Problem: Article: Many short story writers will try to start their stories in a scene, usually a scene that feels important and engaging. Starting in scene will hook the reader right away and ground them in the story. You should choose a scene that is essential to the main character or the narrator and shows them in action, doing something that will have consequences later or sets up the plot. For example, rather than start with, "Walter thinks the day will be the same as usual," you may start with, "Walter wakes up from a bad dream and realizes that today will not be like any other day." Though you may decide to use the past tense for your story, using the present tense will give the story a sense of urgency, which can help to propel the reader forward. For example, starting with "Today, I will rob a bank" may be more effective than "Yesterday, I robbed a bank", as the present tense allows the action to unfold for the reader in real time. The reader gets access to the main event and experiences it with the characters. This type of beginning is useful if the setting of your story is essential and you want to establish a certain mood. Perhaps your story is not very plot heavy but it does have a distinct setting that you want the reader to get into right away. You may use a character's perspective to describe the setting and focus on one detail that will be striking or interesting to the reader. For example, in the short story "Oceanic" by Greg Egan, the first lines focus on establishing the setting of being in a boat in the ocean: "The swell was gently lifting and lowering the boat. My breathing grew slower, falling into step with the creaking of the hull, until I could no longer tell the difference between the faint rhythmic motion of the cabin and the sensation of filling and emptying my lungs." Egan uses specific, sensory detail to give the reader a sense of sitting in the cabin of a boat and starts his story in a particular moment in time. Keep in mind you can also do scene setting later in the story if you do not want to start right away with setting. If theme or plot is more important to your story than setting, you may start with these elements first. You should still try to start your story in scene so your reader is engaged right away. Another option is to start with a strong narrative voice or a strong description of your main character. This may be a good option for stories that are character-driven, rather than plot driven. Often, first person narratives will start with a voice driven opening line. You can show the reader how the narrator views the world and present their voice so the reader knows what to expect for the rest of the story. Though J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye is a novel, not a short story, it has an opening line that establishes the narrative voice right away: "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth." The narrator sounds sour and rough but he also draws you in with his frustrated view of the world and his disdain for traditional narratives. The narrator has a distinct perspective that gives the reader a good sense of what the rest of the story will sound like. Starting your story with a strong line of dialogue can be effective, but the dialogue should be easy to follow and to the point. As a general rule, dialogue in a story should always be doing more than one thing and never be there just for the sake of conversation. Good dialogue will reveal character and progress the story's key events or plot. Many short stories will start with one line of dialogue and then zoom out to tell the reader who is speaking or where the speaker is situated within a scene. The dialogue is also usually spoken by a main character or one of the central characters in the story. For example, in Amy Hempel's short story "In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Was Buried", the story begins with a striking line of dialogue: "Tell me things I won't mind forgetting," she said. "Make it useless stuff or skip it."The reader is drawn into the story right away by the funny, strange dialogue and the presence of a "she". A good opening sentence should raise questions in the reader's mind, spotlighting a minor conflict or a mystery. This could be something as simple as a character considering a recent event and their reaction to the event or a more complex mystery, such as an unsolved murder or crime. Avoid presenting a mystery that is too big or confusing for the reader right away. Let the first line hint at a larger mystery and ease the reader into the conflict. For example,the opening line for Jackson's short story "Elizabeth" raises several questions: "Just before the alarm went off she was lying in a hot sunny garden, with green lawns around her and stretching as far as she could see." The reader wonders why the main character is dreaming about a hot sunny garden, what she is waking up for, and what the dream will mean later to the character. This is a minor conflict, but it can be an effective way to ease the reader into the larger themes or ideas in the story.
Summary: Start in scene. Establish the setting. Introduce your narrator or main character. Open with a line of strong dialogue. Present a minor conflict or mystery.

Problem: Article: If you wrote your note on a rectangular piece of paper, fold one of the long edges inward to make your note into a square. Position the note so the writing is face-up and the corners are at the top, bottom, and each side of your work surface. If you want to make your note extra special, write it on the non-colored side of a square piece of origami paper.
Summary: Place a square note on your work surface so it looks like a diamond.

Problem: Article: If you plan on refilling your empty water bottle to drink from it again, using a BPA-free bottle is your safest bet. Water bottles are made from a variety of plastics, and these plastics, like BPA, can leach. Exposure to BPA has been linked with diabetes and cardiovascular disease in humans. A more suitable alternative for a refillable water bottle would be a stainless steel or glass bottle. These do not leach. A bottle meant for reuse will typically have a wide opening that will allow you to clean the bottle easily. Refrain from drinking from a refilled, disposable plastic water bottle. Disposable plastic bottles are hard to clean, so they can easily host bacterial growth. They also contain chemicals which could cause cancer or reproductive health problems. You should use hot soapy water to clean your bottle. Do this at least every two days to minimize bacterial contamination. As long as you clean your bottle, you should not have to worry about chemicals from a non-BPA bottle leaching into your water. Let your bottle air dry. You can also use a dishwasher to dry your refillable water bottle as long as the bottle does not contain BPA, since heat will increase the rate at which chemicals leach from the plastic.
Summary: Use a BPA-free bottle. Determine whether your bottle was meant for reuse. Wash your bottle thoroughly. Dry your bottle.

Problem: Article: This is located directly beneath the toolbar, and has fields for the Host, Username, Password, and Port. You will need all of this information in order to connect to a server. Port can most often be left blank unless the server is operating on a nonstandard port that needs to be specified. Otherwise, FileZilla will enter the port automatically. . Once you've entered the information correctly, press the Quickconnect button to start the connection process. You will see messages displayed in the top pane as your computer attempts to connect to the server. Once you are successfully connected, you will see the file system of the server appear in the right pane. Quickconnect settings are removed each time the program restarts, so to easily access the server again, you need to save it to the Site Manager. Once connected, click File, then select "Copy current connection to Site Manager" This will open the Site Manager with the server details filled in to the appropriate fields. Give the entry a name and close the window to save the site.
Summary:
Enter your information into the quick connect bar. Click Quick connect. Add the server to your Site Manager.