Character Intro

[Nickeris86]

i have been plotting out a book for a while now, and i think i have a good base to work from, but i am having the hardest time introducing my main character. its a modern day fantasy novel like Dresden Files in that the every day person has no clue that magic and monsters and such are real. its from the first person and i can't figure out how to have the main character come out in his introduction that he is part of the magical world without it sounding corny or forced.

any suggestions?

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

i have been plotting out a book for a while now, and i think i have a good base to work from, but i am having the hardest time introducing my main character. its a modern day fantasy novel like Dresden Files in that the every day person has no clue that magic and monsters and such are real. its from the first person and i can't figure out how to have the main character come out in his introduction that he is part of the magical world without it sounding corny or forced.

any suggestions?

Have something happen to him that he has to handle first. Have him explain it later, after the reader's already seen some of it.

[belial.1980]

I agree. Start with a conflict that requires the character to take action. Make it apparent that he's diving into unfamiliar territory.

[Nickeris86]

I agree. Start with a conflict that requires the character to take action. Make it apparent that he's diving into unfamiliar territory.

well he is a magic user so for him its not unfamiliar territory

[mythcantor]

i have been plotting out a book for a while now, and i think i have a good base to work from, but i am having the hardest time introducing my main character. its a modern day fantasy novel like Dresden Files in that the every day person has no clue that magic and monsters and such are real. its from the first person and i can't figure out how to have the main character come out in his introduction that he is part of the magical world without it sounding corny or forced.

any suggestions?

I like the idea of starting it in medias res.  It's a good way to kick things off.  Just be careful to keep the explanations to a minimum necessary to keep the reader interested.

[meg_evonne]

action....  always action... let the action show it.

[belial.1980]

well he is a magic user so for him its not unfamiliar territory

Sorry, misread the initial post; I thought you meant the main character is not familiar with magic/supernatural. (Keep my browser windows small when using the internet at work, since we're not really supposed to)

I still think it'd be good to start with a conflict of some kind. Doesn't have to be an all out blazing fight. It could be an argument, a spell gone wrong, a break up, etc. Anything that gets the ball rolling and forces the character to do something. I just recommend that you steer clear of starting the story with a big info dump about the world/rules of magic etc.

[OZ]

If the idea of starting with supernatural action doesn't agree with you, another alternative is to start out with him doing something normal and mundane (still action but not exciting) and then bring in something supernatural and have him treat it as casually as he does his more "normal" activity. You can do this on the first page or wait a bit. It gives you the opportunity to let your readers relate to your character before you mention his supernatural abilities.

A variation of this is to have him doing something that seems mundane until the last minute. ( "Did I mention that the fox I was hunting was a kitsune" or "of course not many pick up lines sound original when you've been hearing them for the last two hundred years" etc.)  Neither of these openings is particularly original but they both work well if well done. Remember Jim starts his first book with the mailman (hard to get much more mundane than that) and then segues into the fact that the speaker is a wizard.

[meh]

"I scolded the imp for burning my coffee again."

[mythcantor]

"I scolded the imp for burning my coffee again."

I really hate EVP.  For the uninitiated, that's Electronic Voice Phenomenon, or strange voicelike static that will show up on electronics when ghosts are trying to communicate with you.  Invariably, that means trouble.  Right now, however, it meant something worse.  It meant that I was missing most of the game.  "Dammit Sid!  I got fifty bucks on this.  Can you give it a rest!"

[Nickeris86]

I really hate EVP.  For the uninitiated, that's Electronic Voice Phenomenon, or strange voicelike static that will show up on electronics when ghosts are trying to communicate with you.  Invariably, that means trouble.  Right now, however, it meant something worse.  It meant that I was missing most of the game.  "Dammit Sid!  I got fifty bucks on this.  Can you give it a rest!"

both of these are hilarious and fit in well with my concept lol

[meh]

"They say a good repairman is like a magician.    That may be true.   I know that my rates are lower than those of several repairmen, which is why I had a job today.

It's amazing how badly even a second-rate football team can tear up a hotel.   The glass alone was going to take half an hour to gather and fuse.

Two of the masseurs looked up from their work,  one grinned.   I'm going to have to shield better, even   healing touch  practitioners could hear me today."

[Nickeris86]

i think i have a good intro now. where the main character is shaving and notices his reflection does not match so he tells the little gremlin thing in it to get out. i named the critter Doug.

[mythcantor]

That sounds like a good start, as long as the action picks up quickly.  That is, unless you can make shaving an epic battle.

[meh]

Or unless shaving can make for suspense hooks.