Ok so I'm about to start my 1st draft and although I have my charators and my plot I'm not sure where to start my novel. I am writing a modern romance novel about a recently cheating on 20 somthing girl in London who has moved in with a friend and is struggling in her career. She ends up in meeting an Italian and the random chance to go to Italy to stay with his family. I know its cliche for romance to start at the break up so am trying to avoid this, my other choices are.... 1. Start the MC meets Italian and go from there, explaining the break up and backstory inbetween or after. 2. Start with her arriving in Italy to meet a virtual stranger (which will then be 6 weeks after the break up/ 2 weeks after they 1st meet in London - or use this scene as a prolouge. 3. Start with the invite for her to stay with him, which will happen 2 weeks after they met and means I have to then explain not only the break up but also the whole how and why they met in the 1st place as backstory. I am really finding it hard with which one is the inciting moment and which one to begin with. Any advice or help would be much appreciated, Thanks in advance.
Here's where I reckon you need to decide what your story is actually about. If the recent breakup isn't haunting the character, but actually frees her up to do something more exciting, I wouldn't dwell on either the breakup or the old boyfriend. If getting over the big breakup IS a really important thing for your character, and has a big impact on her new relationship, then it probably will need some emphasis. What exactly is your story mainly about? Is it about overcoming past trauma? Then start with the breakup. Is it about her finding a new life in a new country, and/or embarking upon a different kind of relationship that may be difficult at first (for cultural reasons?) but works out in the end? If so, then starting with her arrival in Italy would make more sense than starting with the guy she broke up with. (Not only that, but an exotic location isn't a bad idea, when starting a story!) Is the story about what happens when excitement and novelty wears off? Then we'll need to find out what really is important to her—which might or might not start and end in Italy. If you're having trouble deciding just now where to start ...just start. Nothing is set in stone, unless you're publishing this as a weekly serial as you write it. It's easy (and common) to go back during the edit and change the beginning, so don't let your doubts hold you back. Just start where you want to start at the moment, and let the story and characters develop. It'll all click into place later on.
I agree with @jannert, you need to decide what is the story really about, what is important. How does the breakup matter to the current story? Another way to go about it is write all the scenes then decide later how you are going to start the story. That first scene is one of the most important but it is part of a story you've yet to write. Write the story, then decide.
Thanks for the advice, The story is more about the MC being fed up, not getting anywhere in her job and parents want her to be married. After finding her fiance in bed with someone else she moves in with a friend who ends up being the catalyst in her going to Italy. My MC would never have done this without her friend and ends up going to discover herself and it helps her career, so I dont think I need to dwell on the break up. Maybe just mention it at the start and then refrence it later on when needed. I'm now thinking of starting just before she goes to Italy to get a glimpse of her life in London as I want to add a few scences in a coffee shop and maybe at her work. The friend is an important part of the story at the start and is part of the reason she ends up not only meeting this man but accepting the invite to go to Italy. I have started to write up a few of the begining scences now, so fingers crossed.
