Take two. I tried to post this a minute ago and my browser zapped it somehow. Grrr.
So, MoD, have you ever read Orson Scott Card's book Characters and Viewpoint? I just pulled it out to browse through tonight and found something you might find interesting. He talks about the different aspects of story, milieu, idea, character, and event (MICE). Then he says:
"Examine your story, either in your head, in outline, or in draft form. What is it that most interests you? Where are you spending the most time and effort? Where are you spending the most time and effort? Are you constantly researching or inventing more details about the setting? Is it the detailed unraveling of the mystery that fascinates you? Do you constantly find yourself exploring a character? Or is it the actual events that you care about most? your story will work best when you use the structure demanded by the factor that you care most about.
"If you love the mystery, structure the tale as an idea story--begin with the question and devote the bulk of your story time to answering it. If you care most about the milieu, let the reader know it from the start by beginning with a character's arrival in the new world (how long does it take Alice to get down the rabbit hole or through the looking glass into Wonderland?) or by concentrating on the details of the place and culture; then spend the bulk of your time discovering the wonders and curiosities of the milieu. If you care most about a character, begin with his or her dilemma and spend the bulk of your time on the effort toward change. If you care most about the events, begin at the point where the characters become involved with the world's sickness, and spend the bulk of your time in the story on their efforts to restore balance."