Vogler - Memo From the Story Department:
The hero, uneasy, uncomfortable or unaware, is introduced sympathetically so the audience can identify with the situation or dilemma. The hero is shown against a background of environment, heredity, and personal history. Some kind of polarity in the hero's life is pulling in different directions and causing stress.
The reader meets the hero in his or her every day, relatively safe, life. The hero is usually introduced sympathetically so that the audience can identify with his or her current situation, worldview, and problem. This section usually includes some kind of Hook–or something to pique the reader’s interest and get them to read past the first few pages.
Batty - Movies That Move Us:
Physically, the protagonist is located in an Ordinary World, a place where he goes about his ordinary business and experiences familiar concepts, ideals, routines and patterns of living. Negative associations are usually made between the protagonist and his physical world; he may be trapped by rules, regulations or people. A physical goal related to this negative situation is explicitly stated or implicitly hinted at, which raises the central plot-related question of the screenplay: his physical want. An opening image or line of dialogue may be used as a symbol of what lies ahead in the Special World; that is, a world physically different from the Ordinary World. A visual sequence or voiceover may also be used as a prologue to the screenplay, physically highlighting elements of the protagonist’s backstory that will later be seen in stark contrast. Essentially, this stage sets up a baseline physical comparison between Ordinary World and Special World, not only showing their differences, but highlighting the different ways that the protagonist acts within them. (Batty, Movies That Move Us)
Vogler - Memo From the Story Department:
At first the hero, living in the Ordinary World, has Limited Awareness of a problem, and has been getting along using strategies that no longer work very well.
Palmer - http://www.crackingyarns.com.au/2011/04/04/a-new-character-driven-heros-journey-2/
Step 1: Incomplete (Ordinary World)
The incompleteness of the Hero will generally have two dimensions: something they’re aware of, and something of which they’re entirely oblivious.
The incompleteness of which the hero might be aware will generally be a “Want”. They’re not happy with their lives and they’re convinced that getting this thing will fix it.
Miles in Sideways wants to get his semi-autobiographical novel published. Thelma wants to spend a weekend away from her dorky husband with gal pal, Louise. And, as Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) sculls wine, watches Frasier and sings “All by myself”, you get the strong sense that what she thinks is missing from her life is a fella.
However, while it might be important for the Hero’s external journey to establish this incompleteness of which they’re aware, it is at least as important to make your audience aware of an inadequacy of which they will almost certainly be unaware: their flaw.
If we don’t establish the character failing of the hero – or we don’t start them off at a sufficiently low point – the transformation isn’t going to deliver any emotional power in the 3rd act.