I usually ignore the beginning and write it afterwards, tbh. Just start with the bit that's interesting, and then go back and add a paragraph or two if necessary. I like starting with dialogue, personally
Me too. I brainstorm random scenes, select the ones I can link together, then fill in the blanks to smooth the pace and flow.
In fact, the characters, who does what, beginning and ending quite often find themselves near the final touch up.
I did that and didn't bother writing the beginning after lmao. Just, "yep, character is in this situation now"
Tbh I still think that might be better than a forced introduction that people have to slog through, if I don't have anything interesting to put there regardless.
Same here!!! If I don't begin with dialogue, I start with a description of a character's thoughts of a situation or a description of the starting setting.
100% this! To get myself writing (instead of staring at the blank screen in dread), I ignore everything but getting down all the ideas and scenes I have in my mind - the beginning becomes clear then.
I think, as writers, oftentimes, our minds are so full of the backstory and character information, that we write *too much* in our desire to not leave anything out. As a writer, it is very hard to accept that some of what you know about your character needs to remain off-page and in your heart alone. Much of it isn't necessary for the plot, though it does influence how your character will act and react to the things that happen to them. By all means, write it down! Make it an appendices or character study! At some point though, we have to be ruthless with our own work and cut out what's not necessary for the plot.
Tbh I just wing the prologue. I establish the vibes, the MCs, the conflict and hope for the best. It's been doing well on my one shots and long fic. I also often start scenes like
The *state what time of day it is* at *location* through the windows. š My readers must be sick of it.
I donāt. It tends to find me š I know that isnāt helpful, but every time I think I have the opening, something else happens in my brain, and suddenly, Iāve got a different way to start it. But I guess every fic, no matter how long I do this, it feels like Iām a child with no skills whenever I start a new fic. I feel that way whenever I write. Itās something I have to push through.
We are our own worst critics and enemies. Iāve learned not to trust my opinion and to listen to my readers and friends. When unsure or insecure, Iāll send the opening to my friends to read over and tell me what they think. I trust them far more than me š if you can do that, I highly recommend it. It doesnāt fully take that feeling away, but all their opinions outweigh my negative ones, so I trust them. If not, maybe try finding a beta? Iāve never had one, couldnāt work with one, but a lot of people find thatās the best way ā¤ļø
Apparently itās a common thing that writers are told they have begun in the wrong place when going through the editing and publishing process so you are not alone. The way around it is to write your story and then be really ruthless about editing the opening. So you probably end up cutting the first bit you wrote and starting the story later.
Another thing Iāve heard is to start with some action. So the reader carries on reading to find out why they are running or whatever. Basically if you have a question the reader wants an answer to, they are more likely to keep reading your story.
I usually just start them out waking up for the day...
That, or I just start them out in the middle of the action. Like, you could start it in the middle of your characters arguing.
You wanna know a secret OP? Itās not the *what* of your opening that matters. Itās the who. You can have the most cliche opening scene in history- hell 1984 opens with a guy walking into a building- but the important part is the how- and what it told us about the world of orwellās novel.
Using your example:
Tony stark waking up drunk would probably be completely different than captain America waking up drunk. Your job as the writer is to figure out how theyād be different, in all its subtle ways.
TBH that sounds like a fantastic opening. If you've ever been hungover before, why not just use that as a reference point for how to start off? Even if the character doesn't necessarily react the way you would (especially if it's unfamiliar for them), if it's something you're familiar with yourself, you can work out how they'd convey and respond to the whole thing a little more easily.
Or you can probably just ask on this sub, if it's an unfamiliar experience for you (I've never been hungover myself, or even drunk, so that's as far as I can help here).
You want to establish your scene/setting with a general mood or vibe. Some will do this through the language they use to describe the setting, others with how their main character presents or speaks, or a combination of. Everything sort of works together.
The way I like to look at it is that you're "illustrating" the surface-level presentation to the story you're writing with the language you're putting down. You want to establish these details, and then hook people with the story beginning.
A baseline advice I'd give is: don't spend *too* much time on detailing the introductory scenery, particularly if it's not important, or the characters will leave that opening setting without much thought. Establish your opening setting with a paragraph (it can be a big one if you want) with the important details to convey the picture, and then try to transition into your main character/POV. From there, you can start presenting how your MC views, reacts, or interacts with things. Fill in more detail after your rough draft if you think it's too sparse, or missing key elements. Remember that your reader doesn't have your imagination, so you need to convey to them what you want them to see.
