When to introduce hero

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justme

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Is page 48 too late to introduce the hero? I think my novel is more romantic mystery than romance. I'm nervous that I've waited too late in the book to bring him in.
 

brainstorm77

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It seems to have alway been the rule to introduce him ASAP, as the storyline allows. I could be and have known to be wrong:tongue As a reader I like to meet him early on.
 

justme

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Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. I may need to rewrite.
 

brainstorm77

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I'm sure others here will be able to weigh in on this.
 

sunandshadow

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The hero doesn't have to show up in person immediately but it's good if he's mentioned or glimpsed by chapter 2. In a story with alternating viewpoint, usually the second chapter is from his viewpoint. In a story with only the heroine's viewpoint she should probably meet the hero by chapter 3 and know about his existence earlier than that.
 

divy

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well, i don't know how helpful/relevant this will be. my novel is more chick-lit than romance, but i don't introduce the main male character (and eventual love interest) until about 52 pages. and the sexual tension doesn't start until almost 2/3 of the way through (my heroine gets distracted by other things in that time ;) )
but like i said, it's not strictly romance. also, i tend to be a bit of a rule breaker anyway :p
 

DeleyanLee

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I've read Romances where the hero hasn't stepped onto the page until page 100. I've read Romances where he was on page 1.

It depends on what the story needs.

Now, the later you introduce the hero, the more you've got to be aware of how you introduce other men into the story. You've got to make sure you don't give another guy any "hero points" to make the reader think he's the hero when he's not, 'cause once a reader's decided on who the hero is, it's pretty impossible to get them to accept another guy.

Classic Romance examples of this: Shadow Heart by Laura Kinsale and Whitney, My Love by Judith MacNaught.
 

justme

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I've read Romances where the hero hasn't stepped onto the page until page 100. I've read Romances where he was on page 1.

It depends on what the story needs.

Now, the later you introduce the hero, the more you've got to be aware of how you introduce other men into the story. You've got to make sure you don't give another guy any "hero points" to make the reader think he's the hero when he's not, 'cause once a reader's decided on who the hero is, it's pretty impossible to get them to accept another guy.

Classic Romance examples of this: Shadow Heart by Laura Kinsale and Whitney, My Love by Judith MacNaught.

This is what I'm worried about. There is another male character introduced on page 3. But he is the bad guy. And I think I make him unlikable from the beginning.

In other books I've written, the hero is introduced in the first chapter. But this one is different. I'm trying to figure out how I'd change everything and bring him in sooner.
 

Stacia Kane

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Yeah, he doesn't have to stick around, but generally readers expect that the first guy they meet in any subgenre of romance is going to be the hero. So it might be worth figuring out a way to mention the hero or something, or make the evil guy married or give some way to telegraph to the readers when they meet him that he is NOT the hero.

Good luck!
 

Rose English

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You're nervous that it's too late.

Even though you're not writing pure romance I'd say trust your instincts and see if there is any way to get them together sooner. On the basis that if it's bugging you it's bound to bother a reader too.
 

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I've never heard that rule. I think it depends on what exactly you are writing. If you're writing category romance then you've only got 50,000 words to play with. You haven't got time for a big set up, you have to show us the hero and heroine soon - by the end of the first chapter, beginning of the second. If it's single title then you have a lot more leeway. If it's something is not primarily romance then I don't think it matters.
It seems to have alway been the rule to introduce him ASAP, as the storyline allows. I could be and have known to be wrong:tongue As a reader I like to meet him early on.
 

Lainey Bancroft

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FWIW, I have a single title contemp with suspense elements that has been invited to the agent party (a.k.a. full request) a cool half-dozen times, but never been asked to dance (as in, agent representation.)

The reason, according to 4/6 agents? The h/H do not share page time soon enough. Although it is written in a 'she pov chap' followed by a 'he pov chap' and the male romantic interest is an on page character by page 12, they do not actually interact until about page 40. From what I've heard, this can be an 'issue' so I am rethinking the beginning to put them on the page together sooner.
 

Rose English

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It seems to have alway been the rule to introduce him ASAP, as the storyline allows. I could be and have known to be wrong:tongue As a reader I like to meet him early on.

I'm reading Leigh Michaels On Writing Romance and she says on page 92:

"The first meeting should come early in the story. Though the hero and heroine aren't required to meet on the first page, a romance novel can't really get moving until they're together and interacting..."

I think I agree with her and brainstorm :)
 

KathleenD

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So... *why* doesn't the hero appear any sooner? I assume you've got a good reason. If your reason is "well, the heroine had Stuff To Do first," either she needs better Stuff or you need to move him in sooner. I don't think you'd be asking if it wasn't one or the other.

But as others have said, it really depends on what kind of book you're trying to write!
 

brainstorm77

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I've never heard that rule. I think it depends on what exactly you are writing. If you're writing category romance then you've only got 50,000 words to play with. You haven't got time for a big set up, you have to show us the hero and heroine soon - by the end of the first chapter, beginning of the second. If it's single title then you have a lot more leeway. If it's something is not primarily romance then I don't think it matters.

It's not a rule carved in stone. We can all write the way we like. But from the threads on here over the years on this same topic, I've always come away thinking the sooner they meet, the better.
 

brainstorm77

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FWIW, I have a single title contemp with suspense elements that has been invited to the agent party (a.k.a. full request) a cool half-dozen times, but never been asked to dance (as in, agent representation.)

The reason, according to 4/6 agents? The h/H do not share page time soon enough. Although it is written in a 'she pov chap' followed by a 'he pov chap' and the male romantic interest is an on page character by page 12, they do not actually interact until about page 40. From what I've heard, this can be an 'issue' so I am rethinking the beginning to put them on the page together sooner.

It's good to know what the agents think. Thanks for posting this.
 

Cathy C

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I guess my first question is whether you WANT the book to appear on the romance shelves, or if you're happy for it to be on the mystery shelves? If you have a mystery on your hands, why would you want to fight to put the romance in? It'll wind up showing on the page. The reader will know the story wasn't intended to be shoved in one direction or the other. Believe me.
 
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