So last night at work, I started thinking about how to continue my high fantasy story The Crimson Sword, and in what format. I've started this project a few times (the first two chapters of one attempt are here on my FA account), but never been happy with the beginning.

Last night, I hand-wrote a couple of pages that feel a lot better than what I've done up to this point.

I've finally settled on the exact beginning point of the story as follows:

- Not the battle in which Renzala is injured, as the events of the battle aren't very clear in her head, and beginning with something confused and muddled is a great way to not get the reader involved enough to actually read anything.
- Not immediately upon waking up in the old crone's hut, as beginning a story with the character waking up is kind of a cheap trick.

However, as Renzie's recovery in a strange place with only a vague idea of how she got there is important to the story. it's a difficult point to get around.

I've chosen to begin shortly after that point, with Renzala having all her (not inconsequential) wits about her, but still unaware of where she is or how she got there. It makes her seem a lot more competent, and a lot less helpless, I think.