how many is too many?

[PDL]

as I've been writing Sabrina's Story, I've discovered that I have a knack for creating all kinds of characters that I can incorparate into fics.

However, there has to be some kind of limit before the fic's suddenly overcrowded...

How many characters can you handle in your fics?

 

[Wandering Rhythmical Phoenix]

as I've been writing Sabrina's Story, I've discovered that I have a knack for creating all kinds of characters that I can incorparate into fics.

However, there has to be some kind of limit before the fic's suddenly overcrowded...

How many characters can you handle in your fics?

I think it depends. I was once writning a story with over 14 chareters that apppered in just about every chapter , then, later, I had 6 people, and found it much easer to keep track of individual personalites. I think that 4 or 5 major chareters works fine, and spitting your story up, into diffrent arcs, to introduce those new chareters in (I.E. I'm using Team Aqua/Magma for the villians in the first three arcs, then changing villans later).If you can manage it, use it. It might get confusing to your readers though. Hell, I'f i use too many chareters, I have trouble keeping personalites straight once I reach eight. I say, if you can handle it, go for it, just avoid having lots of people 'on stage' at once

 

[CyberCubed]

Completely depends on the story. If you're able to incorporate a large number of characters and they work well together, then it's swell. If stuff gets overcrowded and some characters end up just being "there," it's best to either kill them off or just write them out.

I notice I tend to stick with a smaller cluster of characters for some reason. I don't like things to get too out of control.

 

[Dragonfree]

Oh, I tend to have way too many characters. I can technically handle them, but I'm not sure if all the readers can... =/

 

[Psychic]

As long as you make sure each character is distinct, having their own personlity which makes them distinguishable from each other so that both the readers and writer can keep track of them, you can have as many characters as you need. Just try to avoid using characters where you don't need them.

I could probably handle at least ten characters, though I've never really written a story which required a large cast. If it has more than twenty characters, the fic is a bit overcrowded. Think of it as a play- there shouldn't be too many people onstage at once, else it can get a bit confusing. Plus each person will start trying to get as much attention as they can...so I like to stick with a small, close knit range of characters.


Good luck with your story,
~Psychic

 

[Negrek]

It's not a problem, I think. As long as you can keep track of your characters fairly well and you characterize them adequately enough, there shouldn't be a problem with a large cast.

When it becomes a problem is when there's a bunch of useless characters who mostly just stand around and look pretty but have no real personality or role in the story. This usually happens when somebody tries to run one of those submit-your-own-trainer stories that ends up with something obscene like a nine-character party setting out to go on a journey. Simply, there are more characters than there are jobs for the characters to do. So long as all your characters have a purpose, they should be fine.

 

[Saffire Persian]

I'd say whatever amount you're comfortable with. If you can handle many characters, make as many as you need. But I feel you shouldn't make them because you want to make them, I'd create characters only if they'd contribute to the plot in some way.

This usually happens when somebody tries to run one of those submit-your-own-trainer stories that ends up with something obscene like a nine-character party setting out to go on a journey. Simply, there are more characters than there are jobs for the characters to do.

I can testify to that - I did something along those lines a few years ago. XD.... It did teach me something though, having that many main characters was NOT a good idea. (I had, give or take, 45-50ish) main characters at one time. 0.o... And yes, I'm not kidding. XD I still have the link to that story if you want. o.o' How I got to 60,000 words in that sort of story I'll never know. XD *dies*

Anyway, it got kind of overwhelming. Don't do so many that you are overwhelmed, and are trying to fit in all those characters for scene time. XD It's not good in my experience.

 

[Astinus]

The most I have written well is seventeen. I make sure that each character gets their own chapter. That way, not all of them are clamoring for attention.

My more comfortable number range from four to seven. Any less than that, I get bored; any more than that, it's hectic! oO; Unless the story calls for it, like the one with seventeen.

 

[.Person.]

Me no smart. I say 10.

 

[Literate]

Including the off characters, ten or eleven. I can't count. Let me really think.... nine or ten in my future story. Only four main characters. So yeah. A lot is probably like... over fifteen. You can't keep track and if they have confusing names, the readers can't either.

~PEACE~

 

[The Burnt Shadow]

Well for me I'd put up about almost any number. Some will just stay for a while while others will stay longer. The ones that stayed for a while would come back and play a bigger role. I even get rid of some of them by getting hurt or killed...

