A question:
I have over 30 named characters in my book - is this too many?
There is one main character, plus her 3 close friends and 2 love interests. These are the lead characters who keep popping up every chapter or every couple of chapters, either in person they're referenced by someone else.
Then there are probably another half a dozen satellite characters who appear/are mentioned occasionally.
Then there's everyone else. Various work mates, a doorman, a maitre d', an agent, an ex, an old friend. People who had to have real names, perhaps a bit of dialogue, a brief description. Characters who hopefully bring colour to my story, depth to my main characters who interact with them and they also serve as catalysts to certain plot points.
Personally I hate it when a character says, 'Oh, Jane's coming round later, with that letter she told us about...' and as the reader you're thinking - 'Who the hell is Jane?' and flicking back 100 pages or so to find the last reference to this bloody Jane. So I have been careful to avoid this. My bit part characters are exactly that; most of them don't reoccur and if they do I make damn sure the reader knows who they are (but hopefully in a skillful and unclunky way?!).
I've cut a couple of them, but I haven't finished the bloody book yet! There will be more! They're breeding without my permission!
Actually, they are totally under my control. But do you think I need a cull? Is 30+ too many?
I'd be fascinated to know how other people's novels measure up. How many named characters are there in your book?
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8 comments:
I just totted up the numbers for my book...there are fifteen named characters (one is just a introduction to a colleague and the other is a colleague you never meet). Of the 15 there's one main character and 5 supporting characters and the rest have smaller roles.
To be honest I'm surprised there are that many. I thought there would only be 7 or 8.
Is 30 too many? It really depends on how many you introduce at one time and how much attention you give them. If, for example, you introduce a character called "Ben" in great detail and describe his mannerisms and what he's wearing the reader will think you've done that for a reason and expect to meet Ben again.
They say you should never give your "walk on" characters a name. E.g. it should be "the waiter" rather than "our waiter daniel"
Here's a thought...how many characters can you remember from Bridget Jones? I can't remember all the names but these are the characters I can remember...
Bridge
Her Mum
Her Dad
The orange TV presenter
Daniel
the woman who sits next to her
Bridge's friend #1
Bridge's friend #2
Bridge's friend #3
Darcy
Darcy's fiance
Pervy 'uncle'
The guy at the TV station
That's 12 that I can remember. Any more?
13
The girl Daniel has an affair with
OMG Cally, I couldn't sleep last night because of trying to remember all the named characters in BJD! I couldn't find my copy - and it's easy to get mixed up with the film and the second book, but:
1 Bridget
2 Her Mum
3 Her Dad
4,5 Her BROTHER - (doesn't do anything, but he's named, I'm sure - AND I think he has a named girlfriend)
6 Daniel
7 Daniel's shag from New York office
8 Perpetua
9 Mr Fitzherbert (or is he just in the film?)
10 Her Mum's orange fancy man (ditto above? Think he's different in book)
11 Jude
12Shazza
13 Tom
14 Vile Richard
15 Tom's boyfriend
16 Magda
17 Jeremy
18 That bitchy female who they keep bumping into when they're out drinking (she's in 2nd film, but I think she's in the 1st book)
19 Mark Darcy
20 Darcy's Mum
21 Darcy's Dad
22 Darcy's fiance (although don't know if she's named)
23 Darcy's law partner (only in film?)
24 Bridget's TV boss
25 Young trendy girl at TV station who thinks Bridget is v v old
26 Una Alconbury
27 Geoffrey Alconbury (pervy 'Uncle')
28 Penny Somebody-Whatnot (woman at Tarts and Vicars party)
29 The girl who lives below Bridget (B thinks the Valentine's card is for her)
30 The Aussie bloke who lives directly below Bridget and she snogs
31 The builder who knocks a hole in her wall
32, 33 Mark's 2 Clients who Bridget gets an exclusive interview with (just film? can't remember)
34, 35 Cosmo - I think he's the guy who tells B to get 'Sprogged up' AND he's got a wife whose name I can't remember.
