What's Wrong With Starting at the Beginning?

[Dresdenus Prime]

Ever since I got my Kindle and went OMGBBQ crazy reading books similar to the Dresden Files, I've noticed something; the story always takes place after events have transpired.

Harry Dresden -

(click to show/hide)

Already a PI, escaped DuMorne, worked at Ragged Angel

Ray Lilly -

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Out of prison, already has tattoos, history with Annalise, the 20 Palace Society

Atticus O'Sullivan -

(click to show/hide)

Already has a history with the Morrigan, Coyote, and Tir Na Nog

And there's more where that came from, but I feel I've made my point. My first novel was going along the lines of the beginnings, where the hero knows nothing and has to learn along the way, but maybe that's not the best thing to do? Is the story more interesting if a book picks up and characters and the world are already established even though it's the premiere book?

For example, let's say I've decided to write a series on alien invasion. Based on the way some of these authors write, it seems like the way they would do it is kick off the series AFTER the invasion already took place.

So now I'm wondering if I should be turning my Book 2 into Book 1, and using my original book 1 as a historical reference. I don't know, what do you think? Any opinions are appreciated!

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

It seems to me that any character with a family, or in a world with a history, or meeting people with pasts, is going to connect to some stuff that happened before the story (unless you open with some version of "In the beginning was nothing, which exploded.. ").  What scale of "beginning" do you want to start at ?

[Lord Rae]

Not just books but lots of movies, shows and even videos games do it too.

Look at something like the first Gears of War game... you get thrown into a conflict that is several years old and the enemy seems to be winning by any standard. Its a good way to get people into a story without a lot of exposition and explaining of why the events are taking place. Rather they are already in the past and you get to deal with the fallout. If you have something you want to take place within the story you could go flashback...or tell a story from different points in time. Or you could do it how you planned it originally. All are valid ways to handle it if you do it well. Go with whatever makes you most comfortable and what fits your vision for how the story plays out.

[Dresdenus Prime]

It seems to me that any character with a family, or in a world with a history, or meeting people with pasts, is going to connect to some stuff that happened before the story (unless you open with some version of "In the beginning was nothing, which exploded.. ").  What scale of "beginning" do you want to start at ?

I'm going to stick with the alien example. My first book was going to start with a murder that was inhuman, with my hero and his mentor investigating. They realize something is very wrong and out of this world about it and decide they need to investigat further. As the story goes along more people turn up, while at the same time a secret organization has taken an interest in the heros talents and wants to recruit him for their "MiB" taskforce. At the same time throughout the story, my hero realizes he isn't exactly ordinary, but he finds he has a way of sensing these creatures and fighting them. So throughout the book he's trying to find out exactly what he is. That's the premise of the first book in alien format lol.

Not just books but lots of movies, shows and even videos games do it too.

Look at something like the first Gears of War game... you get thrown into a conflict that is several years old and the enemy seems to be winning by any standard. Its a good way to get people into a story without a lot of exposition and explaining of why the events are taking place. Rather they are already in the past and you get to deal with the fallout. If you have something you want to take place within the story you could go flashback...or tell a story from different points in time. Or you could do it how you planned it originally. All are valid ways to handle it if you do it well. Go with whatever makes you most comfortable and what fits your vision for how the story plays out.

I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but being a gamer myself I realized how right you are. It is true that I can take bits and pieces of my first book and use it as flashback chapters in a new book 1.

What interests me is lately I've been finding difficulty writing my story. I figured since I've been working on it for almost a year now I was just getting fatigued by looking at the same thing over and over, and maybe that's the case, but I wonder if maybe I don't feel like I have enough material in my first book to make it a full length novel. Maybe it would be something better served as a short story.

[Aminar]

Honestly, that was a realization I had just before I started writing, a character's intro is all about learning.  While that can work well(Ala Harry Potter or The Wheel of Time) it often bogs down the beginning of things.  Instead I'm writing some short intro stories to go with my character's pasts.  Of the current 5 POV characters I have, 4 are 29 or older(With the oldest being about 140(152 after that time with the chronomancer))  It streamlines things, allowing me at the plot alot sooner than starting my book at the 29 year old's tragic 16th year of life in which he became one of the most feared criminals on the continent, while accidentally becoming a raging drug addict for half a decade, effectively hiding him in plain sight.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

I'm going to stick with the alien example. My first book was going to start with a murder that was inhuman, with my hero and his mentor investigating. They realize something is very wrong and out of this world about it and decide they need to investigat further. As the story goes along more people turn up, while at the same time a secret organization has taken an interest in the heros talents and wants to recruit him for their "MiB" taskforce. At the same time throughout the story, my hero realizes he isn't exactly ordinary, but he finds he has a way of sensing these creatures and fighting them. So throughout the book he's trying to find out exactly what he is. That's the premise of the first book in alien format lol.

That sounds like it could quite easily be enough material for a novel, and a reasonable starting point for a series.

It is true that I can take bits and pieces of my first book and use it as flashback chapters in a new book 1.

That would also be workable, though if you're intending to use much flashback (much detailed direct flashback, I mean, rather than just that story being there as background)  it can get a bit unwieldy.  Storm Front is a good example of a book getting quite a lot of backstory in at the points when the reader needs to know it without needing to go into flashback.

What interests me is lately I've been finding difficulty writing my story. I figured since I've been working on it for almost a year now I was just getting fatigued by looking at the same thing over and over,

heh.  This is the bit where I glower at the project that I'm in my sixteenth year working on. (Not as my only project, thankfully).

and maybe that's the case, but I wonder if maybe I don't feel like I have enough material in my first book to make it a full length novel. Maybe it would be something better served as a short story.

Might be the case; the impression I get from what you've said above suggests to me you have enough things going on for a novel, but you know your story best.

[Starbeam]

Ever since I got my Kindle and went OMGBBQ crazy reading books similar to the Dresden Files, I've noticed something; the story always takes place after events have transpired.

Harry Dresden -

(click to show/hide)

Already a PI, escaped DuMorne, worked at Ragged Angel

Ray Lilly -

(click to show/hide)

Out of prison, already has tattoos, history with Annalise, the 20 Palace Society

Atticus O'Sullivan -

(click to show/hide)

Already has a history with the Morrigan, Coyote, and Tir Na Nog

And there's more where that came from, but I feel I've made my point. My first novel was going along the lines of the beginnings, where the hero knows nothing and has to learn along the way, but maybe that's not the best thing to do? Is the story more interesting if a book picks up and characters and the world are already established even though it's the premiere book?

For example, let's say I've decided to write a series on alien invasion. Based on the way some of these authors write, it seems like the way they would do it is kick off the series AFTER the invasion already took place.

So now I'm wondering if I should be turning my Book 2 into Book 1, and using my original book 1 as a historical reference. I don't know, what do you think? Any opinions are appreciated!

It all depends on the story. And how it's written. Harry Connolly has said that his first book, where everything about Ray getting involved happens, never sold, and it was the second-Child of Fire-that did. And I believe Circle of Enemies was the first, and he rewrote it before putting it out.  There are also books where the main character knows absolutely nothing before the series starts--the Sookie Stackhouse books, the Skinners by Marcus Pelegrimas, Name of the Wind-sorta, the Sword of Truth series, The Hobbit.

Essentially, it's all variations of starting "in medias res," in the middle of things.  Some just start in the middle of everything, others start in the middle of what gets the character involved in everything.  All depends on what you think is the right beginning, and that can change as you write.