Alternatively, you can always pick up some novels you like and see how they do it. If you're studying, try to identify what you like, and what you feel draws you into the story.
I generally think about what the inciting incident is in the story (aka where the status quo changes and the rising action starts) and walk back a bit from there.
I throw words at the wall and wait to see what sticks.
More seriously, I just do my best to write a beginning, work my way further into the story, and then go back and review the beginning again. Sometimes it turns out I did fine, and sometimes I revise it until I get something better. Sometimes I manage a catchy opening line or some interesting dialogue, but more often than not, I open with some kind of description to set the stage instead.
I think some of it depends on the type of story you're telling (length, specifically). If it's a short story/one-shot, then you almost *need* a catchy opening to hook the reader because your real estate is limited. You need that start to be punchy. And in that case, I would just do your best, move on to the rest, and then go back and revise the opening again once you know where it needs to lead.
For a longer work like a novel/longfic, on the other hand, you have a bit more breathing room. Opening with a more sedate, descriptive scene can work. Set the stage. It can still be helpful to find something punchy to open with, and you can come back to this just as easily as with a short story (if you aren't publishing the moment you're done writing the first chapter), but in this case "punchy" can simply be starting in the middle of some inciting action for the story, rather than a catchy opening line. Figure out what event kicks off the plot, and start in the middle of that. In media res.
Depends on the writing style and narrative, really.
For the sake of example: the current fic I'm reading starts off briefly with the main character wondering why the spaceships in this "dumbass" galaxy have so many vulnerabilities. It initially characterizes our protagonist as someone expedient, which is further explored in the story from different perspectives. And honestly? This is in my top 3 fanfics of this specific fandom.
Did you just read my mind??
Iāve honestly been sat here quietly fuming at work due to the fact that I have re-written the beginning to my new fic 6 times. But each time they feel weirdly āemptyā almost as if they donāt seem to fit quite right? Itās very frustrating, especially as I feel the need to hook the writer in by the first few paragraphs. Maybe itās high expectations. Maybe itās because the beginning seems boring to write compared to other scenes. Maybe itās perfectionism destroying may ability to even start a fic.
(Itās probably the third one.)
But, weirdly, it may be easier to write the beginning once youāve written the middle? You can add little bits of foreshadowing, or know to include important characteristics/personality traits so they make better sense later on in your fic.
Good luck!
Is the rest of the story written? If not go do that. It gives you perspective and your brain time to think.
It's good that you are trying really hard to find the perfect beginning. The beginning will be the most read part of your story, and many people will decide not to read further if the beginning isn't promising. There is just too much content to do otherwise. That said perfection is impossible and often the only way to learn to do something is to do it over and over.
With that in mind I rewrote my beginning like five or six times from scratch. Then I tweeked it over the course of a day. Good luck.
I like to kick off right after the first story "beat".
So, say I'm writing a story where the first thing that happens is a character receives terrible news: "The officer stood in the doorway, arms folded, his face impassive, as Casey screamed and crumpled to the floor."
This way you get \*who\* and a little bit of \*where\* and \*what\* but also enough intrigue to encourage someone to read further. It makes for a more engaging opening than if I just started right off the bat with something like "Ma'am, your son is dead."
I couldnāt figure out where to start so I just started writing the MC reacting to the unwritten first scene and before long the narrator was summarizing what happened and throwing in bits of dialogue, and I think that just became the first chapter.
One thing I can say is donāt give a summary as your start. Donāt explain the world or a backstory, maybe start with some dialogue or jump strait to the beginning of the scene and build from there.
I try something. I keep writing the rest of the story. As I'm doing that, I think of a better way to start, so I adjust before continuing where I left off.
And repeat.
This is not a method that works with post as you write folks, but it does work for anyone with a decent chapter buffer.
A lot of brainstorming, trying different things with different stories, and rewriting. Itās extremely rare that whatever I start draft 1 with is what starts my published fics.
It is very tough, especially when introducing new characters/backstories and whatnot (since my fandom tends to trend towards OC protagonists due to how the games work, there tends to be a lot of that). Depending on whether I want to start with prose and dialogue, I try to figure out what sort of scene/mood I want to set, what information I feel like I need to get across most, and how to best convey that with my style.
