: Re: Is it OK to introduce a character to leave it simmering to a later date? One of my secondary characters is going to play an important part, more important than at present, in the story. Is

@Jamie945

I've read a lot of novels were a very likeable character is introduced just to vanish and reappear at another time. It's pretty normal; after all, you have to tell a story, and in most stories, not everyone is present anytime.

In the Fellowship of the ring, for istance, Gandalf is away for quite some time. He has other business. Funnily enough, Tolkien did this in the hobbit too. Same things happens - maybe even more - in the Harry Potter's series. Dumbledore, for instance, is introduced in the very first chapters but seldomly appears until he takes a major role at the end of the series.

The critical part of your question, imho, is "making the reader love someone". You don't really control that. You may make a character likeable for a way or another, but different readers will have different favorites depending on personal taste.
Also, the first appearance should be reasonably long, or else your audience won't probably remember the character existed in the first place (i'm exagerating, of course).

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