Introducing a lot of Characters at Once - Writers Forum

Archduke Robert of France · 01-21-2007, 09:25 PM

Let's say, hypothetically, that in your story there are a lot of important supporting characters at a party and the main character arrives. How would one go about describing them all at once with minimal bore?

Emerson Darkness · 01-21-2007, 10:43 PM

It's really no different than writing any other situation.
Your writing will either be interesting, or not.
The more interesting it is, the less boredom
people will experience while reading it.

Perhaps you can find a comfortable balance in describing each character, and bring out some of their quirky personality traits in doing so. But this advice is no different than writing characters in any other instance...

Archduke Robert of France · 01-21-2007, 10:53 PM

Intriguing...

Crews · 01-21-2007, 11:27 PM

Take it one step at a time. Explain a little bit about each character in a couple of sentences, and explain the main character a bit more than others. But make the paragraphs flow. Don't introduce a non-important character, then the main character, then two other non-important characters, then a secondary main character. Make it flow, ya know?

Good luck.

mammamaia · 01-22-2007, 12:44 AM

the best, least boring way to do it is to not do it 'all at once'!... instead, insert bits of business and scene description between each one or each grouping... give it a sense of dynamic action and interaction, rather than just a litany of intros, or the reader will give up on both you and your story...

aspiring · 01-22-2007, 02:27 AM

Read some Agatha Christie - she tends to do this quite successfully.
My advice would be to give one or two snippets of easily memorable description, such as a weak chin, a high-pitched laugh, too-short trousers, owlish glasses, a Hollywood star, a plumber with rough hands - something that your reader will pick up on and identify with that character - then when the character turns up later you can remind the reader of the identifying 'mark'.

missmoopants · 01-22-2007, 03:05 AM

Can you main character have some requirement/motivation to learn something about each person? Say, for example, your main character is terrible at remembering names and faces. Could the character then make some mental notes about each person, with the motivation that (s)he wants to memorise each person via some personal trait, and a way of remembering their name as well? This will give the reader a description of individuals, and an opinion about them too (oh, and a way of remembering each character!) which should make make it a bit more ineresting maybe.

Mike C · 01-22-2007, 04:00 AM

I agree with aspiring, little visual clues are, after all, how we recognise people in the real world. But don't feel the need to describe them all in one hit - it'll sound like an identity parade. How would you act at a real party? Schmooze, work the room, move from one conversation to the next, have the host introduce you to people, butt into conversations... make it real.

wmd · 01-22-2007, 08:50 AM

How about that scene in Goodfellas where he is introducing everyone in the crew. Two lines about each character just to introduce them as he walks through the room. You can always learn more about the characters later in the story.

torn · 01-22-2007, 10:10 AM

The worst thing you can do is give descriptions of everyone in the room. It wll sound like it is coming from the narrator and isnt part of the story.

One good way, if they are at a party, is have some kind of heated discussion start with all those players giving their opinions, that way you can add a visual indicator, and put some defining part of their personalities in as well.

mswietek · 01-22-2007, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archduke Robert of France

Let's say, hypothetically, that in your story there are a lot of important supporting characters at a party and the main character arrives. How would one go about describing them all at once with minimal bore?

Make them all clones of one another. It will cut down on the amount of description.