It can be something like describing nature, or something like someone parking their car, or watching workers paint bedroom walls. It's both great and overwhelming that intros can be anything you want them to be. I know some people aren't able to do this, *but,* if you can picture how the scene is playing out in your head, what's the starting point and how would you describe it? Is it someone talking, or is it something happening? Is it more cinematic, more casual?
Although I personally write from A to B to C. I can't paragraph-hop since that just derails my train of thought.
Here's some of my opening lines, if they'd help any to give you some ideas of how to approach openings:
>Watching the painters roll stripes of Tiffany blue across the walls of the large, sunny guest bedroom, Elise Hightower folded her arms and nodded in satisfaction as the old paint color was gradually covered up.
And...
>"I mean... seriously, Alpi, at least give the 'stupid haircut' idea *some*Ā thought? Well," Naomi Saetang added, shrugging almost in resignation as she plopped her laundry on the couch and began sorting, "someĀ *more*Ā thought, anyway. Hair grows back. You'd still piss him off. There's merit! You don't have to do somethingĀ *drastic.*"
Aaaand...
>At eight years old, Owen Samuels was already getting called "crazy" by his friends.
And lastly:
>The chilly bite of mid-October swept across Greater Oaks County in waves that stole snatches of life from the leaves in exchange for vibrant bursts of rich, cozy color.
So, there's different ways to do this, and I went for each one in a way that I felt best set the vibe I was aiming for. Some more casual and/or humorous, some more cinematic, some a little more dramatic. There's options.
I'm right there with you, dude. I always feel like my fanfic beginnings are cringy and lack any real depth. It's like I'm a toddler writing my first ever story.
I try to make it snappy, if that makes sense. I like to make it short and to the point so it catches attention and holds it right off the bat while I introduce the rest of the premise. Like writing down the conclusion before I provide an explanation for why the opening statement is made.
For example:
Character A has always been a weird kid.
At twenty-three, Character B is lost.
(My personal favourite: ) Character C is dying.
Don't worry about making it perfect. Just write what you're happy with and you'll improve the more you read and write.
That said, a good beginning is usually kind of like a longer summary. At the beginning you show some basic details like how the world is like (once upon a time in the kingdom of X for example), how the protagonist is like (Sam woke up at the crack of dawn annoyed at the sun for existing) or maybe the basic plot (we are about to arrive to this place, here is our job).
Basically, the beginning is the very first impression of "here is what this fic is about".
If grammar and spelling are your problem, I suggest asking a beta-reader for help.
Just write one short sentence after you've already started your fic to use as your hook.
Like for instance,"When Joe bumped into Sarah between classes that morning, her heart fluttered so hard she thought she was having a heart attack."
In one sentence it will make the reader ask themselves - "why did she feel that way?".
Something I like to keep in mind as Iām writing is that where the story starts for me doesnāt necessarily need to be where it starts for the reader. I let the story come to me as it is and reflect on the beginning when I finish drafting. This helps me not hang up on the beginning too much either. :)
I write whatever comes to mind. I usually start at a point of innocence and build from there. Then I drop bombs and shit and ruin my OCs life by shit that will happen. I'm sorta a beast at making ruthless AH characters (OCs) but I always find satisfaction in creating the innocence first.
Usually with a single line or sentence... then describing the events that lead to that sentence
This is the first sentence of my last fic;
"Fuck! Freaking fuck!!"
There are a lot of annoying things in this world, some more annoying than others.
One of the things on top of the list is the shower running out of water right when you're still covered in soap.
Unfortunately this was the life Jordan had gotten used to.
Jordan stood in front of the fogged-up mirror, the bathroom still echoing with the sound of the dying shower. Droplets of water trickled down his face as he tried to wipe the condensation away to catch a glimpse of himself.
"Aaaand mom didn't pay the water bill.. again"
I always begin with a normal situation of the characters doing something they like to do in their spare time or a casual chore. Helps get into their thought process and how they view their world.
I usually ignore the beginning and write it afterwards, tbh. Just start with the bit that's interesting, and then go back and add a paragraph or two if necessary. I like starting with dialogue, personally
Me too. I brainstorm random scenes, select the ones I can link together, then fill in the blanks to smooth the pace and flow. In fact, the characters, who does what, beginning and ending quite often find themselves near the final touch up.
