This is an excellent discussion on how Epic Fantasy gives us certain challenges and advantages with a traditionally large cast. Personally, I think I've already inflicted this on our readers. Maybe slowing down? lol
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How Epic Fantasy Writes So Many Characters at Once
- Thread starter A. E. Lowan
- Start date
Mad Swede
Auror
Hmm. Might I challenge the idea of a traditionally large cast?
The Lord of the Rings doesn't have a large cast at all, in fact if I recall there are only 130 or so named characters in those books. I read somewhere that the total number of named characters across all Tolkiens books (The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion etc) comes out at about 800 or so. That compares to G R R Martins A Song of Ice and Fire, which has something like 3300 named characters so far.
I'm not sure why we think epic fantasy should have a lot of named characters. I'm not even sure that this is necessary in order to make a fantasy story epic. Sometimes I think we stare ourselves blind at what other authors have done, and come to the conclusion that we need a large cast to make a story epic when perhaps what we need is a decent story arc with good characterisation. But maybe I'm wrong?
The Lord of the Rings doesn't have a large cast at all, in fact if I recall there are only 130 or so named characters in those books. I read somewhere that the total number of named characters across all Tolkiens books (The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion etc) comes out at about 800 or so. That compares to G R R Martins A Song of Ice and Fire, which has something like 3300 named characters so far.
I'm not sure why we think epic fantasy should have a lot of named characters. I'm not even sure that this is necessary in order to make a fantasy story epic. Sometimes I think we stare ourselves blind at what other authors have done, and come to the conclusion that we need a large cast to make a story epic when perhaps what we need is a decent story arc with good characterisation. But maybe I'm wrong?
Karlin
Inkling
1. I don't know what "traditional" means in this context. Bible? Iliad? Is Tolkien the measure of all things?
2. Write as many characters as you need for the story. I don't see the point in discussing it much.
2. Write as many characters as you need for the story. I don't see the point in discussing it much.
pmmg
Myth Weaver
Meh. I have tons of named characters. As an experiment, i went back and added names to many unnamed ones cause of a thread from Finch. I am not sure if it really added. But, i do find that once named the chance of a reappearance goes up. So does the likelihood of bad things.
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