Also...you could include Magda and Jeremy's children...and Bridget's mother is always mentioning random friends of hers that Bridget can't remember...and doesn't Shazza have a boyfriend?
I should point out at this point that I've probably read BJD ten times or more. It's not like I'm some amazing memory girl. But hey, quite a lot of named characters! And I don't think I've remembered them all!
Anyone think of any more?
By the way, Cally - I totally agree with what you say about building up a character who the reader then expects to meet again. I hope I haven't done that. Much.
Interestingly enough, a friend read my first chapter which features a nasty theatrical agent - who we never meet again. My friend's comment was along the lines of 'ooh, the agent is obviously your 'baddie', I'm looking forward to meeting her again.' Well, we don't. There's no reason to. But there's every reason for her presence in the first chapter; I guess she's a device to set up the premise of the book. She provides conflict, establishes the world in which my book is set, makes the reader sympathetic to my main character...
...HOPEFULLY! Or maybe not!
As for my 'walk ons'...hmm. I think I only name one of them and again it's to show something about the lead character who names him. So, calling him 'John' is stronger than refering to him as 'the doorman' as the character who names him is the sort of person who knows and remembers everyone's name, even the 'little' people! Does that make sense?
Of course, it's all about context. I can't expect you guys to say, 'yep KayJay, that sounds great!' if you haven't read the damn thing. It all comes down to if it's well written or not, doesn't it?
Blimey, that was a long comment.
This is a really interesting question. Thanks:)) I've just had an add up and have fifteen named characters. Of that lot, there is one main character, one lesser 'main' character in the sub plot and all the others have supporting roles to a varying degree.
Thanks Cally re. 'never name a walk on character'. I don't think I actually have but I hadn't really thought about that before.
Am amazed at the number of characters in BJD. Would be interesting to tot up the number in a Marion Keyes.
x
I have about 25 characters in my fantasy books, and at the moment, about 10-12 in my chick lit.
Bridget, however: (without referring to copy of book 1 or 2)
1 Bridget
2 Her Mum
3 Her Dad
4 her brother Jamie
6 Daniel Cleaver
7 Daniel's woman from New York
8 Perpetua
9 Mr Fitzherbert
10 Julio/Julian
11 Jude
12 Shazzer
13 Tom
14 Vile Richard
15 Pretentious Jerome
16 Magda
17 Jeremy
18 Jellyfish woman (called Rebecca in the book, I think)
19 Mark Darcy
20 Elaine Darcy
21 Malcolm Darcy
22 Natasha the lawyer (film only, I think)
23 Jed
24 Richard (Bridget's boss)
25 Young trendy girl at TV station who thinks Bridget is v v old - God what is her name?? Something weird... Charisma? Charity? Carmel? Something like that
26 Una Alconbury
27 Geoffrey Alconbury
28 Penny Husband-Bosworth
29 The girl who lives below Bridget "Bloody Natasha and her slinky dark bob" as Bridget says (not the same Natasha as is Mark's partner in the film)
30 The Aussie bloke who lives directly below Bridget
31 Gary - The builder who knocks a hole in her wall
32 Giles (works with Mark, is at Rebecca's party)
33 William (annoying child who rides on Briget's back)
34 StJohn - teenager who snogs Bridget
35 Cosmo at Magda's dinner party
36 His wife 'Woney' (Fiona)
37 The little girl who says Bridget is younger than Rebecca, which ticks R. off
38 The man in the dry cleaners whom Bridget thinks is called M. S.F.S.
39. Salman Rushdie ;)
40. Wellington the Masai warrior
41. Phrao (in the Thai prison)
I'm sure there are more...
Isn't the Thai prison in book 2? But yeah, very impressive memories both of you and a LOT more characters than I remembered (though, to be truthful I remember the film better than I remember the book. I remember images/faces better than words)
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