Launch phase

Also called

beginning phase

BeginnerScene & sequel craftReferenceBroader: Scene

The opening movement of a scene that grounds the reader and establishes who wants what before pressure builds.

Scene opening — orient reader and establish immediate intent. Scene craft is where abstract structure becomes testable goals, opposition, and change.

As a structure label, it helps you map drafts — labels serve the story, not the other way around.

This term narrows the broader idea of **scene** — keep parent and child roles distinct in outlines.

Why it matters

Launch phase fits the scene–sequel ladder in Scene Builder — goals, beats, and phases stay testable on the page.

Common pitfalls

Starting in summary instead of a concrete moment.
Delaying the scene goal past the first page.
Using launch phase as a label without checking whether the page actually performs the job.
Treating child and parent terms as interchangeable in beat sheets.

Example only

A courier slams the ledger on the desk — your POV character needs the name inside before sundown.

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