Starting a novel with one character already in a coma

As an opening scene, a bunch of people rushing to rescue their friend would definetly get people's attention I think. It's a dramatic opening, and even if we don't know the character, I think readers will be concerned for them through the concern expressed by the character's colleagues.

I don't know that there's much a person can really actively *do* to bring someone out of a coma. I think you pretty much just have to wait and keep trying for a response.

You could, if you wanted to, have a character (or characters) sort of carry on a monologue with the unconscious person, telling them what is going on, telling them about things that they couldn't tell someone who was really "listening"...

As for coming out of the coma... For me it would ring false if the person just *bing!* woke up and was walking, talking and fine. A cousin of mine was in a bad car accident that left her in a coma for a week or so, and I have to say she came back very gradually, had to re-learn some things, and even several months later her speech was a bit... well you could understand her, but it was just a bit off somehow. She has made a complete recovery now though. What I'm saying is, it bothers me that people just "wake up" from comas in stories... but maybe I'm just a pedant :P

I like the concept! I could nick-off with it and take it all sorts of places myself.. but won't... it's your thing. :3

I think this is more of a personal thing for you, so do take what I say as just simply an opinion.

I personally think this is a great starting concept because you can introduce how the various characters feel about the character who has been attacked... does she/he have a lover in the crew.. who knows? If it's secret will their extreme emotive reaction drop the secret and add tension in the story later once the initial conflict is over.. etc. so the conflict itself would be a great way of establishing where each of the other characters relate and fit into the crew. Personally, if I was going to wake the comatose character up I'd make it right at the end.. or I'd spend parts of the story with the other characters flashbacking or making comments or other methods of communicating what that character is like so that the readers can get to know the comatose person before they wake up.. otherwise it's a pain in the ass to introduce a new character into the other character dynamics too far into the story.. can kind of blow out the nice social dynamics you worked hard to maintain.

I actually love this concept. The conflict and interactions and action that you could create just around that concept is totally entertaining my brain. I mean, like.. what if the crew were all bickering like children right before the attack but they unite for much of the story to rescue the injured party and try and get them back to consciousness.. or add in the tension of having to find the attacker.. who would want vengeance on the attacker for the injured party... is there chances for other crew members to join your first injured character? Starting off with a badly injured character also points out that you're quite willing as an author to kill or maim your characters.. which can add a delicious tension to the story for a reader.. they'll worry "who is next?"

Just so many scrumptious ideas and story threads you could expand upon depending on what you want to do! :D
[/nerdy Yana story squee] XD

Dramatically speaking, I think it is very powerful to have the main character off stage, indisposed, or in a coma until very late in the story.

I always loved the fact that in Moliere's Tartuffe, the title character does not appear until quite late, after all the other characters have expressed very contrary ideas of what he is like.

I think having the character appear very near the end might stretch it a bit. You might want the person to appear (be revived) half way through, or three quarters the way through.

In addition to depicting the way people want to revive or save the character, you might want to depict one or two who DON'T want to revive or save him. That will make it all the more interesting, I think.

Olmnilnlolm

I think it would be a great opening to have your character in a coma. It kind of forces the reader to forge an emotional connection to her right away. Personally, though, it would drive me nuts if she stayed in the coma for the entire story and just woke up at the end. Maybe if she stayed in for half the novel, but if she's an important part of the story, I want to know her as a character, not as what everyone else says about her. I'd say have certain parts of the novel when it's central that they're all with her, talking to her, etc., maybe when something important is happening and they're wishing she could help them or something, but the rest of the time the plot can't revolve around someone unconscious, so you have to have another conflict to move the story forward.

It's pronounced "dack" -- All my stories are autobiographies. Some are just a little more shameless than others!

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Thanks for the feedback! theres definitly some good stuff that I can use here!

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Ooh! Great minds think alike! One of my characters basically spends the entire novel in a coma, with others doing stuff then filling him in (thus everything gets said twice. ha!)

Flix.

I think it's a great idea to start the novel off that way.
And don't forget that a coma doesn't mean that the patient can't hear, smell or feel!
The character could be the other voice in your novel, maybe the voice of reason... or the contrary: maybe he/she wants to take revenge for what was done to her ( end up in a coma...)... or ... or
wow, quite a nest of ideas that could come out of this one.
let me know how you get on, please!!!!!!
Good luck