I'm having huge problems with my sci-fi story. It's the beginning. I have rewritten it hundreds of times, but nothing seems to work the way I want it to, mostly because I infodump. Infodumping just takes the reader out of the story, especially if it's really preachy. But I just can't find a way of starting my story without providing the reader with a long explanation about the character's backstory. I feel that if the story isn't set properly and the reader isn't 100% sure of what is going on, then I can't continue. But how do I set the story without infodumping? I read somewhere that it's okay to provide your reader with only the information they need to know, and the rest can come later when necessary. But in my opinion, that would leave my readers confused.
Here is a brief outline of the beginning of my story.
The entire story is set on another universe, which was discovered by a space station from Earth. The universe is smaller than our own. There is just one planet, sun and moon. The planet happens to be an idyllic environment for humans (it would be pretty pointless to write about a planet that nobody can go on).
The story begins thirteen years after the planet was discovered. So far there is only one civilization on the planet. A village full of scientists who study the planet all day long, basically. The story starts the day it all changes for the main character. The m/c is a teenage boy who was born and raised on the new planet. His parents are scientists (pretty much everyone plays an important role, there are no civilians like on Earth).
That is the general setting, but here is the conflict.
A highly contagious virus has spread throughout the village, and quickly wipes out most of the population. The m/c is watching everyone around him die. His parents become infected, but before they die, too, the m/c panics and begins searching around the village for help, but all he can see around him are dead people, or dying people.
But then the m/c finds the villain of the story-the captain of the space station which found the new planet thirteen years ago. The captain kidnaps the m/c and takes him aboard the space station, and they leave behind all the dying people, including the m/c's parents. That's pretty much chapter one.
Also, I am faced with another dilemma. The second chapter is set four years after the first, when the m/c is sixteen and living on the space station he was forced onto. Now, I really hate stories which jump into the future, but that's just the way the story goes. Nothing interesting happens after the m/c is kidnapped, until four years later when he suddenly finds himself back on the planet.
So yeah, that's a pretty confusing plot. How do I start my story without infodumping? I can't just begin the story on a strange planet without explaining it convincingly. And I also have to explain the situation they're all facing, the onslaught of the deadly virus. It's too much explaining to do, I just want to start the freakin' story.
So, if you're still reading at this point, please help, I would really appreciate it, because I'm totally stuck.
Thanks,
Evil.
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