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Q&A Will it push away a reader if I start my book with the frame story?

So, I'm writing a novel where MC believes he is influenced in some way by an entity he calls Common Sense. He suspects (yet that is weaker than belief) that he is Common Sense's hand in this world,...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by rus9384‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T10:18:00Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/40525
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar rus9384‭ · 2019-12-08T10:18:00Z (almost 5 years ago)
So, I'm writing a novel where MC believes he is influenced in some way by an entity he calls Common Sense. He suspects (yet that is weaker than belief) that he is Common Sense's hand in this world, something like an avatara in Hindu.

But the book starts with the story of Common Sense himself, not of MC. And that frame story about Common Sense is quite lengthy, around 10 pages.

I'm not going to get rid of this frame story from my work, at most I can only move it to the middle. But I thought this story in the middle will not be as good because it describes events happened far before the main story.

I don't have a problem to "justify" this story in the middle. I simply try to decide if it is more appropriate in the middle or in the beginning. Will it be repulsive if I tell a frame story first and then the main story begins or is the alternative even worse?

P. S. This story explains much of MC behaviour and worldview, that's why I wish it to be a part of the novel.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2018-12-05T11:38:01Z (almost 6 years ago)
Original score: 3