I already have the plot figured out, but I'm not sure when on the timeline I should set the intro. Basic summary of intro timeline: Research spaceship headed for exoplanet>>ship reaches exoplanet; crewmembers celebrate after spending months in space>>engine is sabotaged>>everyone has to board escape pods Intro starting point 1: one of the main characters wakes up to make his "daily" coffee and a colleague (another MC) informs him that they've arrived. Pros: -obvious main characters -possibly interesting stuff about daily life in a zero-gravity environment -sets up plot for eventual reveal of why the engine is sabotaged Cons: -could be too slow paced for an intro Intro starting point 2: All the crewmembers gather in the hangar to celebrate Pros: -perfect opportunity for the characters to have natural-sounding expository conversations that reveal universe lore -sets up plot for eventual reveal of why the engine is sabotaged Cons: -might be too cluttered -main characters not obvious -requires forced exposition about the ship arriving the the exoplanet Intro starting point 3: The main characters are in an escape pod falling towards the exoplanet Pros: -immediate action sequence Cons: -requires exposition to substitute the missing parts of timeline I should also mention that this will be an illustrated thing.
I like options 1 and 3. 1 you just have to do with some drama without obvious action. Probably something character relevant. And option 3 you can have a cool time-flash thing that would be very useful for a whole "we were celebrating then" thing. To some degree it depends on your themes. And it also depends on your plot. But I prefer those.
Would the visuals of an astronaut's daily routine of waking up from a zero-gravity bed to make a packet of space coffee be interesting enough to carry the plot until the MC's colleague informs him of the ship's arrival? Alternatively, I could make it so that his colleague forcibly wakes him up to announce the arrival.
Depending on the exact routine, and how you describe it, as well as the character element in the scene, it could work. And his colleague waking him up would be good. Bita' both?
I voted for #2 and think that is by far the best option. Openings that involve waking up, making breakfast etc. is generally considered to be cliche and mundane, but if you launch the first page with immediate danger and action, no one knows who the characters are and thus can't care yet, so there's no meaning or reason to care. #2 introduces the readers to your characters, their dynamics among each other, and the setting/situation they live in, in a fun and fascinating way.
