POV?

I don't think there's some rule that you have to. Your novel doesn't have to be in the protag's PoV at all. But if it is going to be it a reader will probably be happier if they know right away (or at least very soon) that this is the case. I don't think readers generally like spending a lot of time figuring out who the protag is or who the main PoV character is. But that's just my opinion.

I once wrote the first few chapters of a book from a secondary character's POV as the MC wasn't introduced until later in the book. I wanted to deliberately mislead the reader into thinking this character was important when in actual fact no, it's the other one who takes centre-stage for the main body of the book.

I'm not sure how I would react to that, scarlet. I have a feeling at that point I'd be annoyed and put the book down.

At the least, deliberately deceiving the reader is risky.

Setting a story up with a prologue chapter or a sequence of teaser scenes is pretty much standard technique. Anything longer... hmm... I don't think I'd mind too much, but it all depends whether the stuff that's come before the protag's appearance is both essential and interesting.

-Derek

J. R. Tomlin said:

I'm not sure how I would react to that, scarlet. I have a feeling at that point I'd be annoyed and put the book down.

At the least, deliberately deceiving the reader is risky.

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This 'misleading' character had a purpose though - she was the reason the MC met her love interest. It was because of her they got together, so she did have an important part to play, although she faded from the book by chapter five or six.

It's always worked for me. I'm not fond of bait and switch as a reader or an editor.

Related issue: I once began a novel with the characters in the midst of the sub-plot and some idiot reviewer didn't get that.

The more textured and darker main story sailed through his brain-dead skull without docking. He condemned my plot concerning (insert side-issue here) as being "thin." (THAT was the comedy relief, y'gormless moron!)

Some people don't know they've been born.

J. R. Tomlin said:

IBut if it is going to be it a reader will probably be happier if they know right away (or at least very soon) that this is the case.

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I think it depends on the story (and obviously on the reader, but that's sort of a given). Most people can tell just from reading the back cover blurb who the main character of the novel is going to be. If you're expecting Jane, and the first chapter is about Jack, it won't be terribly surprising if Jack dies violently at the end of chapter one.

Conversely, if the back blurb is more vague, or if it's an ensemble novel, it's harder to tell. Take Stephen King's Desperation as an example. The first chapter is the POV of a character named Peter Jackson. It's a long chapter. We see the action and rising dread through his eyes, we learn things about Peter and his wife, Mary. We experience the horror of the crazy sheriff through Peter's eyes.

SPOILER


Right up to the point where the sheriff pulls out his gun and kills Peter. It's a shocking moment, because I've been lead to believe Peter is an important character. But it fits perfectly with the novel, the tone, and the genre. It was a teriffic bait-n-switch, because it left me knowing no one was safe in this book.

It won't work with all books or all genres, but it does work. And work well.

write2livelive2write said:

This may sound a little stupid, but do you think a novel has to start with the protagonist's POV?

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Not necessarily. Plenty of murder/mysteries begin with the victim's POV.
Linnea

Originally, I began my novel (an ensemble piece) with a long-ish chapter, split into three scenes, each from the POV of what would be, later in the story, secondary characters. I used this device to introduce the world in which the story takes place, since it is one that has almost no similarities with the experiences of most readers. I introduced the main character in chapter two.

Only one beta reader "got it." Everyone else was disappointed that the initial character wasn't featured until several chapters later. They had identified with him, and not with the main character. And some found it was impossible to accept the main character ever, and therefore didn't like the story at all.

This may sound a little stupid, but do you think a novel has to start with the protagonist's POV? Or if not, it's still best to be that way?

Mine doesn't. My agent has no problem with it, nor did the many agents/editors and critiquers who have read it or, at least, the opening chapters

Pthom said:

Originally, I began my novel (an ensemble piece) with a long-ish chapter, split into three scenes, each from the POV of what would be, later in the story, secondary characters. I used this device to introduce the world in which the story takes place, since it is one that has almost no similarities with the experiences of most readers. I introduced the main character in chapter two.

Only one beta reader "got it." Everyone else was disappointed that the initial character wasn't featured until several chapters later. They had identified with him, and not with the main character. And some found it was impossible to accept the main character ever, and therefore didn't like the story at all.

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That sounds harsh. I remember feeling similar dissappointment reading the Wild Cards series. Some of the heroes by various authors i wasn't crazy about, but i kept reading hoping i could get glimpses of the ones i did. Same way in Wheel of Time. How many instances are there of non-essential, protagonists with hardly any relation to the main plot? We still read because overall we want to "get" the whole thing.
i like reading different POV's

write2livelive2write said:

This may sound a little stupid, but do you think a novel has to start with the protagonist's POV? Or if not, it's still best to be that way?

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No, I don't think it HAS to start with the hero's POV or even with the hero in the scene. The reader automatically starts the story looking for two things: the hero and good story questions to keep them reading. If you're not giving them the hero or any hint of who that is, the story questions really have to capture them.