Starting With Non Main POV Character

I think it is fine.
You may get mixed opinions on this.
One of my WIPs starts out with a supporting character.
I.e. my MCs mother starts the 1st chapter and we get to know her POV.

I think it's all right. I don't really know that stuff, but based on how I feel as a reader, as long as that character is interesting and does have a part to play in the book, I'm fine with it. I like multiple POVs. Of course, it depends on how your opening goes; sometimes it's nice to start farther off from the main scene, but you have to make sure it's interesting and makes sense in the context of the story.

As long as the MC emerges later as most important character, at first I'd be interested in all three POV characters. So the order should be that which makes most sense and makes for the best pacing.

Hope that helps, although sure as hell I have no idea what I'm talking about, from a technical point of view. But that's my 2 cents or less, so good luck.

It's been a while since I've read it...but The Great Gatsby starts and ends with the non-main POV narrator. I see no reason why you couldn't.

I would think it's okay as well. My #1 WIP starts with one of the MC's but not THE MC. There's lots of books I'm sure that don't start with the protagonists POV. One in particular that comes to mind is The Great Gatsby. At least for me, I consider Jay Gatsby as the protagonist but the story is told by Nick.

Also, DaVinci Code doesn't start with Langdon if I remember right. I'm just starting to get into more mystery/suspense when I can but the few I've read always seem to start off with the killer commiting the crime before the protagonist. I don't see why it couldn't be used in other genres where appropriate. Then again, I'm still a noob so it's just an opinion.

Just make sure that it's clear to the reader that the opening scene's POV char isn't the MC and you should be fine. Happens all the time.

Many mystery, suspense, horror stories, etc. start with minor characters. And as ALG said, Jay Gatsby is the protagonist even though the first person narrator is Nick Carraway. And some of us had a long discussion on who the real protagonist is in Stephen King's Carrie...

As long as you tell a gripping story, no one would care if you start with the main character or not.

My favorite book of all time is "The Strange Case of Doctor Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde." Dr. Jeckyll, ostensibly the main character, doesn't show up until the last few pages.

One small thing--do the readers a favor in case they become fond of your non-main-protagonist and do NOT kill him three pages in. Please, oh please.

MMWyrm said:

This is a really specific question. I tried searching but finally decided to just ask.

My WIP has 3 POV characters but one who is emerging as THE main character. However, the novel starts with another character's POV.

Is this okay? Or should the book start with the primary main character? He is introduced at the beginning of Chapter 2 as it stands right now.

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Well, let's see ... what's the purpose of The First Chapter?

It's to let the reader kinda know what the story is sorta about, I'd think. Sorta letting the reader know what type of characters inhibit inhabit (sorry, a Freudian slip, me thinks) that world, and might let the reader start to get familiar with the MC that the reader will probably be spending the most time with (or inside of).

Ya know, lettin' the reader know if this book if for him. To give the reader an opportunity to put the book down right away because he knows that this book, and/or MC, is not for him for an entertaining read. And to keep the reader who would like that kind of story and that kind of MC.

Ya know, sorta like using the First Chapter to also be a "filter" of sorts. It filters out the readers who aren't your targeted audience, and to keep those readers who would like the rest of your book.

Wait. ... ... I forgot. We be competitors!

So ... So ... So, of course you can start with another character, one that isn't the MC!

Yeah, yeah. Even, yeah, maybe pick a character that is kinda different from the MC who will have most of the reader's time and attention in the rest of the novel. Yeah, start with a character that will chase away the readers that would've liked your MC. And then, when a reader does like that "starting character," have the reader then run into the MC, a character which hopefully that reader won't like too much, so he then gets chased away, or better yet, that reader bought your book and gets disappointed by your MC, since he feels he got misled by the first chapter, and the reader then writes a "review" and he happens to work for a reviewing type magazine with national exposure.

And then ... What? ... why you all looking at me like that?

Don't be all a hatin' (at me). The OP is our competitor! And there are only so many 5/8'' slots on the bookshelves in the book stores. So one less competitor's book will give the rest of us a better chance for one of them slots.

You all should be thanking me, ... as I'm being a "team player" ... trying to help all of us out (except for the OP) ... Yeah, I'm trying to be a nice guy.

Where am I? Uh, oh. I'm in the wrong place. I don't hang out here, guess I better go now. I'm feeling better. Really I am. I'll just go now.

maestrowork said:

And some of us had a long discussion on who the real protagonist is in Stephen King's Carrie...

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Do tell who you thought it was.

I know I should say Carrie.

I get the feeling sometimes it's the mother.

I think that's what makes a novel intriguing. The more POV's the better in my opinion. It gives the reader a real feel for each character that way.

