Random question: I have two choices on where to start my post-Colonial mystery. #1- This starts off in the cellar of the tavern with Amos and Benjamin cleaning dishes. I favored this as I've already got multiple scenes written of it, I just need to fix it up so it's less expositional and info-dumping. The 'meat of the story', if you will, doesn't start until the end of the chapter, after we've met Amos, Benjamin, the tavern owner, and two extra characters. #2- Starts off with Amos sweeping. The plot CAN get kicked off almost immediately here, but I fear I'll lose out on the steady rise to the kick starting of the plot, where we become acquainted with the setting and some of the characters. Thoughts?
A trick I sometimes pull in my stories is to throw the reader a red herring regarding main plot. Begin a story with a crime, an accident, or mystery, but resolve it while introducing the MC. The ploy is to engage the reader with something interesting during character introductions. My concern, and your's as well I suspect, is introductions feel boring. Of the choices above, #1 works better for me, if the characters are doing something a little more interesting than cleaning dishes. Perhaps one is telling the other a story revealing information required to kick-off the main plot. Or maybe you could have the two solve a mini suspense or mini mystery together in the cellar, such as an apparent theft in progress with something moving in the shadows - which could lead to a third character reveal, or simply an animal trying to get into food items. I feel like I always need something interesting happening, otherwise I risk losing my reader. Perhaps I worry more than I should.
I'm assuming you have a rough draft of the story finished. If so, print out two copies one with each opening and ask yourself which you are more likely to skim passed when reading. It seems simple but I've always found that, once a draft is written, scanning for the "skim-worthy" pieces (those that can be glanced over with little attention without losing the overall cohesiveness of the story) are best either removed or rewritten.
This is hard because I love background I tend to be the opposite of what other people are like but everything online says to avoid info dumping and giving backstory away too fast. To give it away when the reader can't absolutely wait any longer. They say to go for the hook and that most publishers delete the first few chapters to get to the meat. If you're a famous /popular author you can get away with it a little more but... I don't know I would go with my heart on this one. I'd have to say if the backstory is that essential to be told up front do it, but other wise cut it out and toss it in the middle somewhere.
I am struggling with a similar problem, but I think it all depends on how long you build up is. I also like a bit or a backstory at the start but not too much.
