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Author Topic: Formatting Question  (Read 2108 times)

maxonennis

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Formatting Question
« on: March 23, 2009, 05:21:15 PM »
Is chapter six, in a thirty chapter book, too late to introduce another main character? I like to meet all the main characters in a book within the first four chapters, but I wanted to know what some of you guys thought about it. To me it feels too late (a fifth of the way through the book) to introduce a new character, but I can't find a better place without messing up the timeline of the story.

Thoughts?
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RavenstarRHJF

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Re: Formatting Question
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2009, 05:46:06 PM »
I don't think it would be too late, myself.  If the plot is along the lines of a quest, and the character is someone the main group logically meets while questing, I think it would be alright.  But you could also split the POV's from the very beginning.  Tell the story that brings the first group together, but also outline the chain of events which eventually brings this other character into their path.  If you do it that way, you set the reader up to expect them to meet sometime in the future, so it doesn't come as a surprise.
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Shaggy

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Re: Formatting Question
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2009, 05:55:25 PM »
I don't think it's too late for introducting a new character. I often love when a new, mysterious, intriguing character is introduced (not in the beginning) because it makes me want to read more and figure out this person's deal. I think if you're gonna do it, though, you gotta make him/her a subject of interest so the readers won't get bored.
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maxonennis

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Re: Formatting Question
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2009, 06:07:53 PM »
Okay, a couple of things. One, it’s not an adventure. The entire premise of the story is a comparison of how a handful of vastly different people try to survive in a city under siege. Second, I’ve looked at the story and realized that I had two chapters before that I had thrown away anyway, so his appearance will take place in chapter four. :)
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Renoard

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Re: Formatting Question
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2009, 05:33:39 PM »
Seems like it's really never too late to introduce a character if the plotting calls for the character, insert him. :)

The only way it would be too late is if the climax of the story has already begun to spin up.

Do I get xps for posting?
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Shaggy

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Re: Formatting Question
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2009, 12:31:01 AM »
Quote
Do I get xps for posting?
Yes, you do.

So, maxonennis–what did you decide to do?
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maxonennis

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Re: Formatting Question
« Reply #6 on: March 30, 2009, 04:19:59 PM »
Quote from: Shaggy on March 30, 2009, 12:31:01 AM

So, maxonennis–what did you decide to do?

I found two scenes that needed to be pushed back, two that needed to be deleted, and one that was half as long when I rewrote it. So, the character was introduced in chapter four.  :)
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Shaggy

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Re: Formatting Question
« Reply #7 on: March 30, 2009, 10:15:56 PM »
I guess that would be a compromise.
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