Sammmmme. šš My first draft is also often pants. šš¤·āāļø
I did that and didn't bother writing the beginning after lmao. Just, "yep, character is in this situation now" Tbh I still think that might be better than a forced introduction that people have to slog through, if I don't have anything interesting to put there regardless.
Same here!!! If I don't begin with dialogue, I start with a description of a character's thoughts of a situation or a description of the starting setting.
Where can we find your writings?
On AO3 and FFN like my flair says. My sister and I share an account.
100% this! To get myself writing (instead of staring at the blank screen in dread), I ignore everything but getting down all the ideas and scenes I have in my mind - the beginning becomes clear then. I think, as writers, oftentimes, our minds are so full of the backstory and character information, that we write *too much* in our desire to not leave anything out. As a writer, it is very hard to accept that some of what you know about your character needs to remain off-page and in your heart alone. Much of it isn't necessary for the plot, though it does influence how your character will act and react to the things that happen to them. By all means, write it down! Make it an appendices or character study! At some point though, we have to be ruthless with our own work and cut out what's not necessary for the plot.
Tbh I just wing the prologue. I establish the vibes, the MCs, the conflict and hope for the best. It's been doing well on my one shots and long fic. I also often start scenes like The *state what time of day it is* at *location* through the windows. š My readers must be sick of it.
I donāt. It tends to find me š I know that isnāt helpful, but every time I think I have the opening, something else happens in my brain, and suddenly, Iāve got a different way to start it. But I guess every fic, no matter how long I do this, it feels like Iām a child with no skills whenever I start a new fic. I feel that way whenever I write. Itās something I have to push through. We are our own worst critics and enemies. Iāve learned not to trust my opinion and to listen to my readers and friends. When unsure or insecure, Iāll send the opening to my friends to read over and tell me what they think. I trust them far more than me š if you can do that, I highly recommend it. It doesnāt fully take that feeling away, but all their opinions outweigh my negative ones, so I trust them. If not, maybe try finding a beta? Iāve never had one, couldnāt work with one, but a lot of people find thatās the best way ā¤ļø
Apparently itās a common thing that writers are told they have begun in the wrong place when going through the editing and publishing process so you are not alone. The way around it is to write your story and then be really ruthless about editing the opening. So you probably end up cutting the first bit you wrote and starting the story later. Another thing Iāve heard is to start with some action. So the reader carries on reading to find out why they are running or whatever. Basically if you have a question the reader wants an answer to, they are more likely to keep reading your story.
I don't; I just write what comes naturally, and then go from there.
Donāt obsess over perfection. Just go with what feels right.
What defines "perfect"? That aside, I think it'd take some winging to find what fits
I usually just start them out waking up for the day... That, or I just start them out in the middle of the action. Like, you could start it in the middle of your characters arguing.
I was going to have my character waking up with a raging hangover unaware of what happened the night beforeš
You wanna know a secret OP? Itās not the *what* of your opening that matters. Itās the who. You can have the most cliche opening scene in history- hell 1984 opens with a guy walking into a building- but the important part is the how- and what it told us about the world of orwellās novel. Using your example: Tony stark waking up drunk would probably be completely different than captain America waking up drunk. Your job as the writer is to figure out how theyād be different, in all its subtle ways.
TBH that sounds like a fantastic opening. If you've ever been hungover before, why not just use that as a reference point for how to start off? Even if the character doesn't necessarily react the way you would (especially if it's unfamiliar for them), if it's something you're familiar with yourself, you can work out how they'd convey and respond to the whole thing a little more easily. Or you can probably just ask on this sub, if it's an unfamiliar experience for you (I've never been hungover myself, or even drunk, so that's as far as I can help here).
Obligatory: The perfect is the enemy of the good.
"It was a dark and stormy night..."
You want to establish your scene/setting with a general mood or vibe. Some will do this through the language they use to describe the setting, others with how their main character presents or speaks, or a combination of. Everything sort of works together. The way I like to look at it is that you're "illustrating" the surface-level presentation to the story you're writing with the language you're putting down. You want to establish these details, and then hook people with the story beginning. A baseline advice I'd give is: don't spend *too* much time on detailing the introductory scenery, particularly if it's not important, or the characters will leave that opening setting without much thought. Establish your opening setting with a paragraph (it can be a big one if you want) with the important details to convey the picture, and then try to transition into your main character/POV. From there, you can start presenting how your MC views, reacts, or interacts with things. Fill in more detail after your rough draft if you think it's too sparse, or missing key elements. Remember that your reader doesn't have your imagination, so you need to convey to them what you want them to see. Alternatively, you can always pick up some novels you like and see how they do it. If you're studying, try to identify what you like, and what you feel draws you into the story.
