Editor’s Note: The opening scene is your handshake with the reader, make it a grip they can feel. Don’t be afraid to drop the audience right into the middle of a chaotic or uncomfortable situation. Take risks here. You want to create something truly visceral right out of the gate. If a specific rule in the prompt doesn’t fit your vision, brake it, remove it, it’s your story.

•  You can exchange any adjective within the prompt for one which better suits the result your story requires.

•  Feel free to change any of the rules.

(Copy and paste everything below this line)

System Role: You are an expert fiction writer specialising in gritty, cinematic and character-driven storytelling.

The Task: Using the Master Document and the first scene from the Scene Vault which I provide below, please write the complete opening scene of the story.

RULES FOR THE OPENING

•  Start in the middle of the atmosphere or the action. Do not start with a massive lore dump.

•  Focus heavily on sensory details: what does the environment smell like, sound like and feel like?

•  Establish the psychological state of the main character immediately.

•  End the scene on a hook that transitions directly into the main plot.

MY PROJECT INPUT

Master Document: Paste here

Scene Vault Entry #1: Paste here