Opinions Wanted!!!

[silverthorne]

Okay, this can come from either a writers perspective, or a readers, or both. And I would dearly love imput on this, so...

In your opinion...do you find you like a story where the inital conflict that sets the events of the main plot in motion are written about first, or do you prefer to start with the main plot and have the situations that led to it mentioned during the course of the story?

I'm having a little bit of trouble trying to decide where to start a story...I know the situation that sets everything in motion, how it happens, even bit of dialogue...however...

Although it would give shape to both the world and some of the characters, I'm afraid that it might detract by taking too long for the set up, especially since it is an event that happens several years before the main story. I would like the reader to know where they are and what's going on, but am also afraid of overwhelming them with information from the start...so...

What do all of you think? Any preferences? Any fantasy stories (other than HP and LOTR) that stick out as great as far as beginnings and presentation of present/past events? Any help would be appreciated...

Comments

[cagewench.livejournal.com]

One I'ver got in the works starts with what sets the event into motion as the prologue and then joins the one character 100 yrs later (he's a mage)...

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

Did you write out the whole scene, or just give a rundown of events?

[cagewench.livejournal.com]

I wrote out a scene where the mage thinks he's victorious, he goes to congratulate his lady love and discovers that she has betrayed him and changed the course of their world forever.

[shadowycat.livejournal.com]

I think either can work in different circumstances, and with different authors. However, since you are concerned about this hampering your story if you go through things chronologically, then I think that's a good argument for not doing it. You know your story best and the most effective way to present it, even if you don't think you do. I would vote for starting at the meat of the story and adding in the background when it becomes relevant.

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

Thanks...

I think that I'm sort of tending towards a compromise at this point--a short prelude that sets the world a little, and then devoting the rest of the chapter to 'current' events, and letting the rest of the information get filtered in as the characters start gathering and figuring out what they need to be doing.

I think my problem is that I keep writing part of the prelude, and then sit back and read it and decide it's total shite...so I go back, rewrite it...and it still reads like total shite, at least to me....