 

[Xtra]

I usually try to avoid having too many characters, unless I absolutely need to. For example, I have a digimon story, with a group of 6 ddiffrent digidestined, and their digimon. Plus one more digimon that happens to be the boyfriend of one of the digimon

 

[Seiryu]

Well, in one of my Pokémon fics, I have four main characters, one of whom is the main antagonist, and maybe four or five lesser characters who still manage to play pretty big roles. Count: probably no more than six at a given time.

In my main Pokémon fic series, however:
Part 1 - four main protagonists, one or two main "bad guys" who probably won't get more than a chapter or two to themselves, and one lesser character. Count: no more than five major players at a given time.
Part 2 - three constantly appearing protagonists, at least two major antagonists, and probably five "lessers," one or two of whom will end up dead by the end. Count: no more than six or seven at a time.
Part 3 - Six major protagonists, one major antagonist, but no lessers. Count: seven at once throughout almost the entire thing, not including short appearances by various trained and other pokémon, of which there will be many.
Part 4 - All of the major protagonists who are able to return do so, so seven of those, plus the big final "bad guy" of the series. Count: eight.

I'm also part of a fantasy roleplay in which I currently have the reins of five characters, but by the end that'll be upped to, like, seven or eight with the two final major bad guys. As far as I know, that's my limit, but...

I've also been planning out a Digimon fanfic. I haven't planned out every single character just yet, but I'd say that by the end, with every human character and a Digimon partner for most of them, I'm gonna end up with upwards of fifteen different characters. Truly, that will be a test, and I highly doubt I'd be able to go far if at all beyond that.

I'd say that "too many" only occurs when the author is unable to give a decent amount of scene time to each one and generally isn't able to keep track of everyone. This actually happened to a friend of mine in the above mentioned roleplay; he had probably fifteen characters at one point, and he decided to kill off (or otherwise get rid of) everyone who wasn't all that important--quite sloppily, I might add--and left himself with four characters, another of whom got killed off a short while later. And he's told me that he plans on getting rid of yet another one soon after the thing picks up again; between college, jobs, and friends, he just isn't able to keep track of even three characters.

 

[Redlark]

Like said above, it depends on the story. However many you need for the story to work is needed. But if there's a character you want the readers to be entranced or focused on, it's easiest to keep the cast of main characters to a minimum.

I usually end up thinking up stories with an average of 3-5 main characters the readers pay attention to. Sometimes I go to even the lengths of 10.

I guess the only real thing to be worried about is if you fall into the "Saffire Persian's Can o'Worms."

I did something along those lines a few years ago... having that many main characters was NOT a good idea. I had, give or take, 45-50ish main characters at one time.

That's even painful to think about.

 

[PhiJer]

u may do as Dan Brown do, write a chapter with a group then the other and so on

 

[Timid Kyogre]

Well, in my fic, I started off with ehh...*counts* 10 characters? (Sailaira, Laira, Rose, Violet, Amber, Anahita, the dad, the mom, the kidnapper, and Jenjer) I'm still willing to add many more. I could handle a lot of characters very well. I actually think it's fun. So yeah, it depends on the fic and how you, the author, feel about having loads of characters. If you think you can't do it or something, let some characters die? It could be a possible choice

Good luck.

~Timid Kyogre

 

[Ledian_X]

PDL, my story has probably close to twenty characters. What I did was split up the team. One team stays on Earth fighting the bad guys while the other deals with stuff on three of their teammate's homeworld. I divided the action so that one chapter focuses on the Earth based team and another focuses on the Aquarius based team.

Of course, while in each spot, there are minor characters here and there. The elder heroes in the story don't have as big a role. It's like if it's a comic. The elder Agents have their own book. They don't show up as much.

So, in the end I have twleve main characters, six new recruits, twelve Agents and other characters like baddies and guest stars. I've only killed off two.

But, like Negrek said, you need to keep track of them and give them airtime. Especially in action scenes. So, yeah go with what Negrek said. Me, I just try to write everyone in. Right now though, the story's really focusing on the main team as if it was their comic.

LX

 

[Bay]

Sometimes it is not easy to keep track of a lot of characters like ten or more. Some people can do that, but I think I can't keep track that many characters as I am quite a busy girl.

As long as you can keep track of the characters, controll them well, and at least have the characters have a purpose in the story, then I think you should not worry about how many characters you can have in your story.

 

[The Big Al]

My last Fan Fic had eleven human main characters and perhaps close to 40 Pokemon. And I wound up split them into their own little subplots. Though that became taxing and I lost interest.

 

[Komedic Konservationist]

I can handle quite alot of characters, but not simultaneously, as I have immence diffaculty writing big conversations. I prefer to take the characters step-by-step, if you get my meaning.