Starting your book

[Charles T. Forests]

I have been racking my brain on how to start my novel with the main character but everything i want to write predates his needs/wants im not talking prologue just destination and time line does it matter with multiple pov or i also tried to change the main character but it does work or should I just cut out the story til it involves him? This is because I can't start my first chapter with a war scene personal view.

 

[dollyt8]

I would never start a book before the main character (unless it's a very short section introducing them through someone else's POV), but I suppose that's just a personal preference. I know some other people that manage it just fine. I think it takes a lot of skill though and should be handled prety carefully.

 

[pmmg]

I don't think there is enough info about the intro to be helpful.

I would think, whatever it is you are thinking about the opening, must be completely re-thought, if it is essential to start with the MC.

There are many ways to leak in backstory.

I'll give the same advice, I give to everyone, find the place where everything changes for the MC, and start there.

 

[Mad Swede]

No, you don't have to start the book with the main character. With that written, if you start a story with another character then this character must have or must quickly develop a link to the main character and the main character needs to turn up in the second chapter (or first if you use a prologue).

Yes you can start a story with a war scene, but that scene will need to be important in some way for your main character. I think that the risk you take in starting with a war scene is putting potential readers off, especially if you write a very gory war scene.

I always start a story in medias res, that is in the middle of the action. Then I try to feed in back story details (timelines etc) in or just before those chapters where the information is needed. If the reader doesn't need the back story to follow the plot then I don't put it in, I leave them using their imagination a bit. In my view you as the author need to know the back story in some detail so that your characterisation develops in the right way without losing the readers sense of credibility, which is why you sometimes need to drip feed the back story into the main story.

(Finally, and no offense intended, please punctuate your posts correctly. As someone with severe dyslexia I found your post at the start of this thread incredibly hard to read and interpret.)

 

[Diana Silver]

Why don't you just start the story where it starts for your main character, and let him gradually discover all the things from the past that led up to his destiny? We don't need the information to be presented chronologically: we can learn about the past as the story progresses. Then it becomes a puzzle for him (and the reader) to piece together. As a reader, I love puzzles.

 

[Prince of Spires]

start my novel with the main character but everything i want to write predates his needs/wants

One question this raises is, are you actually using the correct main character? In the end, your main character is the one with the biggest wants and needs, the one with the most at stake in the story. If this isn't your current main character, then you should definitely switch.

Other than that, keep in mind that the first character a reader comes across (who is not in a prologue), will be considered the main character. If you're writing multiple POV's, then this could be an issue. Of course, you can alter this during the novel, by showing different characters. However, you will have readers wondering where that first character is and what he's doing.

In my opinion, your start either needs to be part of the story, or you should skip it (at the start). If it's crucial for the reader to know, put it in later, either as a flashback, or as an explanation the main character gets, or just a worldbuilding chapter. But start with your main character (and like PMMG mentions, what changes for him), and take it form there.

 

[Dylan]

I would never start a book before the main character (unless it's a very short section introducing them through someone else's POV), but I suppose that's just a personal preference. I know some other people that manage it just fine. I think it takes a lot of skill though and should be handled prety carefully.

You're absolutely right, starting a book before the main character's direct involvement is tricky and requires careful execution. Your preference for keeping the focus tightly on the protagonist (or introducing them through a brief, intentional alternate POV) is a strong approach, especially for character-driven stories.

 

[The Dark One]

You may want the reader to know something (about the world / situation etc) which the MC doesn't know yet. Prologues or first chapters without the MC can be very handy for this and that special knowledge the reader has - which the MC does not - can be profitably used to inspire intrigue/drama/anxiety in the reader's mind as they hover at the MC's shoulder.

 

[Fidel]

Starting is the hardest part, just vomit words onto the page now, clean ‘em up later. Momentum >>>>>>>>>>>>>> perfection.

 

[Super Fantasy]

Try to think of a immersive way to start your novel, one that includes the character and catches the readers attention.

 

[Karlin]

I'm thinking: stop agonizing. Just write. See afterwards if it's where your story really begins.

