, Arizona Homes for Sale
  There’s never been a better time to buy a house. Last year, home prices were soaring; this year, home price are steady, interest rates remain low, and the market is flooded with homes for sale. There are more Gilbert, Arizona homes for sale than in years, at great prices and great value.There are few opportunities to get a great value in the real estate market, but this is one of those rare occasions. Before you get too excited about buying a home, make sure you do some research and go into the market armed with information.What’s your first step? Simple – you need to make sure you have your financial affairs in order. To begin with, talk with a mortgage officer about your current credit situation. You need to find out your credit score and analyze your debt to income ratio.A loan officer can give you information about how you could possible improve your credit rating. It may be a matter of clearing up incorrect reports to the main credit companies, or it may involve paying off some credit c
  are, extending its reach to the other sides by historical bridges and railways. Surrounded by densely wooded areas and mountains, Bern is not a crowded city, except for tourists. At 1800 feet altitude, as the highlight of the Bernese-Oberland region, the city ticks to the tune of a modern civilization, although still cuddling its centuries-old astronomical clock tower at the east gate right around the marketplace where one can buy Swiss goods at a much lower price than at the imported price anywhere else.

• Beginning by inserting characters into the setting:
  

  At the east gate of the city of Bern in the marketplace in a tidy corner, Rodolphe's magasin de chocolat or Schokolade Speicher sits facing the setting sun, and across, Mireille's Spielzeugspeicher boasts with all sizes of plush baby bears at its window. Rodolphe sees those brown and gray plush toys with a wary eye. He knows from behind that window, Mireille's husband Karl is watching his every move.

• Beginning with the thematic way, which is with a truism, a generalization, or a philosophical idea:
  

  Our greatest deeds we do unknowingly. Like love. Most of us fall in love unknowingly, and that is what exactly happened to Rodolphe in his chocolate store while he watched the plush toy bears from across the street and wondered if Mireille, the owner of the teddy bear store, was as cute and cuddly in bed.

• Beginning the factual way; that is, a realistic no-nonsense opening derived from real events:
  

  In 1879, Rodolphe Lindt of Berne, Switzerland, produced chocolate that melted on the tongue, creating the fondant. Two centuries later in the same city, his namesake Rodolphe sat in his Schokolade Speicher that faced Mireille's toy store, his neighbor across the street. As he rolled a soft sweet fondant in his mouth, Rodolphe thought of Mireille, her thin waist, her large green eyes, her overly made-up face, her cadenced walk, and her syrupy smile.

• Considered to be the most successful by some, beginning through the emotional way, which is aiming for the heart and appealing directly to the reader's emotions:
  

  In the middle of the street in Berne's marketplace, a jealous Karl shot the unsuspecting Rodolphe with a hunting rifle as his traumatized wife Mireille ran about screaming. Rodolphe, the chocolatier, had the reputation of a saint to young and old alike; however, for Karl, Rodolphe was a scorpion who knelt in prayer while raising its tail to kill.

• Beginning with action, that is, starting with any significant movement:
  

  Rodolphe, the chocolatier, cocked his head quizzically. Karl, his neighbor, was aiming at him with a rifle. "No!" With the sudden blast of the rifle, Rodolphe dropped to his knees, blotting his damp, chocolate-covered hands on his denim jeans. As Rodolphe's body grew stiff, Mireille ran screaming toward the two men, but she too fell down like a folded cloth and heard nothing else except for the throbbing of the stre

  The Rise of Techno Toy and Gifts
  As Christmas looms once more on the horizon the retailers stock their shelves in the hope of a bumper season. Parents try their level best to appease the kids at great expense but the era of the train set and dolls house is over and the pressure and financial strain on parents increases. The increasing trend towards technology based toys means increasingly sophisticated products at increasingly sophisticated prices.The years most wanted toys reflect this trend with increasing emphasis on i-Pods and Sony PSP and a movement away from the traditional toys and gifts is more acute this year than any other. A case in point is this year’s most sought after gift - the Robosapien V2 as it pervades the stores and online retail pages Billed as a walking, talking humanoid, the Robosapien V2 threatens not only the place of traditional Christmas toys, but the traditional household pet as well. The Robosapien V2 is just the latest in a long line of recent products which mark a sea change in the type of gifts and toys th
  e's Spielzeugspeicher boasts with all sizes of plush baby bears at its window. Rodolphe sees those brown and gray plush toys with a wary eye. He knows from behind that window, Mireille's husband Karl is watching his every move.

