Does the main character have to be introduced right away?

[ShannonR.]

Does the main character have to be introduced in the first scene, or will the first chapter be okay? In my WIP, my main character is a new intern at a fashion designer's studio. The first scene I have is a discussion between two other characters that doesn't *name* the person the rest of it mainly focuses on, but kind of explains why she's there and why they needed her. I've seen this done in movies, but this is a novel rather than a screenplay. I wasn't sure if the discussion I mention above could be featured in the first chapter before the main character is introduced, or if it could be a prologue. It's a relatively short scene.

Thanks!

 

[HoneyBadger]

Start with action, not backstory.

 

[Debbie V]

When movies do this, the camera is usually moving in. The conversation often begins before you even see the people. It would be hard to create that kind of effect in a book. A camera sets the entire scene in a single frame you'd need a ton of words to cover. In films, this creates tension and expectation. In books, the effect would be the opposite, creating boredom.

 

[hlynn117]

There are prologues and action before the MC is introduced that work, but for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Basically, physics says to be careful because there are a lot of bad prologues existing in the world.
This.

2. To hook the reader and provide the story question right up front, giving them a reason to keep turning the pages to find out the answer. Quite often the prologue relates to a scene near the end of the story, and the story itself then shows what has led up to this moment. When is this justified? Perhaps when you want to introduce your characters in a more leisurely fashion, and your reader's experience with 'meeting' them will be enhanced by some sort of foreshadowing of what is to come.

I agree. Start with action, and preferably, action involving your main character. I would say it doesn't have to be a giant battle, but a scene -- anything -- that makes you want to keep reading. Have a good piece of dialogue? What do know where someone is going? That's a hook, an opening.

 

[Layla Nahar]

One of my favorite books begins with the MCs wife waking up - her son wakes her from a drugged sleep to bring to her attention the the neighbor's plight. We don't meet the MC till scene 2.

 

[Bufty]

Movies and novels are totally different mediums.

Don't bury a reader in initial boring backstory and set-up simply because you know it or need to know it in order to write the story.

The discussion you have in mind smacks of "As you know , Bob" dialogue. In other words, false dialogue simply for my benefit and for you to get across information that you can easily let me find out as the story unfolds and as and when I need to know it.

The existing owners/partners/staff, or whoever they are, would have talked about why she was needed long ago.

Let me start relaxing and making a connection with the main character as soon as you can. Make the opening interesting- it doesn't need to be 'guns blazing' action.

Start with her entering the shop if, presumably, that's an important 'change in normality' story point for her. With some careful dialogue it shouldn't be too hard to figure out why they needed her - even if it isn't spelled out in detail.

I want to know fairly quickly where I am, what's happening (in this case it will no doubt be obvious she's starting a new job in some sort of fashion establishment) and in whose head I'm supposed to be - that's me settled down, from then on it's up to you.

Good luck.

=ShannonR.;7134660]Does the main character have to be introduced in the first scene, or will the first chapter be okay? In my WIP, my main character is a new intern at a fashion designer's studio. The first scene I have is a discussion between two other characters that doesn't *name* the person the rest of it mainly focuses on, but kind of explains why she's there and why they needed her. I've seen this done in movies, but this is a novel rather than a screenplay. I wasn't sure if the discussion I mention above could be featured in the first chapter before the main character is introduced, or if it could be a prologue. It's a relatively short scene.

Thanks!

 

[ccarver30]

Start with action, not backstory.

Agreed. *we* don't care about that in the first scene. Spill it later.

 

[randi.lee]

Action first, definitely.

 

[quicklime]

other than that you've seen it in film and "like" your bit, why should it go in the story?

strip all personal attachment, and ask if it does anything for the story itself, as opposed to jumping right in...

 

[amschilling]

Personal reader opinion? I would be annoyed. If I start a story with two characters having a discussion, the natural assumption is that one of those two are going to be the MC. Even if it's a short stretch, I'm going to start making a connection to one or both of the two, and decide whether to buy/read the book based on those folks. So finding out later they're not who the story is about will make me think two things:

1. Wait--I just got invested in these two and now they're not the focus? Why did the author make me get attached to them? (aka. WTF did the author waste my time making me learn about/make a connection to these guys for?)
2. Why should I care about the person who's now the MC? I feel like I've been tricked. I want to go back to the others.

But yeah. I'm fussy like that. It's worse when the author does it 100 pages in. Don't get me started on which book that was.....

 

[Jonathan Dalar]

Your readers are like little baby chicks. They immediately begin to imprint on the first character you give them. Though it's not mandatory, you'll have better results if that character is your main character.

And I echo the "no startin' with the friggin' back story" from many of the posts before this.

 

[Midian]

There are plenty of books that don't start with the MC. The real question you need to ask yourself is does it work? Will it work is an impossible question because it needs to be read to find out. Typically, doing something because movies do it with success is a bad idea because it's a visual medium and novels...aren't.

