Should Our Protagonist Be in the First Scene?

Most stories openwith the protagonist on page one, but every once in a while, our story seems to work best if we start with another character. Is this a good idea? Can we make itwork?

Today’s post was inspired by a question from Glynis Jolly, who asked me if I thought an author would sabotage themselves and their story if their protagonist doesn’t enter the picture until later. I thought that was a great question and decided to explore the scenario more deeply so we could all learn together. *...