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Introducing new main characters

The story decides

Hi Myryca---It is rather silly to assume all characters of merit must be introduced by a certain page in the book.

Write your story and introduce the character as they venture into the story.

Talk to you soon---ablelaz.

Unlike Napoleaon you don't have to give everything up front in the beginning of the story. You can introduce maqin characters whenever you like because:

1) it's your story and you're the one writing it and

2)if it's in line with the story plot and you don't just have them appear out of thin air and introduce them somehow and not have it be jarring to the reader then go for it.

I wrote a 60 Chapter novel and the main character didn't come into the story until I was thirty-five chapters into the novel and it worked out just fine.

don't allow anyone to dictate how you write your stories...even if that is what you were taught you can break that mold if, you know how and are brave enough to do it.

good luck.

I think it also depends on your personal definition of the word "main". If they affect the plot in a distinct way, like, without them there, many things would happen entirely differently or not at all, then they can be a main character no matter when they show up, IMO. The books I like to read have a whole pack of main characters, like six to a dozen or more. They can't possibly all show up at the start; there's simply not enough room.

Usually you'll start off with someone or a few someones who will stick to the story the whole way through, but that's "usually". There's another term for the way things usually go: cliché. It's okay to break out and do your own thing, as long as you write it well.

I've got 64 chapters of story where four characters show up at the start, then 15 chapters in, 2 more show up, then somewhere around chapter 30, another one shows up, and waaaay at the end, somewhere around chapter 50, you finally meet the last three. They're all essential to the plot, but by dint of the fact that the original characters have to travel to meet the rest of them, it's impossible to have them all there at the start, and if I wrote about them all from the beginning, I'd have a frigging trilogy of boringness. You want to stick with your plot; only write the stuff that actually moves the plot forward. If that means not talking about Joe Awesome until chapter 40, then I don't see any problem with that.

if you can do another book...right at the end!
seriously, chuck 'em in anywhere.
mine generally appear on the page when they apear in my head, but i never plan more than one or two chapters ahead!

I read a lot of crime novels from the library and sometimes notice that the perp is introduced early but not identified. Nothing is told about who he/she is until the middle of the story. Maybe this is what you're looking for.

As long as you allow time for the characters to develop (which can be as slow or fast as you like depending on how much focus you give them) you can introduce main characters as late as you like. Just remember to not rush into it, and let the characters build up to what you want them to become. If you cook a steak too fast, it'll char on the ourside and be raw in the middle. We don't want that.