 

[xena]

Begin with an event that directly impacts your main character, even if it's small. This can set up their journey and make them unknowingly connected to the larger conflict, drawing them in later.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

Write it. Figure it out later. Start the book with a war scene that you say you can't do, because there are no rules, and when you finish the book go back and take a look. Most likely, the question will answer itself (or at least make suggestions) if the story is well constructed.

 

[Rexenm]

Begin with an event that directly impacts your main character, even if it's small. This can set up their journey and make them unknowingly connected to the larger conflict, drawing them in later.

To get to the meat of a story for me, is all about pacing. That means that there is a true beginning, middle, and ending, not an error in the process. It is easy enough to create a story that changes as you write.

 

[Mathas]

One main character vs. multiple character POV's? Maybe try portraying your main character through the POV of others in your preceding work up to the point your main character is introduced.

I actually had this exact same situation with the beginning of mine. My story of course focuses on the arc of what I would consider to my main character, but I found myself feeling like the gravity of his introduction in the beginning situation was severely lacking, being in the middle of a battle/siege. I decided that the world as it was before his arrival and his actions during his intro needed to be seen, and because he commits some pretty dastardly atrocities from the moment he's introduced, I decided to try portray him through other peoples POV too, and show their world before he lands to develop sympathy for them, and do his first impressions justice.

Then I realized that the reader will end up caring about these other characters, so in short, I have developed an approach to it now where I have subplots going for multiple character POV's, so while I feel that my main character is the main character, there are actually multiple main characters who the reader can learn about and follow, who's arcs and perspectives have developed in such a way that the story holds far more depth and conflict. Of course that means the story has gotten faaaaaar bigger than I initially expected, and it requires a fair bit more work to plan, outline and keep track of things, but it feels so much better because the story is far more complete than it was.

 

[Gurkhal]

I'm thinking: stop agonizing. Just write. See afterwards if it's where your story really begins.

From personal experience I can say that nothing is more true than this.

 

[skip.knox]

I have been racking my brain on how to start my novel with the main character but everything i want to write predates his needs/wants im not talking prologue just destination and time line does it matter with multiple pov or i also tried to change the main character but it does work or should I just cut out the story til it involves him? This is because I can't start my first chapter with a war scene personal view.

I'm not really replying to the OP because it's obvious they aren't listening (last seen a month ago). But it's worth replying for others who might read this and have similar thoughts.

When you find yourself wondering "does it matter", you are asking the wrong question. More precisely, the question is too vague, for you have not specified *to whom* it matters. Does it matter to the author? Does it matter to every reader who will ever read this story? Will it matter to any reader, even if it's only one reader? Until you are clear about this, no amount of thoughtful replies in forums is going to be much help.

Similar logic applies to all questions involving "should I". The short answer here is, if you can make it work then yes; otherwise, no. That's not much help, is it? The best thing you can do here is to unask the question, step back, and see if you can puzzle out what is actually bothering you. It might be that you have tried multiple drafts and are unsatisfied with any of them. It might be that you've not written anything and are preoccupied with asking questions. It might be you are afraid of writing something others will not like and are searching for some assured way of writing only what people like. Once again, clarity is needed.

Lastly, any time you find yourself saying "I can't", alarm bells should go off. This is you giving in to fear and uncertainty (they are close cousins). Instead, take your proposition--in this case, starting with a war scene--and write down three ways it *could* be done. Then try it. Then and only then you can declare to yourself that you have tried it and have been unable to make it work. That's not "personal view", that's drafting and realizing the draft sucks. That's much harder than expressing a "personal view" but it has the virtue of being actual writing.

That's all for now. If the OP reads this, <cheerful hand wave>.

 

[Lillith_Sorvalen]

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It’s so hard finding the right starting point, especially when your character’s personal stakes come in later. Do you feel like your early story content is more focused on worldbuilding and setup? Or are you trying to stay close to the character’s wants and needs?


If the war scene feels too impersonal or sudden, would it help to summarize that part and maybe start in the middle, or right after the aftermath? Could the emotional consequences be more effective than jumping into the action?

Since you’re using multiple POVs, do you think you might have the option to begin with a different character whose path crosses with the main one later? Or could you turn some of the early material into a flashback or later reveal—and open with the moment your protagonist’s world begins to shift?