The story starts right before the world goes to pot. Let’s look at the first scene in any given story, which we call The World As It Is. The scene is not really about the world. It’s about the world the character lives in. It’s how comfortable they are, where they are in time and place. You’re setting really isn’t Springfield, Illinois, but where Jim Bob Lives in Springfield, Illinois. It’s in his house, in his neighborhood, in his home. The World As It Is is an essential scene, and it’s not wise to skip it (it doesn’t have to be the first scene the reader reads: reading order and story order are two different things). The World As It Is creates a beginning space for the reader. Even though you’re going break/destroy/turn upside down that world, the reader needs to know what has been lost when it happens. When you turn the world upside down, you cause the hero to respond.