Do you start your story with the end?

We're told to start our story with an inciting event. Something that will engage our readers and keep them turning the page.

For some stories, this seems to mean revealing an important piece of the denouement right away.

Some stories start by showing a killer being caught. Some stories start with the death of a key character. Some stories start with the revelation that evil will conquer all.

Is this really the right way to move forward or is this removing any need for your readers to turn the page? If they already know the end, why would they read at all?

It all depends, and it's a call you're going to have to make. If you're writing about a well-known event, there's likely no harm in revealing something that is already publicly known. If you think the death of a character or the arrest of someone creates intrigue into how we got to this point, that might be just the inciting event you're looking for.

You likely won't know if you're on the right track until you've finished writing your piece and can look at it as a whole. You might not know until you have someone else read it and let you know how the beginning work. You might not know until you've tried five different beginnings.

The important part is that you really think about this when writing that final draft. Is a revealing event the best start to your story? Take the time to consider thoroughly.