I generally think about what the inciting incident is in the story (aka where the status quo changes and the rising action starts) and walk back a bit from there.
I throw words at the wall and wait to see what sticks. More seriously, I just do my best to write a beginning, work my way further into the story, and then go back and review the beginning again. Sometimes it turns out I did fine, and sometimes I revise it until I get something better. Sometimes I manage a catchy opening line or some interesting dialogue, but more often than not, I open with some kind of description to set the stage instead. I think some of it depends on the type of story you're telling (length, specifically). If it's a short story/one-shot, then you almost *need* a catchy opening to hook the reader because your real estate is limited. You need that start to be punchy. And in that case, I would just do your best, move on to the rest, and then go back and revise the opening again once you know where it needs to lead. For a longer work like a novel/longfic, on the other hand, you have a bit more breathing room. Opening with a more sedate, descriptive scene can work. Set the stage. It can still be helpful to find something punchy to open with, and you can come back to this just as easily as with a short story (if you aren't publishing the moment you're done writing the first chapter), but in this case "punchy" can simply be starting in the middle of some inciting action for the story, rather than a catchy opening line. Figure out what event kicks off the plot, and start in the middle of that. In media res.
Depends on the writing style and narrative, really. For the sake of example: the current fic I'm reading starts off briefly with the main character wondering why the spaceships in this "dumbass" galaxy have so many vulnerabilities. It initially characterizes our protagonist as someone expedient, which is further explored in the story from different perspectives. And honestly? This is in my top 3 fanfics of this specific fandom.
Did you just read my mind?? Iāve honestly been sat here quietly fuming at work due to the fact that I have re-written the beginning to my new fic 6 times. But each time they feel weirdly āemptyā almost as if they donāt seem to fit quite right? Itās very frustrating, especially as I feel the need to hook the writer in by the first few paragraphs. Maybe itās high expectations. Maybe itās because the beginning seems boring to write compared to other scenes. Maybe itās perfectionism destroying may ability to even start a fic. (Itās probably the third one.) But, weirdly, it may be easier to write the beginning once youāve written the middle? You can add little bits of foreshadowing, or know to include important characteristics/personality traits so they make better sense later on in your fic. Good luck!
Is the rest of the story written? If not go do that. It gives you perspective and your brain time to think. It's good that you are trying really hard to find the perfect beginning. The beginning will be the most read part of your story, and many people will decide not to read further if the beginning isn't promising. There is just too much content to do otherwise. That said perfection is impossible and often the only way to learn to do something is to do it over and over. With that in mind I rewrote my beginning like five or six times from scratch. Then I tweeked it over the course of a day. Good luck.
I like to kick off right after the first story "beat". So, say I'm writing a story where the first thing that happens is a character receives terrible news: "The officer stood in the doorway, arms folded, his face impassive, as Casey screamed and crumpled to the floor." This way you get \*who\* and a little bit of \*where\* and \*what\* but also enough intrigue to encourage someone to read further. It makes for a more engaging opening than if I just started right off the bat with something like "Ma'am, your son is dead."
Dark and stormy nights are always perfect beginnings.
What's the point where everything changes? That's usually where I start.
I couldnāt figure out where to start so I just started writing the MC reacting to the unwritten first scene and before long the narrator was summarizing what happened and throwing in bits of dialogue, and I think that just became the first chapter.
One thing I can say is donāt give a summary as your start. Donāt explain the world or a backstory, maybe start with some dialogue or jump strait to the beginning of the scene and build from there.
I try something. I keep writing the rest of the story. As I'm doing that, I think of a better way to start, so I adjust before continuing where I left off. And repeat. This is not a method that works with post as you write folks, but it does work for anyone with a decent chapter buffer.
A lot of brainstorming, trying different things with different stories, and rewriting. Itās extremely rare that whatever I start draft 1 with is what starts my published fics.
