: Re: How do I introduce a large cast in an interesting way I am currently writing a story about eleven college friends and a child. I don't want to just introduce them as "The Jock" or "The Delinquent,"

@Sarah872

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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 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.

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