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Q&A Is it strange if a novel starts the first chapter without one of main characters?

Nope, works fine. Starting from the POV of a minor character to establish the setting is no problem at all; in fact, that can be an interesting prologue, particularly if you're dealing with a myste...

posted 11y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-13T12:00:16Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/7788
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T02:51:01Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/7788
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T02:51:01Z (almost 5 years ago)
Nope, works fine. Starting from the POV of a minor character to establish the setting is no problem at all; in fact, that can be an interesting prologue, particularly if you're dealing with a mystery. It's sort of a sideways entrance into the story.

As an example, Susan Elia MacNeal has done this with all the books in her Maggie Hope mysteries. [Mr. Churchill's Secretary](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0553593617) and [Princess Elizabeth's Spy](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0553593625) both open with secondary or cameo characters and a murder. Book three, [His Majesty's Hope](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0345536738), opens with cameo characters having a conversation.

In all three novels, the protagonist Maggie doesn't appear in the prologue — none of the main characters do. None of the books read strangely to me for it.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2013-04-30T17:20:44Z (over 11 years ago)
Original score: 11