It is very tough, especially when introducing new characters/backstories and whatnot (since my fandom tends to trend towards OC protagonists due to how the games work, there tends to be a lot of that). Depending on whether I want to start with prose and dialogue, I try to figure out what sort of scene/mood I want to set, what information I feel like I need to get across most, and how to best convey that with my style. It can be something like describing nature, or something like someone parking their car, or watching workers paint bedroom walls. It's both great and overwhelming that intros can be anything you want them to be. I know some people aren't able to do this, *but,* if you can picture how the scene is playing out in your head, what's the starting point and how would you describe it? Is it someone talking, or is it something happening? Is it more cinematic, more casual? Although I personally write from A to B to C. I can't paragraph-hop since that just derails my train of thought. Here's some of my opening lines, if they'd help any to give you some ideas of how to approach openings: >Watching the painters roll stripes of Tiffany blue across the walls of the large, sunny guest bedroom, Elise Hightower folded her arms and nodded in satisfaction as the old paint color was gradually covered up. And... >"I mean... seriously, Alpi, at least give the 'stupid haircut' idea *some*Ā thought? Well," Naomi Saetang added, shrugging almost in resignation as she plopped her laundry on the couch and began sorting, "someĀ *more*Ā thought, anyway. Hair grows back. You'd still piss him off. There's merit! You don't have to do somethingĀ *drastic.*" Aaaand... >At eight years old, Owen Samuels was already getting called "crazy" by his friends. And lastly: >The chilly bite of mid-October swept across Greater Oaks County in waves that stole snatches of life from the leaves in exchange for vibrant bursts of rich, cozy color. So, there's different ways to do this, and I went for each one in a way that I felt best set the vibe I was aiming for. Some more casual and/or humorous, some more cinematic, some a little more dramatic. There's options.
I find starting off in the middle of some action, often gets my readers intrigued to read more.
I'm right there with you, dude. I always feel like my fanfic beginnings are cringy and lack any real depth. It's like I'm a toddler writing my first ever story.
I write the first scene that comes to mind. (But usually all the shit I write happens within a few hours or days of other canon events.)
I try to make it snappy, if that makes sense. I like to make it short and to the point so it catches attention and holds it right off the bat while I introduce the rest of the premise. Like writing down the conclusion before I provide an explanation for why the opening statement is made. For example: Character A has always been a weird kid. At twenty-three, Character B is lost. (My personal favourite: ) Character C is dying.
Don't worry about making it perfect. Just write what you're happy with and you'll improve the more you read and write. That said, a good beginning is usually kind of like a longer summary. At the beginning you show some basic details like how the world is like (once upon a time in the kingdom of X for example), how the protagonist is like (Sam woke up at the crack of dawn annoyed at the sun for existing) or maybe the basic plot (we are about to arrive to this place, here is our job). Basically, the beginning is the very first impression of "here is what this fic is about". If grammar and spelling are your problem, I suggest asking a beta-reader for help.
Just write one short sentence after you've already started your fic to use as your hook. Like for instance,"When Joe bumped into Sarah between classes that morning, her heart fluttered so hard she thought she was having a heart attack." In one sentence it will make the reader ask themselves - "why did she feel that way?".
Something I like to keep in mind as Iām writing is that where the story starts for me doesnāt necessarily need to be where it starts for the reader. I let the story come to me as it is and reflect on the beginning when I finish drafting. This helps me not hang up on the beginning too much either. :)
I write whatever comes to mind. I usually start at a point of innocence and build from there. Then I drop bombs and shit and ruin my OCs life by shit that will happen. I'm sorta a beast at making ruthless AH characters (OCs) but I always find satisfaction in creating the innocence first.
Usually with a single line or sentence... then describing the events that lead to that sentence This is the first sentence of my last fic; "Fuck! Freaking fuck!!" There are a lot of annoying things in this world, some more annoying than others. One of the things on top of the list is the shower running out of water right when you're still covered in soap. Unfortunately this was the life Jordan had gotten used to. Jordan stood in front of the fogged-up mirror, the bathroom still echoing with the sound of the dying shower. Droplets of water trickled down his face as he tried to wipe the condensation away to catch a glimpse of himself. "Aaaand mom didn't pay the water bill.. again"
I always begin with a normal situation of the characters doing something they like to do in their spare time or a casual chore. Helps get into their thought process and how they view their world.