I originally started my novel with a minor char's pov (the lackey of my main antag). I later added a prologue in a MC's pov, but that was for a different reason entirely.

I tried to keep the reader from getting too attached to the minor char by making him a pretty slimy bastard. I mean, he doesn't think he is, but it's obvious from his thoughts and actions in chapter 1 that he's in desperate need of an intervention of the smackdown variety. None of my betas were at all attached to him (yay!). The only repetitive comment they had about his character was their hope that someone would string him up by his entrails in one of the following books.

But yeah, in all that garbled rambling, Brer makes a good point. Make sure the reader doesn't immediately attach themselves to a minor character, lest they start skipping ahead and become upset due to lacking face time.

Shameless plug for one of my favorite movies . . . Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.

Only one downside I can see. I once had an editor read my opening chapter. He thought the POV character was fascinating, but he said he couldn't imagine the person supporting a whole novel as the protagonist.

I said that was fine, as the character wasn't the protagonist.

The editor said, "Well, when I get the first chapter of a book, I assume that the POV character is probably the protagonist. What else can I assume?"

Now, I could list about a zillion books that don't introduce the protagonist in the first chapter...but I just thought I'd share that confusing comment from the editor. (And this wasn't some minor player--this was a senior editor at a major publishing house.)

MMWyrm said:

This is a really specific question. I tried searching but finally decided to just ask.

My WIP has 3 POV characters but one who is emerging as THE main character. However, the novel starts with another character's POV.

Is this okay? Or should the book start with the primary main character? He is introduced at the beginning of Chapter 2 as it stands right now.

Click to expand...

I saw this done really well in the book The Zero Game by Brad Meltzer. It's a bit shocking, but I enjoyed the jolt. And I'm sure it can be subtly done, too, if you like.

I don't see any reason not to, just in general.

Many horror books start with three or four scenes featuring disposable red-shirts so the author can show the savage horror confronting his world without using up any major characters, but this has become so predictable you can almost hear the machinery whirring behind the curtain.

It's a bit different on TV because you're familiar with the main characters on sight, and creepy music cues you in the to the idea that you're watching a potential victim.

Closer to home, I tried starting the latest book in my ongoing series with a secondary (although important) character, but it felt wrong. The series consists of the life and times of two characters, so I feel it's important to start in their POV while I get things rolling. Once we know what they're up to (a chapter or two, usually) then I feel I can shift to a new POV.

David I said:

Only one downside I can see. I once had an editor read my opening chapter. He thought the POV character was fascinating, but he said he couldn't imagine the person supporting a whole novel as the protagonist.

I said that was fine, as the character wasn't the protagonist.

The editor said, "Well, when I get the first chapter of a book, I assume that the POV character is probably the protagonist. What else can I assume?"

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I think it's fine so long as you're aware of what David said -- there is often a bias the reader feels towards the first character they meet. You might just want to be prepared to deal with this and you should be all good!

I think it's okay as long as the person you start out with is a big character in the book. My pet peeve is when you read a first chapter, start to like a character, and then you find out that the rest of the book takes place a million years later, with entirely new characters, and for the rest of the book, you're sort of like, "Man, [insert new character's name] is okay, but I would way rather read a book about [old character's name]."

But the book I'm currently working on (YES! LISTEN TO THAT, EVERYONE! AS OF THE MOMENT I AM ACTUALLY WORKING ON A BOOK! I AM SO HAPPY WITH MYSELF!) has two main characters, and it does change POVs between them. One of them is more prevalent, but she's not the one who gets the first chapter.

I think it all depends on how you do it. Anything can be pulled off if you do it well.

I remember when several of us read EXODUS, we were surprised that Uris completely dropped from the story Mike, the journalist, who seemed to be one of the main characters in the first chapters, and never used him again. It did not hurt sales and a major movie deal.

www.donaldmichaelplatt.com

maestrowork said:

And some of us had a long discussion on who the real protagonist is in Stephen King's Carrie...

Click to expand...

PJ Soles.

The Last Light of the Sun by Guy Gavriel Kay starts in the viewpoint of a very minor character. Doesn't hurt the story at all.

Maddy, that's what I'm a little worried about. My crit group liked the characters in my prologue and wanted to know more about them, but they never come back... Maybe it will be the springboard for a prequel.

Judg said:

Maddy, that's what I'm a little worried about. My crit group liked the characters in my prologue and wanted to know more about them, but they never come back... Maybe it will be the springboard for a prequel.

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You definitely don't want people to get attached to characters that are dead by the time chapter 1 begins. That'd be frustrating. Are you sure you don't want to borrow a couple of my immortals? I sell them dirt cheap, and it gets rid of the aging issue.