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When do you expect to be put into the main story?
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acapes
Sage
Right away for me - which is not to say I want to be dumped into empty drama about characters I don't care about (Inception is an example of this for me) but at least that I'm getting hints about the main story in that first chapter, if that makes sense?
Same here. I prefer to be getting into the main story in someanner right from the start.
Gryphos
Auror
As soon as possible, for me, preferably chapter 1. That's not to say that the characters should instantly be given their story goal, but if something could happen in the first chapter to introduce us to what the main story may involve, I'm happy.
ScipioSmith
Sage
It's a hard question because there are different ways to define the main story. It's easy to say that you should get into the story right away, but is the story the plot or is it the characters? Different books will give you different answers, and different readers will want different things.
Personally, I think it's okay to wait a little while before revealing the main plot so long as the character focus and direction is laid out early on.
This, I think is the origin of the criticism of Ye Stock Fantasy Prologue: it lays out the plot, while saying nothing whatsoever about the characters.
Personally, I think it's okay to wait a little while before revealing the main plot so long as the character focus and direction is laid out early on.
This, I think is the origin of the criticism of Ye Stock Fantasy Prologue: it lays out the plot, while saying nothing whatsoever about the characters.
Helen
Inkling
Yes, it depends on what you mean by main story.
Main story could mean "theme" or the "deeper journey" or "main character" etc etc etc.
Thematically you get into it straight away.
Even with foreshadowing, you're kind of getting into it without getting into it.
I think the general best answer is "straight away."
Main story could mean "theme" or the "deeper journey" or "main character" etc etc etc.
Thematically you get into it straight away.
Even with foreshadowing, you're kind of getting into it without getting into it.
I think the general best answer is "straight away."
cupiscent
Sage
I can wait a little while for the main story, but I want to meet the main character as soon as possible. (One of my ongoing frustrations as a fantasy reader is prologues that have nothing to do with the main characters. 
) And I want a reason to keep reading about them by the end of the first chapter. That reason doesn't have to be the main conflict, but things are probably going to be stronger overall if it's at least related or leading into the main conflict.
I was looking at my 2014 reading yesterday, and one of the common elements in fantasy novels that I put down within the first quarter is a series of chapters introducing new POV characters and no coherent sense of a big story yet. I can take that for around three chapters (depending on how interested I am in the characters and situations) but once it hits five or more, I toss the book aside. So I guess maybe my real answer to this question is "three chapters".
) And I want a reason to keep reading about them by the end of the first chapter. That reason doesn't have to be the main conflict, but things are probably going to be stronger overall if it's at least related or leading into the main conflict.I was looking at my 2014 reading yesterday, and one of the common elements in fantasy novels that I put down within the first quarter is a series of chapters introducing new POV characters and no coherent sense of a big story yet. I can take that for around three chapters (depending on how interested I am in the characters and situations) but once it hits five or more, I toss the book aside. So I guess maybe my real answer to this question is "three chapters".
TheHeroOfCanton
Acolyte
I'm a big fan of introducing the main character as strongly as possible, and then throwing them into the inciting incident. I think of the good James Bond films, you start off with a great intro to the character, and then within the first 15 minutes you have the inciting incident for the rest of the films.
I've read plenty of agent blogs that advise your inciting incident ought to be in the portion they ask for in a query letter (usually the first 2-3 chapters or 10k words/ 30 pages, something like that).
While I once wrote with what I like to call a run-up... I now don't worry about it. I let my wheels spin a little at the beginning, knowing full well I'm going to chop it in editing, because it's just how I get going. Some books are harder to pinpoint a single inciting incident, but for most, something changes in the MC's world/ life/ they change, etc. within the first 2-3 chapters and while I'm not a player by hard and fast rules, I tend to respect that industry standard as a sort of goal to meet. If the event doesn't happen (say an army marching down on the town appears), then at least the knowledge of what is to come, and some sort of change from routine and preparation ought to be happening.
Each story has its own pacing, though.
While I once wrote with what I like to call a run-up... I now don't worry about it. I let my wheels spin a little at the beginning, knowing full well I'm going to chop it in editing, because it's just how I get going. Some books are harder to pinpoint a single inciting incident, but for most, something changes in the MC's world/ life/ they change, etc. within the first 2-3 chapters and while I'm not a player by hard and fast rules, I tend to respect that industry standard as a sort of goal to meet. If the event doesn't happen (say an army marching down on the town appears), then at least the knowledge of what is to come, and some sort of change from routine and preparation ought to be happening.
Each story has its own pacing, though.
Russ
Istar
As I writer I believe in getting right to it.
As a reader if I am reading a writer I already know and respect I will cut them some slack because I trust they will deliver the goods and I know it will be worth the wait.
If it is an author that I am new to, I prefer they get right to it.
As a reader if I am reading a writer I already know and respect I will cut them some slack because I trust they will deliver the goods and I know it will be worth the wait.
If it is an author that I am new to, I prefer they get right to it.
I confess I'm murky about the idea of 'main story'. There's just the story. The stuff that comes between the title and 'The End' is the story, and everything in there is what is necessary and sufficient. Why would we contemplate inserting what is unnecessary and insufficient?
