Author: Jeanne Gassman
Date:   11-02-09 10:50

Chris,

This may sound simplistic, but begin your story at the moment everything changes for your main character, not RIGHT BEFORE the change, but at that instant of change.

The tricky thing is to correctly identify the moment of change. Some common devices writers use to establish change:

1. A mysterious stranger appears, demanding the character set out on a quest (a favorite for fantasy).
2. The character is dissatisfied with the status quo and seeks something new that sets events into motion he doesn't anticipate. (Example: Dorothy runs away from home in the Wizard of Oz.)
3. The status quo is turned upside down by forces or events beyond the character's control. (This can range from a request for a divorce to invading armies.)
4. Similar to #3: Disaster occurs (Includes natural disasters, personal disasters such as bankruptcy or illness, even the murder or suicide of another character).

Hope that helps.

Jeanne