Where Do You Think an Apocalyptic Story Should Begin? - Comments

I think starting at both of those points can be good, as they both have their benefits to your story. If you are starting after d day then I do think you need to somehow explain what happened and how the world ended up the way it is now, but you don't have to necessarily do a flashback or an entire chapter dedicated to the initial incident. Taking zombie apocalypse as an example, you can easily slip small hints into dialogue or a character's thoughts, like how they remembered the first broadcast about the "new virus", or that initial fear they felt when they saw their neighbour eating their own child.

I think when it already started and maybe have chapters as memories so you can show that first encounter too!

@ Alex Moore.
Well, in my story I planned to go back and explain what happened or not exactly go back, but the cause would be mentioned and explained as the story went on, but I always wondered would it be better if I wrote the story in a way that showed the main character's first encounter with the apocalypse or would it be better to start at a point where the apocalypse has already started and have the readers wondering what's going on and why?

I'm currently writing a post-apocalyptic story and we started it a few years after judgement day too, and not really explaining what actually happened.

There is this amazing book and they made an amazing movie from it as well called 'The road' its one of the best apocalyptic stories I've yet seen.