I’m working on a novel that in the current draft is 274 pages, and the MC doesn’t meet the IC until page 107. I’m looking at http://dramatica.com/questions/concept/hand-off/all and see:
There are many techniques for conveying the position or perspective of a character in its absence. Objects belonging to the character, character mementos or pictures – especially pictures of the MC and IC together – can work well to let the audience know about the impact the IC has on the MC. Memories of the IC doing something or saying something are popular, if not overused. You can also bring it up the IC in dialogue with other characters who say something like, “You know what [IC] would say about that!” or something more subtle. Yet another way is to show symbols of important events in the Relationship throughline (MC/IC), or have a third party use an IC phrase or an item symbolic of the IC. In each case, these symbols, phrases, places, or events must be set up ahead of time so the audience can attribute them properly to the IC.
In extreme cases, where the IC is gone for an Act or more, you may need to hand off the function to another character.
Most of the techniques in the first paragraph won’t work, since until she meets him the MC has only heard about the IC from somebody who knows nothing about him (the IC is a politician, and the MC gets a brief rundown of city politics from a stupid character who parrots other people’s views). I’ll try for the third-party technique at the end of the paragraph, but I suspect that a handoff is the way I have to go. Obviously there can’t be another character with exactly the same characteristics and appreciations as the IC. So my question is: what exactly is it that you’re handing off? The IC’s Unique Ability? A different appreciation? Pick an appreciation, any appreciation? Or is it a characteristic or characteristics rather than appreciations?
If anybody on this list has dealt with a similar situation, I’d love to hear how you handled it.