So far my story starts at night in my main characters house and then his two friends Lily and Alex turn up and tell his about a gate in the forest. Actually you'll need some of Skralo's (Main character) history. Skralo's parents supposedly died when Skralo was born. Skralo and his brother Llenthar are left on the streets of America until they are found and sent to an orphanage. At this orphanage strang things happened (not quite sure what yet.) When Skralo turned 14 and his brother was 18 they were adopted and taken to England. Now he lives with his adoption parents. Right so Lily and Alex turn up and take Skralo to a forest. They have found a gate and it has some of the symbols form a notebook that Skralo had which belonged to his father. Right so they go through the gate and end up waking in cave like place. This is as far as I have got. Ideas and comment appreciated, thanks. Skralo.
I hope you aren't starting out your story with the background information. You'd be far better off to expose his past a little at a time as you delve into the present story. Why not start with Lily and Alex exploring the woods. Are they on a nature hike? Are they pretending to be heroes in a movie or book they like? How do they find the gate? was it overgrown with vines and shrubbery? When they visit Skralo in an orphanage, we can assume his parents aren't around. The reader is already curious, why is he in an orphanage? Don't answer the reader's questions all at once. Let the reader come up with the questions and think about them. It gives the reader a reason to keep going. Lily and Alex probably know, at least partly, why he is in an orphanage. But do you think it's on their mind every time they visit him? It's probably on Skralo's mind more often than on theirs, but still not in his thoughts constantly. So there's no reason for his past to be a burning issue in that first chapter. The notebook, when it comes up, will be a hint, but don't tell too much even then. Stick to what is happening at the moment. As a storyteller, you want to keep the reader in the "now" as much as possible,
No, the story starts with Skralo in bed at his adoption parent's house having woken up from a nightmare that he has repeatedly been having. He tells his past to one of the beings from the new world. As for finding the gate, Alex finds it whilst camping with Lily. He shows Lily the gate and then they decide to show Skralo. The gate is losing power, but Skralo recognizes some of the symbols from his father's note book. Which he's had since he was a baby. The gate is a rough cut stone archway. There is a red gem at the top. Lily and Alex don't know about Skralo's past. Skralo doesn't really like to talk about his past until later in the story. Skralo.
So, wait, he tells his past right at the beginning? That isn't too good. Also, if it starts like that, then the first time teh reader learns of the gate is... when Lily ad Alex show it to Skralo, right? Sorry, that's just a tad confusing, what you posted up here so far.
Sorry if I'm confusing you. Ok Skralo doesn't say anything about his past till about halfway through. Yes you are correct Alex and Lily show Skralo the gate but they tell him about it before hand. They show him at night. If anything is confusing you just tell me. Skralo.
