Here's some edited, generalized and expanded commentary I sent
privately to an author that I think might be worthwhile to the other
authors on the list:

I'd strongly advise you to thing about starting the narrative with
what is called a "hook"; think about the standard Star Trek episode
that leaves the cast of the Enterprise in an interesting situation in
the minute or so before the title starts.  Find the first bit of
engaging dialog, description, action, what have you, and jump it to
the beginning.

Then you can introduce the background in *very* abbreviated form at
appropriate points.  World builders beware: it is very possible your
prose style is not (yet) good enough to start with a setting
description.  It is almost certain a long, dry recitation of where we
are and how we got there will not engage the reader.

If it's difficult to make the above approach work, try the approach
used by such dramas as Kimagure Orange Road, which often would start
with a teaser from the middle of the story; hopefully just enough to
whet the reader's appetite without spoiling him for the coming feast.

Sure, logically introductory stuff belongs before "the good stuff",
and it's all right to put it before in a media where the reader is
inclined to plow through (e.g. a book or OAV he's just rented or
purchased), or it you're well established; but for media like TV and
the net, you don't get very long, and even if you're "established",
there are still going to be many potential readers who have never
heard of you.

*Every* sentence you delay in firmly engaging the reader loses you
audience.  If you don't make the first sentence plenty interesting you
will lose some people.  If you don't make the first paragraph
interesting you'll lose lots more.  Delay several paragraphs and I'll
bet you'll lose most of your potential audience.

Anyway, my bottom line is that a story that begins with a hook of some
sort is much less likely to suffer the fate of the delete key....

					- Harold