That is the intro at the moment, the first problem I see is that I used the word egress. The second problem is that the final sentence is kind of strange. The reason I am posting, is that I am confused about how to get things started.

I have a MC character that has a lot of history. I know that all characters have history, but I felt that at somepoint, to have the audience get a feel for how my character thinks, feels about certain issues, what is important to him, I had to include a fairly large flashback - - 5600 words to be exact.

I was worried about this flashback. I thought it would have to be moved to the first chapter but I was told not to worry about it as the flashback was an action packed scene that moved the story along.

So, I started the story in the present moment with dialog between the MC and another primary character who gets a good bit of play, especially in the first chapter, the fifth and the last. The rest of the way he just gets mentioned quite a bit. The first paragraph gets you somewhat aquainted with the MC and another primary character and asking why did the MC perform a certain curious action.

You may want to consider an opening dialog scene similar to that - - I usually find those easier to write and serves as a good starting point. It enables me to get the ball rolling and establish the scene and setting really fast. Although, what helps me out is that since it is historical fiction, the mention of two other primary characters really helps set the scene in regards to locale, customs and history.

Another technique I like is a panoramic view of the initial action or the final scene and then, in the case of the former, working forward and establishing the story or, in the case of the latter, working backward and then using - - depending on how far back you go - - the end of the chapter or the end of the book to bring it all full circle.

I am also currently writing a non-fiction work and start with a cinematic view of the first crime scene and working backwards looking at the forensic clues and forensically establishing what happened. The first chapter then ends with taking the reader back to the crime scene and thus setting up the second chapter and the second murder. In a way, it gives the reader a bit of forensic knowledge in which to apply to the subsequent crime scenes. Each chapter works basically the same way in regards to giving the reader a bit more knowledge and treating the final crime scene as a test.

I also have another novel I am working on that I just revamped and added a prologue where the hero is dying and the whole book is one BIG flashback told through the images of his life flashing before his dying eyes. In the end, the final chapter ends with him falling in battle mortally wounded.

I hope this helps, if not well then think back to some of your favorite and not so favorite books and dissect how they start the story. There are also books that can help you with the various stages of writing. And there is the wealth of experience here to consult.

That explains his distaste for the man, and is imperative to show why he does something foolish and does not heed Cadoc's advice later. The other flashback is just a few days in advance, basically the villagers are warned by a bard or something that they need to flee. They know back trails etc go check on what is going on and run away under hot pursuit by the "bad" guys, not all of whom are exactly bad, just soldiers doing what they are told. Anyway the trudging at the begining is two days after they flee from the village, but it takes until the end of chapter 3 to catch back up to that point.

Is it ok to start the story with someone besides the main character? For example the leader of the band that is pillaging the villages in that area? Then I could get rid of the second out of place flashback and move the first flashback to the third chapter when the MC is thinking about how he dislikes Cadoc.

Ok, how Cadoc relates to the village is somewhat of a mystery at the begining, he is a trapper/wanderer later it comes to light that he was engaged in a cause with the parents of the villagers in the past. MC is the son of a villager who was head of a small unit with Cadoc in it, but is not mild mannered as are all the villagers belying their true history.

If you need some specific exposition - really need it - you can have a secondary character ask another secondary character why these main characters seem so angry at each other. Then a brief answer that hints at the story but that doesn't wallow in it.

If you have to use a flashback, don't use it just to explain a character. It's got to be absolutely essential to the story.

Have you ever seen the miniseries "Lonesome Dove"? The characters in that miniseries have a rich history with each other, but we never see flashbacks. Watch it and pay attention to how we know so much about the history of these characters through just a little bit of dialogue.

I don't see why not. I was going to start Delicate Balance, the novel opening with the dialog between the main character and one of the principle characters, with a prologue in which Caiphas the infamous Chief Priest of Herrod's Temple was going wax on about how important it is for him to keep the people in line as it is he that actually controls the people of Judea and not Pilate. It was going to end with Caiphas ominiously prefiguring Malcom X's quote, "By any means necessary."

Instead, I decided to start with a dialog between Pilate and the commander of his body guards, General Maximillius Macedonius Equis Locus.

I could have successfully started with Caiphas' intro but I decided that would be a little to much drama right up front and I wanted to place the audience a little on edge with the mentioning of Pilate's name, right up front, along with death warrants. For a brief second it makes the reader think... Pilate...death warrants...Jesus? No, wait, it can't be, Maximillius places a stack of death warrants down.... Good heavens a stack!... Why is Maximillius secretely taking one warrant out of the pile...What's going on...? Then it hits...Caiphas arrives to see Pilate and they have a heated exchange...Then Maximillius comes back in with the secreted warrant....

If I started with Caiphas, then I automatically make Caiphas the bad guy. If I start with Pilate a person can be led to think, "Ahhhhh, nasty old Pilate here to enforce Roman rule with wood and nails. With the introduction of Caiphas and then placing the two at odds, then people will wonder, who is the bad guy. It confuses the matter more when Maximillius, the hero, agrees with Caiphas. And with that I've said tooooo much.

It depends on scene you want to set. Showing your bad guy pillaging, raping, killing, littering, disobeying stop signs etc.. will certainly set the story for a hero to arrive and set things straight, but If you want to keep the readers guessing for a while have the two heroes at odds and then slowly work in the real nasty guy.

Its kinda like the WWE when Vince McMahon forces two face (good guy) tag team partners to fight it out in some match and then somewhere along the line, between there and the ppv, some heel (bad guy) gets thrown into the action forcing one of the good guys to make a choice.

Peace,
Scott

[This message has been edited by Zodiaxe (edited January 11, 2006).]

Writer's are like fingerprints, everyone is different, no matter how like their favorite writer they may try to be.

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Sometimes I get so frustrated I just want to pour out my story and these little details get in the way of the flow, I always wonder if I should just finish the entire thing first, but then one cannot make it flow as easily b/c it may feel kind of cut up.

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That's good... hold on to those little details and spread them out through the story like seasoning in food. You don't want to overpower the dish with anyone particular seasoning. So, hold back on some details.

As I said, writers are like fingerprints, no two are exactly the same. The way I write is different from others. I view my stories like a movie playing out in my head. I place myself in the scene and actually act out each part so that I can get the feeling down on paper. Sometimes, I will write my story in parts. In Delicate BalanceThe ending was one of the first parts written. I wrote chapter three, the flashback, before chapter two. A part of chapter seven was written while writing chapter one. A part that will probably be chapter nine or ten was written while writing chapter three. I still have a part that I wrote..phhhttt... I don't know when, that still needs to be fitted into the story. With all of these parts written, I place them in the story where they will logically occur to add spice to the story and I fill in the parts leading up to them.