Forum: Story Discussion and Feedback

Uncle Jim uses that technique. I quite like it.

AJ

Uncle Jim uses that technique. I quite like it.

I don't use it regularly, but I've been known to use it when I have either a lengthy or particularly obnoxious cast of characters (think alien, foreign or duplicate names).

if it only lists new characters and characters reappearing from earlier stories in the series or after a short appearance some chapters back

Good point - that's what I meant to say. Thanks.

AJ

There's one cast list I do appreciate very much: At the start of a story a list of reappearing characters from the previous story in a series.

I've always hated 'story summaries', so instead, I sometimes include a short fictional preface, where the characters discuss when they learned from their previous adventures, as they prepare to undertake their subsequent adventures, gearing up for battle if you will.

It doesn't always fit, but when it does, it's a much nicer transition than "Joe and Nacy did A, then they did B, then they did C. Then Bob joined them and ..."

A full list of characters for each chapter, listing the main characters over and over, would be really annoying.

Like any reference, the character list is NEVER mandatory. It's there if you happen to encounter a name you don't recognize. That's why I often list the interim character list, simply so readers have the option available, if they need it. Otherwise, there is NO use in ever opening one. Which is why most authors simply never bother with them. After all, when's the last time you saw one in a best seller? I can guarantee, the answer is never!

I don't find it annoying. As noted by another Uncle Jim uses that style. I've found it helpful but have also skipped over it at times. Its presence has little if any impact on my perception of the activity in the story.

That's expected. They're mainly for when you wait months for a sequel to be completed and published. If you finish one story and immediately jump into the next, there's little need for a review before reading it.

A cast of characters is more often than not a cheap way to avoid one of the harder parts of writing - introducing characters with proper story arcs and making them distinctive enough to be memorable. To me, it's like a big red flag that asks where else the author is going to use convenient shortcuts.

A cast of characters is more often than not a cheap way to avoid one of the harder parts of writing - introducing characters with proper story arcs and making them distinctive enough to be memorable.

If done properly a list of characters is not what you say as it shouldn't include anything that is not in the story. However, it may summarise what you tell in the story.

In my case a list of characters is started by me to help me keep track of the characters details when writing a story that develops over weeks or longer, so when I create such a list it includes what I have said about them in the story and is updated as the story develops.

If done properly a list of characters is not what you say as it shouldn't include anything that is not in the story. However, it may summarise what you tell in the story.

In my case a list of characters is started by me to help me keep track of the characters details when writing a story that develops over weeks or longer, so when I create such a list it includes what I have said about them in the story and is updated as the story develops.

I may have been a bit ambiguous there, as I didn't mean that the list contains new information either. That's actually what my pet peeve is about - I feel the story should do all the work, and if it needs accompanying non-prose, it failed at some point. At least that's a standard to which I try to hold my own writing.

I do have a cast sheet for my longer stories too, but that's only necessary as long as I'm still developing the story and need to make sure I don't mix up stuff when I get back to a draft that has been simmering on my hard drive for some time. Once a chapter is ready for posting, it should have the necessary clues to tie it with the preceding chapter without being obvious, and the cast sheet can safely stay on my computer.

I'm not saying that every story with a list of characters is a bad story, but I've suffered through too many where that was unfortunately true and exposition turned out to be the author's tool of choice. In a different life, on a different planet, for a different site, I used to be a story mod, and I've been wary of character lists ever since.

Without going back and checking very story, the shortest story I can think of where I've included a story list is 114,000 words and all of the others I can think of, off hand, with a character list are all in excess of 270,000 words.

I tend to write novel length stories, that is 40,000 to 80,000 word stories, without including the character lists, but I'll often include them in the longer stories.

Well, that's a wholly different league. My longest is around 120k words. It might make sense in your case since few people are going to read 270k words in one go. But the OP asked about stories, not an epic history of the whole universe (just kidding!).

In my case a list of characters is started by me to help me keep track of the characters details when writing a story that develops over weeks or longer, so when I create such a list it includes what I have said about them in the story and is updated as the story develops.

In my case, mine start out that way, but it's a completely different document. First, I provide relationship data vs. descriptions (i.e. "Alison's mother" or "Tony's business partner). Then I eliminate anyone who doesn't appear in multiple chapters, but overall, I keep the descriptions short, as it's a resource, not a list of the character's physical appearance or personality.

To me, it's like a big red flag that asks where else the author is going to use convenient shortcuts.

That comment makes me wonder how you feel about the authors who feel they have to give you a synopsis of the story so far every third or fourth chapter of the story so that you end up with a 200 word (and growing) summary of the main character's life to date appearing about as often as any new action.

To some extent the reason to have the repeated synopsis is how often the chapters are written and posted. Somewhere between monthly and annually it can be good for a reader to get familiar with what has gone before.

That's what the button for the previous chapter is for. Also, that's a total waste of space once the initial posting is finished.

That comment makes me wonder how you feel about the authors who feel they have to give you a synopsis of the story so far every third or fourth chapter of the story so that you end up with a 200 word (and growing) summary of the main character's life to date appearing about as often as any new action.

I guess I feel as expected - it shouldn't be necessary. If there's a longer pause between posting chapters, a sentence or two to catch up with the last scene is okay if it is part of the storytelling and offers something new along the way. A plain synopsis (even if it is the character's mind regurgitating events) is bad practice. The moment it spans more than a paragraph, it gets annoying. But it's not quite as bad as a list of characters, which is admittedly one of my pet peeves.

When a story is published as a weekly serial, it can be difficult to remember who the characters are. In that context I like to see a character list.

But sometimes, there are so many poorly-defined characters that even the author gets their names wrong.

AJ

I'm also put off by apologizing for inexperience in story descriptions.

I agree. Take pride in your effort. It may not be perfect, but readers will see your potential. What those statements are essentially saying it: "Personally, I wouldn't read this crap if I was in your shoes."

An artist has to own their creation, as you're effectively selling the story, and nothing sells like enthusiasm. If you can convey how excited you are about your own story, your enthusiasm is catching and the readers will be too. Show doubt in your own work, and readers will likely bail at the first sign of trouble, rather than seeing how good the overall story is by reading multiple chapters before making their initial evaluation.

Egg-zackle.

(Am I the only one here raised on Pogo?)

Egg-zackle. (Am I the only one here raised on Pogo?)

It seems like it sometimes, but there are a few of us still around.

@richardshagrin:

Where did Edgar Alan Poe go?

Where most of those preoccupied with death end up. I'm still hoping that those of us who don't care about either heaven or hell won't be bothered with either one (what a sad world if those fantasies are actually true).