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If you have too many characters that are just... there, but don't further the plot, that's when you have too many characters. If each character is contributing to the plot somehow, I don't think you can have "too many." There should always be a reason why they are there.
Dec 29, 2013 · There’s never any absolute rule on how many characters you should include, but my first instinct is that, yes, this is probably too many characters. I would suggest evaluating each character and considering what would happen to the plot if you pulled each one.
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Jan 1, 2022 · Adding too many or too much of anything to a story is bad (for the story). If that amount was not bad for the story, it wouldn't be "too many", it would be "about the right number". As long as your title is "Is adding too many people/characters to a story bad?" the answer will have to be yes.
If it’s done in a way that adds authenticity to your story, there’s no reason you can’t have a multi-character cast. But you might wonder: how many characters is too many? The short answer is: no such number exists. You can include as many characters in your novel as you want to.
- Step 1: List Out All The Side Characters in Your Novel
- Step 3: Identity Any Characters Who Don’T Serve A Role in Your Hero’S Story
- Step 4: Look For Side Characters Whose Functions Overlap
These are characters who appear more than once and who are notyour main character(s) (aka “hero”). Yes, this includes love interests, enemies, mentors, friends, parents, co-workers, and the local dragon tamer who’s had a lifelong rivalry with your hero and recently sold them a vial of bogus dragon taming serum. (The nerve!)
Right away, you can cross these characters out and write them out of your next draft. That sounds harsh but if you can’t identify why they’re in this story, your reader won’t be able to either and they will slow the plot. Maybe save them for another story. Or brainstorm ways to reinvent them so that they doserve an important function to this hero a...
Do you have two best friends who both teach the hero a lesson in teamwork? Do you have two villains who both force the hero to face the same fear? Do you have twodragon tamers who both sell the hero a vial of bogus dragon taming serum? Wherever you find this crossover, it’s time to start cutting or combining. If they serve the same or very similar ...
Jan 14, 2014 · This is a series of children’s books which regularly employs a cast of nine main characters. The reason that such a junior readership can keep up with such a large cast is that they are unique from each other in almost every way: Name. Appearance. Role.
Jun 6, 2012 · Ask yourself: How many characters do you need? What’s the bare minimum with which you could tell your story? Are there characters you can delete without losing anything important? Are there characters you could combine to streamline your cast? Are there POVs you could delete to lessen the choppy feel of the narrative?
