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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/39209
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Perhaps your MC is really a secondary character. I was writing a novel and had it all planned out, then met the real MC on page 180 (long hand manuscript on legal) and rewrote the book with a different balance. My original MC remained vital, but his arc was insignificant compared with that of my new and real MC.

When I met my other MC, I asked myself whose story this really was and imagined it without one or the other MC. My new MC proved essential to the story, even when he was not present - his influence lingered. My original MC I could have removed with minimal impact, so the story was not his.

What you might have is a tale with multiple strong characters who each have a story worth knowing - more of an ensemble cast situation.

You could also have two separate but related novels with enough adventures to hold the reader’s interest.

Frankly, if the story is working, don’t break it. I have read novels where secondary characters were more engaging than the main character and they work.

If you weave the plots together in a pleasing way that does not jar the reader, the main plot can be subsumed into the tapestry of the whole.

Original score: 5