When to introduce my MC's love interest?

[Fuchsia Flower]

I have only just introduced my MC's love interest 30,000 words in. Do you think that will be a problem?
He is mentioned in dribs and drabs throughout the story so there is a bit of a build up to his arrival. And there is meant to be an air of mystery to him.
I'm just worried that readers will have absorbed so much of the other characters by this point that his introduction wont have the impact I'm looking for.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated :)

[Rebecca_Rogers]

I introduced mine in the third chapter. My MC was interested, but it wasn't until he came to her rescue in the following chapter that she really took notice. :) After that, he was mentioned often and now plays a huge role in the entire series.

[Poetoffire]

The fleeting, mysterious love interest is kind of used. I like my love interests to be crucial to the plot, but not "interests" until much after they're introduced. The unfamiliar crush sometimes feels fake, because you don't really get to know the person.

But then again, it's been used time and time again and worked well.

What would you do with the love interest if he/she wasn't in "dribs and drabs"?

[Rebecca_Rogers]

I had fun with mine because my MC had a crush, but the guy she had a crush on was already in a relationship. And when she thought she had him all figured out, he throws her for a loop. It gets interesting, but it's not the main plot of my story.

But I do know that in real life, a lot of people have crushes before getting to know someone. So, in essence, that feels familiar to the reader. It may be "kind of used," but somehow it works.

[Fuchsia Flower]

The fleeting, mysterious love interest is kind of used. I like my love interests to be crucial to the plot, but not "interests" until much after they're introduced. The unfamiliar crush sometimes feels fake, because you don't really get to know the person.

But then again, it's been used time and time again and worked well.

What would you do with the love interest if he/she wasn't in "dribs and drabs"?


Hi, thanks for the questions. Great food for thought. The love interest is going to become quite crucial to the plot and the reader will get to know him. I just struggled to get him into the story earlier as so much was going on.

When I say dribs and drabs I mean my MC hears of Mr love interest but doesn't actually meet him til 30,000 words in. From that point on he's pretty major. Uh, does that make any sense?

[Zipotes]

In my first book they don't meet until several chapters in, then it's all about them.
Current book, also a few chapters in and moves slowly as she doesn't know it's her love interest right away.
Whatever works.

[Danthia]

It depends on what the story is about. If the romance angle is just a subplot or one aspect to a larger story, you're probably fine. If this is a pure romance and the point is to get these two together, it might be a little late in the book. I think most pure romance plots need to get the lovebirds meeting fairly quickly. But as so many things, if it works it works, so you'd have to decide that.

[Fuchsia Flower]

Thanks Danthia. I guess its a subplot (I'm pretty sure they wont actually end up together, not unless I write a sequel) so that's reassuring to hear :)

[Indus]

It depends on what the story is about.

Agree.

[ClaudiaGray]

I also agree with Danthia, though I think you could probably stand to bring the love interest in a little earlier regardless of the type of story you're telling. I write romance-centric books, so the characters pretty much need to meet in chapter one. If your book is not romance-centric, then you don't have to go that quickly -- but 30,000 words in is late to be introducing a major character of almost any type. (Especially in a YA novel, where you might be halfway through at that point.)

Maybe you can find a way to introduce the character and have him appear sparingly -- not starting the romance any earlier, but at least letting the readers get to know him and become eager for your MC find out more.

[Fuchsia Flower]

Thanks Claudia, I think you've just voiced my concerns. I'm most probably going to try and edit him in a bit earlier.

[tilt190]

30K in=120 pages in.

That's a long, long time, especially if your whole novel is about 250 pages. At the agenting stage, it might interfere with their impressions of your pacing skills.
Most books I've read introduce the crush's name at page 20-40, have the MC crush on him at 50-70, and have a relationship form at about 80-100. But, hey, w/e floats your boat.

[Zoombie]

I introduced my love interest on word 45.

Sooooooo, one might say I jump the gun slightly, but there we go...

[Zipotes]

30K in=120 pages in.

That's a long, long time, especially if your whole novel is about 250 pages. At the agenting stage, it might interfere with their impressions of your pacing skills.
Most books I've read introduce the crush's name at page 20-40, have the MC crush on him at 50-70, and have a relationship form at about 80-100. But, hey, w/e floats your boat.

I didn't realize it was that far in. I checked, in my first novel, she meets him on page 61 (which seemed far in to me).
Current book, she meets him on page 25, but only briefly, and doesn't realize exactly who he is to her at that point.
Both my books are romance dominant.

[tilt190]

I might be wrong, though. I divided 30,000 by 250, which is the number of words per page, and I got 120.

[CaseyMcG]

My favorite author, the wonderful Meg Cabot says if you're going to have a hot guy in your book, throw him in within the first 10 pages. Lol, might not work with your story but I think the general message is as soon as what flows naturally. My MC first spots her love interest on the last line of the first chapter but it's a very romance centered story.

[jfreedan]

If there is going to be any romance in the story, I think this character needs to be introduced by the end of the 2nd chapter. I only say this because if I read a book but halfway through the story the character starts a romance with someone they just met, it would feel the story has taken a completely new direction, especially if the rest of the story is all about these two characters.

The characters don't have to fall head over heels in love when they first meet. There just needs to be something to build upon, so the reader can start to get emotionally invested into the love interest too. I believe the most difficult thing about writing romance is you have to create someone the readers will become attached to, not just the main character.

[YAwriter72]

I had to go back and look. In my first book she meets the guy who becomes her love interest on page 97 of 195. I didn't have one single beta out of about 15 say anything nor did my agent. There is a guy friend from about page 10, but he is not the L.I. (The romance is not the main plot. Her "saving the world" is and the attraction between them is secondary.)

In my newest book, the love interest is there from page 1, he has pretty much always been in her life.

Both work for the story.

[Blind Writer]

Personally, I think it depends on the genre. MIne is a romantic comedy, and the love interest is introduced within the first three pages, but he starts as a "hate" interest. The second love interest (the minor one that helps form a love triangle later) is quickly introduced in chapter 2 and makes small appearances until is bigger role in the second half. LIke I said, mine's a romantic comedy.

However, I've read books where the love interest doens't appear until ove halfway through the book. Those weren't necessarily romances so much as having a romantic subplot, so I don't think it matters.

It's all about what works for your book, in my opinion. If the love story is the central story, 30k may be a tad late, but it's a subplot, I think that's perfectly fine..

Just my opinion. It's probably not worth much, lol