Story Beginnings: Do You Have Context?

Story beginnings are difficult (some might even say near impossible) to get right, especially in a first draft. We have to introduce the characters, the story, and the setting. We want to hint at what the protagonist longs for and show an immediate obstacle in the way that creates a near-term goal. Etc., etc.

At the same time, we have to avoid confusing readers, which is tricky.Most of us have probably started reading a story and felt so confused by the first page that we had to read it a se...