• Beginning with the thematic way, which is with a truism, a generalization, or a philosophical idea:
  

  Our greatest deeds we do unknowingly. Like love. Most of us fall in love unknowingly, and that is what exactly happened to Rodolphe in his chocolate store while he watched the plush toy bears from across the street and wondered if Mireille, the owner of the teddy bear store, was as cute and cuddly in bed.

• Beginning the factual way; that is, a realistic no-nonsense opening derived from real events:
  

  In 1879, Rodolphe Lindt of Berne, Switzerland, produced chocolate that melted on the tongue, creating the fondant. Two centuries later in the same city, his namesake Rodolphe sat in his Schokolade Speicher that faced Mireille's toy store, his neighbor across the street. As he rolled a soft sweet fondant in his mouth, Rodolphe thought of Mireille, her thin waist, her large green eyes, her overly made-up face, her cadenced walk, and her syrupy smile.

• Considered to be the most successful by some, beginning through the emotional way, which is aiming for the heart and appealing directly to the reader's emotions:
  

  In the middle of the street in Berne's marketplace, a jealous Karl shot the unsuspecting Rodolphe with a hunting rifle as his traumatized wife Mireille ran about screaming. Rodolphe, the chocolatier, had the reputation of a saint to young and old alike; however, for Karl, Rodolphe was a scorpion who knelt in prayer while raising its tail to kill.

• Beginning with action, that is, starting with any significant movement:
  

  Rodolphe, the chocolatier, cocked his head quizzically. Karl, his neighbor, was aiming at him with a rifle. "No!" With the sudden blast of the rifle, Rodolphe dropped to his knees, blotting his damp, chocolate-covered hands on his denim jeans. As Rodolphe's body grew stiff, Mireille ran screaming toward the two men, but she too fell down like a folded cloth and heard nothing else except for the throbbing of the stre

  Biscuit Manufacturing
  MIXING: This is a process where all ingredients are put together in right proportion for dough formation.These ingredient are then fed into Mixers where mixing is done and dough is prepared for molding .Major ingredients are flour , fat ,sugar and others as per the product one would like to have.MOULDING: In this section we laminate the dough into sheet which then passes down to gauge rollers and sheet thickness achieved for cutting . Here we have a cutter or a moulder as per the variety where one gets the shape and sizes of biscuits .BAKING: This is the area where we pass these moulded wet biscuit into baking oven .The biscuits are baked on desired temperature s.Various type of heating are available now days as per the convenience and cost .Different type ovens are availableCOOLING: These baked biscuits are then passed on to cooling conveyors for natural cooling prior to packing .The temperatures are brought down to room temperaturesPACKING:These biscuit are then stacked and fed in
  ents:
  

  In 1879, Rodolphe Lindt of Berne, Switzerland, produced chocolate that melted on the tongue, creating the fondant. Two centuries later in the same city, his namesake Rodolphe sat in his Schokolade Speicher that faced Mireille's toy store, his neighbor across the street. As he rolled a soft sweet fondant in his mouth, Rodolphe thought of Mireille, her thin waist, her large green eyes, her overly made-up face, her cadenced walk, and her syrupy smile.

• Considered to be the most successful by some, beginning through the emotional way, which is aiming for the heart and appealing directly to the reader's emotions:
  

  In the middle of the street in Berne's marketplace, a jealous Karl shot the unsuspecting Rodolphe with a hunting rifle as his traumatized wife Mireille ran about screaming. Rodolphe, the chocolatier, had the reputation of a saint to young and old alike; however, for Karl, Rodolphe was a scorpion who knelt in prayer while raising its tail to kill.

