I posted about this in the Prep class following a Skype teleconference that got me thinking about the subject. What may seem like a negative for us screenwriters (shorter protag introduction time) can also be seen as a positive because it forces us to translate visually who the protag is through scenes that should give information about the story as well. It almost seems like a win-win situation for writers.

My 1½¢ worth: I've read more than once that the prime consideration for P introduction is to make him/her look heroic, interesting, charismatic, etc., in order to attract a star to the part. I don't disagree with this, but it may require flashing forward or back, or entering in the media of the wrong res, or even going OTT in the relevant scene, kinking the character's arc. I'm in the middle of this dilemma right now, deciding whether to open with a warm little chronological scene (with a tiny STC element) that shows the P's need OR to flash forward to where the P approaches the "inmost cave" thru a dark tunnel, a metaphor for his goal/want. Oy. Any thoughts, Scott?

Marija, I agree that the constriction, if you will, of brainstorming minimalist ways to intro the Protagonist could - in theory - generate more interesting ways to achieve that goal, such as thinking of the most visual way possible. Not a rule, of course, but it is a way of focusing our energy on how to best intro the P as opposed to just "Here s/he is in their Ordinary World / Day In The Life" sort of thing.

Jeff, to me, so much of this comes down to your story's Narrative Voice. I've written about this before. Here is one post on the subject. Basically NV is your story's invisible character. It's the personification (in the writer's mind) of this formula: Genre + Style = Narrative Voice So my first question to you is what is your story's genre? My second question is have you thought about the voice you will take mostly with regard to scene description? The other thing is this: As writers, we sometimes find ourselves OUTSIDE the story universe to get perspective on what's going on, mold narrative elements, and so on. But we also must immerse ourselves INSIDE the story universe. From your question, it sounds like you are spending a great deal of time - re this specific issue - OUTSIDE. How about spending more time INSIDE? Take a day or two to really engage with your Protagonist. Do that with his/her introduction in mind. Hopefully a path will make its way clear to you. Whatever you do, it shouldn't just be a decision made relative to only the character's introduction. It should be grounded in the character and his/her overall place in the story, the story's genre, your choice of style, and your Narrative Voice.