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Don't introduce them all at once --that's not a story, that's a cast list. Bring them in one at a time, or in small groups, when needed by the storyline, and describe them in ways that illuminate ...
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#3: Attribution notice added
by
System
·
2019-12-08T13:02:36Z (about 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/48213 License name: CC BY-SA 4.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
#2: Initial revision
by
Chris Sunami
·
2019-12-08T13:02:36Z (about 5 years ago)
**Don't introduce them all at once** --that's not a story, that's a cast list. Bring them in one at a time, or in small groups, _when needed by the storyline_, and describe them in ways that illuminate their importance to the protagonist and the narrative: > There, standing outside the door was Rachel. Her once flame-red hair was now tinged with gray. As I saw her there, looking so much older, that torch I'd carried for her all those years flickered and finally went out. That's only a couple of lines, but it tells you a bit about Rachel's physical description and her history with the narrator --and something about the narrator as well. If you do it this way, you can introduce the characters without bringing the story to a screeching halt, and all the descriptions will be unique, because they won't be following some cookie-cutter format. **Each person will be described in a way that stems from his or her unique relationship to the protagonist.**
#1: Imported from external source
by
System
·
2019-09-26T16:17:50Z (about 5 years ago)
Original score: 5