Table of Contents
Is it OK to have multiple main characters?
Answer: The short answer is yes, but there are some issues you may want to consider. For instance, how much you develop each of your main (or point-of-view) characters is up to you. To develop each of them fully would mean giving each of them a personal arc in which they wrestle with a unique inner conflict.
How do you introduce multiple characters in a novel?
The easiest solution is to split up the introduction. If it’s possible at all, have the MC share a scene with one or two characters, then with two or three others, and so on until you’ve introduced them all. It can also be helpful to mention a character not present in the scene, before he is properly introduced.
How do you show characters thoughts?
If you’re writing fiction, you may style a character’s thoughts in italics or quotation marks. Using italics has the advantage of distinguishing thoughts from speech.
How many main characters should be in a novel?
Most novels of every genre have 2-5 main characters. Romance novels almost always have 2-3 main characters, usually with two love interests and a buddy/sidekick for the male or female lead. A mystery novel usually has 2-3 main characters, perhaps even up to 5.
How do you write inner thoughts in a novel?
6 Ways to Write a Character’s Thoughts in Your Story
- Use dialogue tags without quotation marks.
- Use dialogue tags and use quotation marks.
- Use Italics.
- Start a new line.
- Use deep POV.
- Use descriptive writing for secondary characters.
How do you punctuate thoughts in writing?
Final Thoughts
- Use quotation marks for both speech and thought. Quotation marks will identify these words as actually spoken or literally imagined as thought.
- Reserve quotation marks for speech alone.
- Don’t use quotation marks for speech or thought.
- If desired, apply italics to thought.
How many characters does a novel need?
How can I include my character’s thoughts in my writing?
In short story or novel writing, the protagonist’s inner thoughts can reveal deeper insight into who they are and what motivates them. If you’re writing fiction and want to include your character’s internal thoughts, find a way to differentiate them from the rest of the text so the reader knows they’re reading a character’s thoughts.
How do you distinguish between characters in a novel?
The more distinct the better. Some novelists have multiple perspective characters speak from their POVs in the first person. That can make it easier to distinguish between characters, provided you work hard to give each his own voice, pace, vocabulary, and delivery. 3. Choose Carefully
What’s the point of having multiple main characters?
The point of having multiple main characters is to allow your story to expand geographically. But you may find, as I did, that eventually your perspective characters wind up in the same scene. Then from whose perspective do you tell it?
By knowing what a POV character is thinking, a reader has access to information no other character does. As a writer, you may share these thoughts in order to: To reveal a character’s true feelings: A character might say one thing but think another.