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Post new topic   Reply to topic When Is It Too Much/Many?
Juneberry



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 PostPosted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 7:33 pm Reply with quote        
Virtually every story has at least two characters in some way. Whether the narrator treats the trees or their sister as part of the story, they're all characters in some manner. There are also always plots and subplots- because, let's face it: a simple plot only can go so far.

But tell me, guys. When is it too much/too many? And not just for one story.

Lately, I have a severe issue. I have no writer's block, but I lack the ability to focus on a single story. Why? Because new characters keep popping up in my head like tourists taking a giant cruise in my brain. And it's really hard to shut them up. Similarly, their stories become part of a mesh of ideas that I can't pluck apart all that easily.

So guys, when is it too many? When do you consider your story or your own mind to have too many characters? And when do you consider it a concern of how many plots/subplots are going through your head? I'm curious to know your views, both for in your minds and in stories alone.

When is it too much?

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KathiraNarae



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 PostPosted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 8:56 pm Reply with quote        
It's times like this when the way the story runs in the Ace Attorney series of games works wonders. It has an enormous cast of individual-snowflake characters and a multitude of plots and sub-plots, like your head does. But in Ace Attorney, there is only a core cast of Nick, his assistant, the Judge, and the prosecutor for that game, and this cast cycle through several different cases of seperate plots and a few case-specific individual-snowflake characters who only appear in those cases to play out their sides of those particular plots. It's a nice set-up, allowing a loose connection between cases while also allowing a multitude of characters and plots. Maybe something similar could be your story writing?

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Mock



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 PostPosted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 8:57 pm Reply with quote        
I'm a Homestuck fan, so let me tell you; when it comes to characters, plots and subplots, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY!!

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KathiraNarae



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 PostPosted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 9:40 pm Reply with quote        
Sadly, Homestuck is, by this point, just too big for most non-fans to get into. I mean, it in itself is enormous, then you need to read enormous amounts of previous series to get all of it...Homestuck is indeed too much by now. I mean, it's sheer size is why I refuse to start it, there's just too much. Even if the current fans of it love it so far, Homestuck has definitely reached the point of 'too much', at least for new fans.

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Mock



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 PostPosted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 6:00 pm Reply with quote        
You don't need to read anything else to understand Homestuck. You just need to read Homestuck from the beginning, and keep going. If you have a halfway decent memory, you should have no problem understanding it.

You refuse to start it? Come ON, it'll only take you a couple of months! It's like refusing to watch the Lord of the Rings simply because each movie's three hours long! It's worth it!


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Juneberry



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 PostPosted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 6:15 pm Reply with quote        
I think it's also a matter of the person involved, Mock. I watched the Lord of the Rings, and I just didn't care for it. Sometimes, people try something and don't like it, too. I tried homestuck in its earlier stages, and I couldn't get into it after ten minutes, and stopped. I didn't understand any of it anyway personally. And halfway decent memory...Thanks for reminding me to put that on my [non-existent] wishlist of things I need ;D

But similarly, I've never played Ace Attorney. So I don't know anything about it. But thanks for the general concept, Kathira! If only that worked more cleanly in my head like on paper...And if only my characters would stop doing anything I tell them not to anyway o.o;

But it's neat seeing so many different ideas. Er...Two so far. BUT STILL.
I'm quite happy to hear both your concepts and inputs <3

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Saygen40



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 PostPosted: Thu Dec 26, 2013 1:16 am Reply with quote        
I know what you mean by multiple stories and multiple characters mingling around in your head to form a mass of unconnected/fanatical plots. I have upwards of 20 stories and the only solution to their mixing madness is writing them down. It solidifies them.

I think about 6 consistent characters in a story is the limit before readers become lost in a sea of unknown character identities. That being said, I've personally played upwards of 20 characters in a single role play before. Many of them died, granted, but all of them existed.

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CopperSpiral



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 PostPosted: Thu Dec 26, 2013 3:04 am Reply with quote        
Webcomics give a good venue for large complicated stories with a lot of characters, and keeping them straight is easier when you have visuals.

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Juneberry



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 PostPosted: Thu Dec 26, 2013 9:10 am Reply with quote        
Say: Hehe, keeping them written down to some extent is the easier part. Keeping them from getting tangled in my head is another. Because my characters like to mingle with other characters, and suddenly bam! Things grow overly confusing.

This is how my tendency to talk to my characters out loud started FYI >w<

Copper: Hehe, web-comics do work as a good venue. I've been thinking of making a sort of 'promo' comic for each of the new story ideas I have in mind. Just to get the characters to calm down and stuff. But...Hrm...

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Strix Varia



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 PostPosted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 11:03 pm Reply with quote        
I have never taken any creative writing classes but I have a few personal rules of thumb. First, decide if you are writing for yourself or for others. It makes a huge difference. If you are writing for others, choose an age group. Never make more characters than half the age of your target audience. For plot lines, try to keep it under a quarter of the age of your target audience. A story for a 20 year old probably shouldn't have over 10 main characters or 5 obvious plotlines. Keep in mind that anything you write will be to simplistic for some as well as to complicated for others but that has served me as a good 'middle of the road' rule.

If you are writing for yourself, you can use as many characters and plotlines as you can keep track of. A friend of mine kept side notes. When he finished off a character or wrapped up a storyline, he would cross them off. A story was never finished until everything was crossed off.
Juneberry



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 PostPosted: Mon Dec 30, 2013 11:54 am Reply with quote        
Those are some neat tricks to work with, Strix Happy Thanks for the concepts. It's neat seeing how others work things out. And your mathematical formula is quite nifty.

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