: Re: Is it more effective to lead with a physical conflict rather than an emotional one? I currently have the choice of two routes with my novel - to lead with a knives-and-poisons main conflict,

@Correia211

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I think that depends entirely on your story and the initial mood you're trying to establish (both for the story and between the characters).
Starting with a physical conflict is a fairly easy way to quickly draw your reader in. It's the cheapest way of creating dramatic circumstances: Raise your reader's pulse quickly in order to demand their focus.

If you start with an emotional conflict or backstory, you gamble a little with their interest in that plot line. It's harder because this way you need to convince the reader that this is both dramatic and interesting, while two dudes fighting or a battle scene does that almost implicitly.

So what should you start with? Well, what is the tone and speed of your story? Start high quickly (and then take the reader on rollercoasters) or slowly build up and increase tension over the course of the first act?

The final answer to your question is: There is no "best practice", just what suits your particular story progression.

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