Ask a Question

Continuing the subject of Characters

Did you plan how many rounded characters would be in your novel? I believe that most novels have a maximum of five or six rounded characters. How many did you finally decide on?

My novel is historical fantasy, so I have eight rounded characters, which includes the main character.

Asked by: Adrian Sroka

Mark Rudd on July 27, 2012

I didn't plan a specific number (I'm noticing a pattern with my replies, usually along the didn't-plan line), I just decided how many I would need to carry the story forward.
By 'characters' I assume you refer specifically to protagonists (the Fellowship of the Ring, as it were). In that case, specifically in fantasy, there seems to be a pot to draw from - the MC, their best friend, the older 'wizard' character, the fighter (hero) and an indeterminate number of less-explored others.
Villains are a different ball game, I think - they all have to be rounded in that they need believable motivations, but without making them sympathetic.
1
Jonathan Hopkins on July 27, 2012

Mark, that's like a standard 'Hero's Journey' adventure story scenario - 'Star Wars' is the modern example most often quoted. The same character types appear over and over again and the plot follows a roughly consistent line. That's not a criticism because it seems we're genetically programmed to love this type of story!

Adrian - do you mean 'viewpoint' characters? I agree - too many gets confusing for readers and too few makes for a short book. But it depends on setting. I've been criticised for having too many people (not just characters) in an army camp. Doh!
1
Adrian Sroka on July 28, 2012

Jon, I mean rounded, not flat characters. The charaters that are integral to the plot and storyline. Tolstoy uses many characters in War and Peace, but he sticks with the same six or seven. The number of characters is understandable in a novel of over 1400 pages and 365 chapters.
Victoria Whithear on July 28, 2012

I have the same issue as you, Jonathan. I'm writing about a hostel/commune so there are hundreds of unnamed people walking through each scene and the resident family running the place is about 8 or 9 people. That's without the other family who visit them and friends as well. Fortunately, over five books, there is room to take the reader on a journey with each of these characters, fully rounding them.

I would say there are about 30 fully rounded characters in my series. Dividing that number by the five books makes me feel much better!

I have three principle characters and a further cast of bit parters numbering nearly 40... but it is meant to be an epic.
1
Anthony Scott Glenn on July 28, 2012

I always knew about a core set of my characters which was where the idea for my book initially came from.

There are of course the additional characters that have popped up along the way who are less important, and what you would call bit part (the village that my main character lives in for instance).

Though, if I need a new character to take a scene to the next step, I add one. For some of them, I have characters that started out in a peripheral role, but have later 'needed' them. This isn't to say that they wont have a greater importance later on in the series.

As an aside, does anyone else think there is a time when you should stop adding characters? does a large pot to play with help or hinder? At present I am working with around 20-25 characters, only very occasionally when there is a large group situation I find that others do not say/do as much, is this a problem? or is this considered normal?
1