Which Order to Introduce Multiple Protagonists

by Grant
(Texas)

Question: Who's story goes first in a multi-narrative story that involves a false protagonist who dies before Protagonists A & B are introduced and none of the protagonists know each other?


Should I start my story with the false protagonist since they are essentially the victim that moves the plot forward?

-or-

Should I start my story with Protagonist C who was with the false protagonist when the false protagonist dies?

-or-

Should I start my story with Protagonist A who is affected the most by the death of the false protagonist?

By the way, Protagonist B is the detective trying to figure out how the false protagonist died and Protagonist B only knows Protagonist A for one scene.

Answer: I can't give you a definitive answer, but here are some things you may want to consider when making your decision...

1. Readers do tend to latch on to the first POV character they encounter. It can be disconcerting if he/she dies early or turns out not to be the main character.

2. If this is a murder mystery, it would be most typical to write from the detective's point of view.

3. Sometimes, the early death of a character is told in a prologue, so the reader knows he/she is not necessarily the real main character. However, some people dislike prologues and skip them.

4. When in doubt, write more than one opening, show them to people you trust, and see which one grabs their attention more and makes them want to keep reading.

Best of luck.

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