Using an Opening Narration to Pinpoint Your Story Problem

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms. She writes weird books in lots of weird genres like fantasy (Blood of Kings and Kinsman Chronicles), science fiction (Replication), and dystopian (The Safe Lands trilogy). Find Jill on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or on her author website. You can also try two of her fantasy novels for free here and here.

Anyone watch the BBC show Merlin? If so, you might recognize this:

“In a land of myth and a time of magic the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy, his name: Merlin.”

In the television industry, that is what’s known as an opening narration. You can find opening narrations in lots of TV shows and in some movies too. Sometimes they are voiced by an omniscient narrator. Other times they are first person from the lead character’s voice. Below is a list of quotes from several TV shows or movies. Some of these are super old. Still, see how many you can guess. (Answers below.)

1. “In a time of myth and legend, when ancient gods plagued man with suffering—only one man dared to challenge their power.”

2. “In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories.”

3. “Now the story of a wealthy family who lost everything and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together . . .”

4. “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far way . . .”

5. “You know the kind of guy who does nothing but bad things, and then wonders why his life sucks? Well . . . that was me. Every time something good happened to me, something bad was always waiting around the corner. Karma. That’s when I realized I had to change. So, I made a list of everything bad I’ve ever done and, one by one I’m going to make up for all my mistakes. I’m just trying to be a better person. My __________.”

6. “In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them….maybe you can hire __________. ”

7. “Doctor David Banner, physician, scientist, searching for a way to tap into the hidden strengths that all humans have. Then, an accidental overdose of gamma radiation alters his body chemistry. And now, when David Banner grows angry or outraged, a startling metamorphosis occurs. The creature is driven by rage and pursued by an investigative reporter. The creature is wanted for a murder he didn’t commit. David Banner is believed to be dead, and he must let the world think that he is dead, until he can find a way to control the raging spirit that dwells within him.”

8. “You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension – a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into the ____________.”

9. “Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

10. “___________ here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite. And who am I? That’s one secret I’ll never tell. You know you love me. XOXO, ___________.”

11. “A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty Hi-Yo Silver, away!”

12. “There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image, make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to . . . __________.”

13. “It all started when a time travel experiment I was conducting went… a little ka-ka. In the blink of a cosmic clock I went from quantum physicist to air force test pilot. Which could have been fun… if I knew how to fly. Fortunately, I had help. An observer from the project named Al. Unfortunately, Al’s a hologram, so all he can lend is moral support. Anyway, here I am. Bouncing around in time, putting things right which once went wrong. A sort of time traveling Lone Ranger, with Al as my Tonto. And I don’t even need a mask. Oh boy.”

14. “Ladies and gentlemen: the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.”

15. “_________, a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist. Michael Knight, a young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.”