Pacing question.

[superpsycho]

Definitely start "in the middle of it".

I'm more of reader than a writer at this point, so I try to write how I like to read. When I pick up something off the shelf, I read the first page. If it starts with a giant descriptive paragraph, I put it back and look for something else. This may make me a bit uncouth, but it's what I am.

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "but feel like things should really start to pick up". If you feel that way, chances are that readers will feel the same way too. So get on with it!

I figure you have to grab the reader in the first three paragraphs otherwise they'll pick up something else. I know I will if a book hasn't showed me something by that time.

[mammamaia]

Definitely start "in the middle of it".

this is not always the best way... it may work well for many stories, but some do better starting at the beginning... or the end...

there's never just one way to do things in writing... and each story needs to be dealt with on its own terms, not follow just one person's idea of what they happen to think is 'best'...