Does a story need a clear main character? - Page 2 - Writers Forum

Mishki · 03-04-2008, 11:51 PM

I like reading/writing multiple main characters, too. The important thing is that you have a reason for having multiple viewpoints for characters who are all together. It seems to me that they should either split up later or the central conflict should be among the three of them. They need different objectives, too.

lin · 03-05-2008, 12:38 AM

WHY are all of these odd little things "musts"?

Mike C · 03-05-2008, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lin

WHY are all of these odd little things "musts"?

It's a peculiarity of writers that the less experience and knowledge you have, the more expert your opinion - see Truth-Teller for details. It seems you're far more likely to have rules and "musts" forced on you by 15 year olds than 45 year olds.

Sam Winchester · 03-05-2008, 03:03 AM

I have two main characters in my novel. Both of them share an equal role in the novel, and I haven't encountered any problems yet. So yes, I would imagine you can have two main characters in a novel. Three might be pushing it, but you could get away with it.

Sam.

Bettybot · 03-05-2008, 06:50 PM

I'm so glad I started this thread. It's an interesting discusssion. There are such strong opinions on the matter, which in itself leads me to think that I should go with it. When I first started writing this story, I had no idea that this seemingly simple decision would invoke such controversy. It has been a very enlightening lesson for me. Thank you all for your replies. Every one was helpful and enriched the discussion.