How to start a novel or any story?

You've provided the reason why you are not feeling compelled with your opening.

Your openings are about things and not people. In abstract, even a battle is kind of a thing.

If you write a story about people, you should start with people. You reader is going to engage with a character right away so give it to them. The reader has to care right away about the story they are about to read and that will always be through the character(s).

Give it to them and right away.

 

Well actually, IMO, it can be good to in the two ways you mention. For the latter, it will grab the reader's attention right away [so you'd use that as a prologue], and then you'd flashback or something. For the former, I don't mind that, too, though I think that, if you're using a prologue, that sort of thing would be best left for the first chapter. That way, with the very beginning of the story, you have something gripping. Whether it's action, comedic relief, suspense, or just an interesting part about your main character, it'll get the reader to start reading your book. I know a lot of people that will often read the first paragraph of a book to decide if they want to buy it or not. So the prologue would set up the suspense/whatever, and the first chapter would set up the other parts of the story.

But of course that all depends on the story you're writing as well. A gripping beginning can be as simple as good writing, even if you're just describing the sun or something. Bottom line: You want your beginning to cause the reader to want to keep reading.

Edit: And with something like fantasy, make sure you describe stuff well [but not overdone] so that people know what your fantasy world is like. Don't put bunch of descriptions all at once, but ease your way into describing the world.

 

i usually quote a line the character says, or said... a recap ... then discribing a new beginning/day..

 

I have trouble starting stories too. Usually I write whatever scenes come into my mind and work my way back or forward from there.