Listing Your Cast of Characters
- Thread starter JT Woody
- Start date
I feel like it is spoilery. I also won't remember them all unless I read about them in connection to events and the story. So for me it feels a bit pointless.
If one feels they need a list of all the characters then I would suggest to put it in the back. But then why not list locations as well? Or even make a map?
No I won't list my characters. But I may make a map.
If one feels they need a list of all the characters then I would suggest to put it in the back. But then why not list locations as well? Or even make a map?
No I won't list my characters. But I may make a map.
I don't list my characters, but I don't mind the device. In books with a lot of characters, I appreciate having a reference for those, "now, who in the hell is he?" moments. It is easily skipped by readers who fear it will spoil the book.
Only if it's really, really, really, really necessary. Like the family tree in One Hundred Years of Solitude, where every character's name is a variation of Jose, Aureliano, or Buendia. Other than that, I can't think of another book that required a cast of characters in the beginning. Appendices are fine, like LoTR or Dune, but not in the beginning.
For my historical fiction novels, I feel I must. Because there are several characters named Julia, Drusus, Lucius and Gaius. So, I gotta make a cheat-sheet for my readers so they aren't lost. This, I will put at the beginning of the book so it's easy to find.
I would shy away from that, but it depends on context. To Romans, the most important part of the name was the cognomen, not the praenomen. So Caesar was mostly Caesar, not Gaius, Augustus was Octavius, also not Gaius. Could you not distinguish the characters in text by how you refer to them, as opposed to how other people refer to them?
Like, with modern names, we can do:
John Smith entered the room.
"Hi Ben," said Dave.
"Hello," answered Smith.
Then when there are scenes with more than one Smith, you can then distinguish them there by using their first names, if you need to.
An appendix at the back of the book is as easy to find, no? Then the reader doesn't have to turn to it unless they want to.
Dramatis personae!
I think it's most important for series with a large cast. I could go years in-between books, so it's nice when it's at the beginning of sequel novels.
I think it's most important for series with a large cast. I could go years in-between books, so it's nice when it's at the beginning of sequel novels.