But that doesn't mean it can't be done. If it works, it doesn't matter. If it doesn't, it will come off especially awful.

SYW would be a good place to find out if it works.

 

[Rubay H.]

The first scene I have is a discussion between two other characters that doesn't *name* the person the rest of it mainly focuses on, but kind of explains why she's there and why they needed her.

Thanks!

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card starts this way. I don't see it as a problem as long as it's interesting.

 

[Buffysquirrel]

Jonathan describes how I react to films. I often end up rooting for the 'wrong' person.

I think you can do what you're suggesting if, for example, you set up expecatations that are exploded when the MC walks in. If, say, the two characters are talking about how neat and professional the person is they've hired, and she comes in looking like she's been in a cesspit and she's swearing and cursing at the truck that nearly ran her down. But if two characters describe someone and then they appear as described, it feels repetitive.

 

[lolchemist]

Didn't Harry Potter start that way? I think the first chapter was all about Dumbledore and Prof. McGonagall staking out the Dursley house, LOL. Harry didn't get introduced until chapter 2!

I think you should just write what you want and make sure it's interesting and useful so that people will want to keep reading!

 

[Titan Orion]

In my main WIP I have two MCs, one lesser and one greater; two brothers that dont know the other exists. The eldest is the greater MC, but I started with younger bro, because, in short, he knows NOTHING, whereas older bro knows a lot at the start, hes already aware theres a main plot. There are so many wow factor revelations that would be ordinary to older bro, it just seems like the best option. To explain stuff to the reader while still giving satisfactory character reactions, younger bro is by far the better option. The PoV will gradually change to the other guy once the reader knows a thing or six.

 

[GFanthome]

There are plenty of books that don't start with the MC. The real question you need to ask yourself is does it work? Will it work is an impossible question because it needs to be read to find out. Typically, doing something because movies do it with success is a bad idea because it's a visual medium and novels...aren't.

But that doesn't mean it can't be done. If it works, it doesn't matter. If it doesn't, it will come off especially awful.

My thoughts exactly! Well put.

 

[Michael_T]

Didn't Harry Potter start that way? I think the first chapter was all about Dumbledore and Prof. McGonagall staking out the Dursley house, LOL. Harry didn't get introduced until chapter 2!

But the name Harry Potter was introduced in the title. Same thing for Ender's Game. If you have a book called "Joe Smith" and the first scene doesn't have a character named Joe Smith but is interesting, that can create some suspense while the reader waits for the MC. But this only works when the reader knows who the MC is before they begin reading. (like in a title)

 

[DragonSlayer]

Personaly I like inturducing my main character right away. I also like to make it with some type of action. For instance in my fanfic I just started on here I have her in the Harry Potter world in the last chapters of the last book. She is in the battle and flinging spells and dodging spells all the while trying to help Harry figure out what he is suppose to do.

I like a little action in the beginning and then throughout the book you can give back story as something comes up to trigger a memory or if someone askes her whats wrong or how did you get those scars, type of thing.

DragonSlayer

 

[lolchemist]

But the name Harry Potter was introduced in the title. Same thing for Ender's Game.

I knew someone was going to bring that up. There's usually also a blurb in the back and a description too. No book is a cipher (I mean a completely unknown entity.) Whether the MC's name is in the title or not, it CAN be done.

 

[RichardGarfinkle]

There's a trope. I can't remember the name of it, but it's a fake out beginning where you are introduced to some characters that you think are going to be the main characters and then they turn out not to be (they get killed by the villain or turn out to be the bad guys etc). Only after they are deep into what they are doing is the main character introduced.

So yeah, it can be done.

 

[NVS]

Action before introductions. Like asking a man his name on your way out his bedroom door.

 

[Susan Coffin]

You want to hook your reader. Whether or not you introduce the MC right away, or not, you must start with some kind of action.

The "conversation" can come later, if it's important.

 

[angeliz2k]

I think it can be done, as long as it works. So, basically: what they said.

My current WIP starts with a duel, but none of the characters involved are the MC. Of the participants at the duel, one is her brother, one is her love interest, and one will be her husband within a fortnight. The fourth, an old family friend, is dead. The duel starts off everything else that happens, and there's a good amount of drama and tension; it's also a relatively short chapter. The MC is introduced in the first sentence of the next chapter. Her brother is coming to the door because he was just in a duel and now he's running . . .

I have worried about the beginning not working or not fitting with the rest of the story.

 

[GingerGunlock]

Anna Karenina doesn't show up until 30ish pages (I forget the number) into the novel, and it was named after her. She's also not in the last say, quarter of the book. Arguably, this is a great work of literature. Bue yeah, that can be frustrating.

Another frustration is when a book has an action-filled prologue, and then Chapter One has nothing to do with those characters, really, because they were murdered and the book is about the case, or they lived hundreds of years prior.

My preference, both in reading and writing, is to start with the main character and go along on their journey.