• Beginning with action, that is, starting with any significant movement:
  

  Rodolphe, the chocolatier, cocked his head quizzically. Karl, his neighbor, was aiming at him with a rifle. "No!" With the sudden blast of the rifle, Rodolphe dropped to his knees, blotting his damp, chocolate-covered hands on his denim jeans. As Rodolphe's body grew stiff, Mireille ran screaming toward the two men, but she too fell down like a folded cloth and heard nothing else except for the throbbing of the stre

  Trading In Black And White Forex Trading Newsletter – 5/25/06
  We had another great night of trading last night. After sitting out 2 nights ago, we found a safe entry level at 1.8830 and went short. We were almost stopped out (1.8870), but, thankfully, that didn’t happen.Within a few hours of reaching the high Cable fell hard and turned our trading day into a big winner. We closed our first trade taking 80 pips profit, and the second trade taking a 160 pip profit.This now gives us a 160 pip week. Remember, our goal for each week is 100 pips. So as of right now we have achieved our goal.In the “Trading In Black And White Forex Trading Course” we lay out a very simple money management system. Taking a $5,000 account - using this system and making an average of 100 pips per week for one full year (or 50 trading weeks) your account would be worth around $700,000.Believe us; we know exactly how ridiculous this sounds. But hey, how many people can boast about the kind of results that you have seen us have.This month we have made OVER 1000 pips a
  h a hunting rifle as his traumatized wife Mireille ran about screaming. Rodolphe, the chocolatier, had the reputation of a saint to young and old alike; however, for Karl, Rodolphe was a scorpion who knelt in prayer while raising its tail to kill.

• Beginning with action, that is, starting with any significant movement:
  

  Rodolphe, the chocolatier, cocked his head quizzically. Karl, his neighbor, was aiming at him with a rifle. "No!" With the sudden blast of the rifle, Rodolphe dropped to his knees, blotting his damp, chocolate-covered hands on his denim jeans. As Rodolphe's body grew stiff, Mireille ran screaming toward the two men, but she too fell down like a folded cloth and heard nothing else except for the throbbing of the street to the thick, fast beat of her heart.

• A medias res (in the middle of things) beginning, which has been in favor during the recent years:
  

  The blast from Karl's rifle brought Rodolphe to his knees. As his blood created puddles on the cobblestone street, the last sound he heard was Mireille's screams before he grew stiff and senseless.

• Beginning with a dialogue: (Most readers respond to dialogue well, especially if they sense tension or foreshadowing in it.)
  

  "Karl is screwed up," Mireille said. "This is going to be difficult. Are you sure you want to go ahead with this give and take?"

  "Yes," Rodolphe nodded. "You need my fondants. I'm like moonlight on dark water for you." Then, he looked away. "Are you still in shock from last night?"

  "It was routine," Mireille shrugged, arranging her plush bears in the window in irregular rows. "Karl always gets like that. He is just jealous. It isn't everyday that he sees me eating expensive fondants."

• Beginning with a character’s description:
  

  Rodolphe wiggled on the red leather-cushioned stool near the window of his chocolate store, watching the street and Mireille's plush bears, because even at his age, he was still deeply interested in toys. Tall, fat, and ugly with a crooked nose and misshapen smile, Rodolphe was also generous and jolly, except when he espied Karl putting his arms around Mireille. Then, Rodolphe's face pinched with pain and his mouth drew downwards, trembling. Still, all this was before Karl shot him and Rodolphe was pronounced dead by Mireille, though only for a short time. Afterwards, when the medics brought him to life, Rodolphe's outlook changed.

• Beginning with the author’s voice addressing the reader: Although this method of beginning can be appealing, confidential-sounding, and even effective, it is considered old fashioned and boring. Speaking for me, I hate it, but here it is anyway.
  

  If memory were a movie, dear reader, you would see the marketplace in Berne from above, and in a close-up you would see me, Joy Cagil--the author here, strolling in front of a chocolate store thinking of this poignant and funny story, since a tiny part of my life was spent in Berne. Then, you would have to take my word that in this very store, Rodolphe offered his delectable fondants to Mireille because he felt sorry for the plush bear that Karl, Mireille's husband, had ripped apart.

• Diary, epistolary (letter-writing), or reflective beginning:
  

  Dear Mireille,

  What would you say if you knew I have your diary?
  Yes, my dear one, yesterday, when I brought you the fondants, I couldn't help myself to pick it up when I saw the diary near your cash register. At that moment, you had your back turned to me, for you were putting a teddy back on the shelf, which you had knocked down when you saw me enter. I took your diary like a common thief and put it under my vest.
  Am I sorry? No, believe me; I am not, althoug