Every novel begins with the speculative question, What if "X" happened? That's how you start.
Tom ClancyNo matter what you or anyone else does, there will be someone who says that there's something bad about it.
Tom ClancyTwo questions form the foundation of all novels: "What if?" and "What next?" (A third question, "What now?", is one the author asks himself every 10 minutes or so; but it's more a cry than a question.) Every novel begins with the speculative question, What if "X" happened? That's how you start.
Tom Clancy