Hero doesn't show up till the third chapter

This is a tough one. I think if you are not entering any contests, you might be able to get away with it, but if you DO enter contests, you're going to lose every time, because they want to see the immediate meeting of the hero and heroine.

I personally think with the market the way it is heading, you need to get the hero on the page as soon as possible. I've even been asked to 'increase the time between meeting and jumping into bed' in a recent proposal, AKA, the book took too long to get sexy between them.

But a lot depends on who the target market is.

Anyway you could merge the first two chapters and tighten it up a bit; even for single title romance, the third chapter is pushing it for the hero coming in unless it is some major hinting as to who and there is some really compelling story in the first two chapters to explain the absence. Also needs to be a big enough break between chapter 1 and 2 to explain there needing to be 2

IMO, the rules are warning flags, not boundaries. I think it depends a lot on how you're writing it, but defiantly evaluate those first few chapters.

Check and see if you are really starting it in the right place. is what is there all setup or actual story? If it's setup you can probably cut a lot and work important information in the story in bits and pieces.

Or maybe it's more women's lit with a romantic story line. Is it following both characters and the relationship arc or is it here story while she's falling in love. If the hero isn't around for the first chapters at all, can the relationship really be the plot? I don't think this matters in terms of writing a good story, but when it comes time to market it, you need to know what you have.

The last thing i think you should consider is the purpose of those first chapters. When you look at what the scenes are accomplishing, the goal of them individually, does that goal and purpose move the story forward or prepare for the story coming? In a good romance, every scene should move forward, not reflect on the past or prepare for movement. You don't want to sit stalled, waiting for the story to start. The story will lack pacing and there will be nothing to compel the reader forward.

So, depending on how you want to market, what your goal is, how the story is structured and paced, yes, it is possible. Just make sure you are certain.

What everyone said.

A Romance genre book is about the relationship between the H&H. If you're going for 60K or 70K, using up close to 8% of your words before the relationship begins may not be the best choice.

If you're writing single title at 100K it becomes ~ 5% of the whole work. That makes it less of a problem.

So ... are you performing Swan Lake in a phone booth? Or do you have more space to spread out?

sure it works if done right

Works fine, but you got to spend early chapters priming the pumps, creating tension, so the reader expects, even demands, someone to appear.

If the 1st 3 chapters are just info dumps, you may have a problem.

But if you have someone with a bad relationship, for example, one where the audience is crying for someone to rescue her/him, you're just drawing out the suspense, which is always a good idea. It's all how you do it.

You don't necessarily have to have both the h/h in that 1st scene/chapter, but you should at least introduce the plot/obstacle to the relationship as soon as possible.

In my three short stories for Harlequin (15k words apiece), only in the 1st do they both appear in the 1st chapter (and that in the very last paragraph). HOWEVER, in every single one the couple is introduced, as well as a major obstacle keeping them apart. So, it could be said that I used up at least 1/12th of a very brief story space before they meet.

FWIW. Best wishes!

This is one of those "rules" that have always annoyed me because as a reader I always preferred a leisurely build-up. Editors and reviewers may want an immediate introduction, but that doesn't always mean a better book. And there are books that don't have the H/h introduction immediately. The meeting is delayed in Eloisa James' Much Ado About You, and doesn't come about until halfway through Lisa Klaypas' Sugar Daddy.

Lil said:

This is one of those "rules" that have always annoyed me because as a reader I always preferred a leisurely build-up. Editors and reviewers may want an immediate introduction, but that doesn't always mean a better book. And there are books that don't have the H/h introduction immediately. The meeting is delayed in Eloisa James' Much Ado About You, and doesn't come about until halfway through Lisa Klaypas' Sugar Daddy.

Click to expand...

Well, this is true, but I'd argue that both got a little more leeway than most authors because both were wildly successful before either book came out. If you are an auto-buy for a lot of people, you can mess with the genre conventions a bit more. Looking to break in? You shouldn't make it harder on yourself.

If it's a romance, then I'd say bring him on scene as soon as possible. Maybe you haven't started in the right place?

I think really it's gonna depend on those first 2 chapters. If they have the ability to pull the reader in then it's not going to matter that much if the hero is present. Sometimes something has to happen to the heroin to make their story work.

Lil said:

This is one of those "rules" that have always annoyed me because as a reader I always preferred a leisurely build-up. Editors and reviewers may want an immediate introduction, but that doesn't always mean a better book.

Click to expand...

Me, too. I'd much rather the author give each character (h/H) a chapter to themselves and establish their characters as individuals. I know The Relationship should be the focus. But relationships are made up of individuals. So long as a clear link is established between the two, something that makes their meeting inevitable, it is still romance to me.

While I'm totally for postponing the first meeting, I'd at least like to meet both characters, early on. I'm not sure leaving the hero (or heroine) entirely out of the narrative, for any length of time, is a good idea.

This thread has made me consider my novels in a new light! In my second novel - and I did get advised about this by an agent - the hero doesn't come in until quite a way in because there were two prologues and then he comes in near the end of chapter one. I do like to set things up lol but I, like I imagine a lot of people do, prefer a meeting asap between hero and heroine so it's a strange irony that I can't seem to write that!
But I wouldn't have said personally that third chapter is bad...how long are your chapters? However, it doesn't really matter what I think, I'm not an agent. If an agent is advising you, I'd take it as they aren't obliged to give out advice to everyone.

I didn't know there was such 'a rule' but just as Wildflower said, I'm looking at my first novel in a very different way. Come to think of it, I could drop chapter 2 and just intersperse the things important to the story line in other chapters. Thanks everyone - once again I learn, and learn and learn from y'all.

In my current WIP hero doesn't meet the leading lady until later in chapter three, but he has his own POV scene in chapter two.

In the days of longer-length novels in this genre, you could get away with it, now I think they need to meet by page 2, with first sexual pass made by end of ch 2. They should be in bed by 3, and sexting one another by 5.... I'm just teasing! But if its your first novel, playing it safe might mean speeding up the first encounter.
My two-cents worth: I personally, like the slower build up as a reader. I can't care about these people unless I know them first.

I always read that it's okay for the hero and heroine to meet later in the story, but to have the hero's POV still around the beginning.

I also have trouble reading different opinions from all kinds of professional writers, and not that their advice isn't amazing, but ultimately at the end of the day it's what your "muse" wants. =) Besides, once you get an agent and an editor they will help guide you in the right direction too.

I'm wondering how this topic applies to menages. I'm currently working on an M/M/F. The FMC meets Man #1 in the first chapter, pretty much on page 1, but doesn't meet his boyfriend, Man #2, until chapter 4. However, Man #1 and other characters talk about Man #2 throughout chapters 1-3, and she overhears him in a conversation (without actually seeing him) in Chapter 3, so he does get a buildup and doesn't just come out of nowhere. He also gets a dramatic entrance (saves her from an attacker). Since there is an early meeting with at least one of the love interests, would this kind of plotting work?

The way you describe it, it works because M2 is very present in the story, just not on stage yet.

In my WIP, the hero has chapter 1 and herione chapter 2. But they don't meet until chapter 3. I think it really depends on what's happening in those first chapters