: Re: How to choose ideal number of main characters? As I already mentioned in my previous question, I'm writing a novel with personages both that I created and some already created by others (well,

@Welton431

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The problem with a lot of characters is a result of something we call in mathematics "combinatorial explosion".

Eventually, if they are MAIN characters, the reader expects they will all get together at some point, and then there are N*(N-1)/2 possible unique pairings of the characters. With 9, that means 9*8/2 or 36 possible pairings of the two. That is 36 possible conversations, interactions, dialogues, partnerships, etc.

It is too many for readers to keep track of, your story probably does not require them, and it demands 9 different personalities or abilities that are also a lot for the reader to keep track of.

Most professional writers recommend keeping your crew to no more than 5, (10 possible pairings). In psychology studies for marketing, we find people have difficulty keeping track of more than 7 brands, even of products they use often. Of course there are aficionados out there, people that can name 50 brands of cars or types of guns or concert musicians -- But we are talking about average readers being exposed to new characters, not outliers with eidetic memories.

I think you have too many characters to follow, and that has the potential to make your story seem shallow, and some characters contrived just to be the deus ex machina that solves a particular plot problem. i.e. a character like Millie that nobody pays much attention to, until they happen to need her skill, and after that nobody pays much attention to her. She's just a tool in the shed until she's needed, then back to the shed, because you say she's very shy and doesn't speak or join anything.

I'd leave four out, and find more creative ways for the remaining five to solve the problems, or just avoid writing problems the remaining five wouldn't be able to solve.

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