- Thread starter
- #12
Thanks skip, I'm just now getting this reply but you're right. In my mind I have my potential novel figured as a series, so while I should only be writing the main story there's a certain amount of envelopment I'm trying to create in the world that isn't action. It's rather reaction and I see it in side scenes so perhaps I need to think more on what you're saying.
Another way to think about this is to just write. Your story is in there somewhere and you wind up throwing out entire scenes, entire chapters. Think of those as your "side story" and the stuff you keep as the "main story".
FWIW, I have experienced much the same in my WIP. I just consider everything the "main story" until I decide a particular scene no longer fits. Those go into a separate folder with the notion that maybe I'll use them in some other way. So far that hasn't happened. I'm thinking of renaming the folder "learning experience".
FWIW, I have experienced much the same in my WIP. I just consider everything the "main story" until I decide a particular scene no longer fits. Those go into a separate folder with the notion that maybe I'll use them in some other way. So far that hasn't happened. I'm thinking of renaming the folder "learning experience".
Trick
Auror
Honestly, many books are series of smaller stories under one over-arcing plot so... I just want the MC(s) in the first chapter or over the first few if there are more than just a couple. My own WIP has a prologue with two important SCs (and could be skipped without any major loss to story cohesion) and Ch1 is the MC form word one but the over-arcing plot isn't even hinted at until Ch2 and it is all up to reader inference because it's just the Promise at that point (since they've met the MC and MV and those two will ultimately meet) but I think it's enough.
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stephenspower
Inkling
For a novel I'd say within 500-750 words. For a story, by the end of the first paragraph, which should, in my opinion, be treated like a lead paragraph in a news story. Arthur C. Clarke wrote fantastic first paragraphs for his stories.
For completeness's sake, for a poem, by the end of the fourth line.
And if something can be skipped, especially up front, however interesting, it shouldn't be in the book in the first place.
For completeness's sake, for a poem, by the end of the fourth line.
And if something can be skipped, especially up front, however interesting, it shouldn't be in the book in the first place.
Trick
Auror
That depends. My prologue adds another layer to the story. When I say it can be skipped, I mean that those people who skip prologues as a rule (which makes my blood boil) will not have a difference of experience great enough to warrant making it chapter one. I read so many books lately with prologues and epilogues that I've completely begun to ignore the advice completely against.
stephenspower
Inkling
I'd still put the material later. If the layer it adds isn't the primary one, don't give readers something they don't know how to appreciate yet.
Trick
Auror
The problem is the timeline. It would be way out of wack any other way and the prologue is only 1.5 pages. The layer is the primary one, kind of. It's a part of the series plot arc, largely resolved in book one.
It is very much so an "Ice Monster Prologue" a la GRRM.
Gurkhal
Auror
I want to be put into it from the start and get it started. If there are de-tours then its ok, but I surely don't want to ready a hundred pages untill I find out what the actual story will be about.
This can be a tricky question because novels and series have multiple arcs. Each arc can be thought of as a story in itself, with a beginning, middle and end.
Let's say you have a three book series with thre POV characters.
First you have the series main plot arc. Then each novel has an main arc for its plot. Now each POV character has a personal arc and then an arc that either coincides with, adds too, or IS the main novel and/or main series arc.
Sorry if that sounds a bit complicated. It really isn't.
So you have the main plot arc for the series and you have a main plot arc for each novel in the series.
Generally speaking, it sounds like you're talking about inciting incident, the thing that starts the story/arc off. That is generally supposed to be in the first third of the story/arc. So in the terms of a 300 page novel, it should happen within the first 100 pages. In terms of a 3 book series story/arc, by rule of thumb, it should be before the end of the first book or near the beginning of the second book.
When talking in terms of act structure, the inciting incident should happen in the first act. It's the catalyst that pushes the character into act two.
None of this is a hard rule. Some stories have a very late inciting incident, so as a consequence a very long first act.
As a side note there are stories that have a very early inciting incident, a quick shuffle through the second act, and the bulk of the story takes place in the 3rd act. If I remember right one of the Die Hard films is like this. I believe it's Live Free or Die Hard.
Let's say you have a three book series with thre POV characters.
First you have the series main plot arc. Then each novel has an main arc for its plot. Now each POV character has a personal arc and then an arc that either coincides with, adds too, or IS the main novel and/or main series arc.
Sorry if that sounds a bit complicated. It really isn't.
So you have the main plot arc for the series and you have a main plot arc for each novel in the series.
Generally speaking, it sounds like you're talking about inciting incident, the thing that starts the story/arc off. That is generally supposed to be in the first third of the story/arc. So in the terms of a 300 page novel, it should happen within the first 100 pages. In terms of a 3 book series story/arc, by rule of thumb, it should be before the end of the first book or near the beginning of the second book.
When talking in terms of act structure, the inciting incident should happen in the first act. It's the catalyst that pushes the character into act two.
None of this is a hard rule. Some stories have a very late inciting incident, so as a consequence a very long first act.
As a side note there are stories that have a very early inciting incident, a quick shuffle through the second act, and the bulk of the story takes place in the 3rd act. If I remember right one of the Die Hard films is like this. I believe it's Live Free or Die Hard.
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