Late Introduction of Hero

scribbler1382 · Aug 19, 2006

I've been thinking I want to start the book I'm currently plotting with the villain rather than the Hero, and that got me to wondering. What other books have done this? The only one I could think of, off the top of my head, was Ridley Pearson's Parallel Lies, where the first three chapters are all villain and we don't meet the hero until the start of chapter four.

Can you guys think of any other examples of this? And if you have any opinions on this technique, I'd love to hear those too!

icerose · Aug 19, 2006

I can't think of any right off the top of my head but I too am preparing to write a story where the entire piece is actually from the villian's point of view.

The only one I can think of that might fit is The Phantom of the Opera.

glutton · Aug 19, 2006

Well, it's not the villain, but right now I'm writing a novel which starts off with the hero as a baby, so the first few chapters really follow the adventures of his mother trying to keep him safe from the bad guys. He probably won't be grown until 50+ pages into the book.

Etruscans by Morgan Llewlyn and Michael Scott followed a pattern like that, as well.

maestrowork · Aug 19, 2006

Hannibal Lecter wasn't introduced until much later in Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs, I think...

Late Introduction of Hero

scribbler1382

Write For You, Edit For The Reader

icerose

Lost in School Work

glutton

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray