How to open a story...

[bretwieseler]

I'm fairly certain that I understand common plot structure that opens the story with the protagonist in their life "as usual" and then throws them into turmoil, setting them on a journey to resolve the conflict set about at the beginning of the story.

That being said, what if the idea I have has the protagonist already in the midst of a physical journey, where the true journey of the story is more spiritual and psychological? Imagine a character who has just undergone a huge tragedy, who is essentially drifting as a result of not being able to cope. The main body of the story will concern the protagonist's reawakening, with the mystery of how he got to be this way gradually unfolding over the course of the story.


How do you open a story essentially after the inciting incident? Or is it a simple matter or going back to the drawing board.

Are there any good examples that have the protagonists already in transition at the onset of the story? Maybe this is a no-brainer for some writers, but I'm having a tough time laying out the plot without relying on flash-backs and exposition.

My apologies if this post makes absolutely no sense.

Thanks in advance.

[Michiru]

Battle Angel Alita came to immediate mind when reading your description. She's suffered a great deal, but the story starts with her badly wounded and with amnesia, so she has to get to the truth over time.

The Crow is another example. Eric's back story was very well told over the issues.

[sunandshadow]

There's no reason not to use flashbacks in a visual medium like comics. Some of the most powerful sequential art scenes I've ever seen have been flashbacks.