Should chapter 2 be a flashback?

The natural progression is to go to Jude in the sanctuary as he discovers Eden has ignored his warnings and left the safety of their home. The original idea for this story was to have a flashback at this point to before the collapse and show how the end happened. This would mean Jude is 12 and Eden is 10, and the world has yet to collapse into chaos.

Advantages of the the flashback

• explain the origin of the end of the world early on.

• I can show how they MCs relationships were before the end. I could highlight their relationship with each other and their parents and even friends.

Advantages of the natural progression

• Easier to write

• If this is a YA then the 12 year old Jude and 10 year old Eden will not be great MCs for the YA audience. However, if we keep them as they are then they are ideal.

• The flashback can be done to a smaller extent, and at a different time.

Decision

I have decided to do a much smaller flashback just before Eden regains consciousness. In this flashback we can showcase the world prior to the end and even the relationships before the collapse. Chapter 2 will start by introducing Jude and put him on the path to searching for his missing sister. This will allow us to see the sanctuary.