Fellowship

Only one more post until we're done with this series! Can you believe it?


Today we're talking about a story that has far too many characters... and how the writer was able to make it work.

The Lord of the Rings

Tolkien was a fan of having a LOT of characters. If you've read the books, you'll have a far better understanding of what I mean. Sure, the movies have several characters too, but the books have so many that it can be hard to keep them straight.


And yet, somehow, he manages to do so... As long as you're paying enough attention.

How?

1. Keep their names distinct

How often did you get confused between Gimli and Legolas in LOTR? For me, it didn't happen once.

If you keep your character's names unique, and keep them to where they match their owner, it makes everything a lot easier on your reader. If your characters have this distinct name quality, readers are able to pick up on it and separate them from the others in the story. Sometimes it also helps to have your characters define their names, and have them match it perfectly.

2. Separate their plots

In The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien did this by breaking up the fellowship. The characters all split off into their own plotlines, with their own battles and their own struggles to face -- but they were all still fighting toward the same cause. This helped readers to know that Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas were in one group, Merry and Pippin were together, and that Sam and Frodo were on their own (okay, on their own for the most part).

3. Make sure they remember each other

Merry and Pippin, throughout their plotlines, continually brought everything back to Frodo and Sam. They were frequently talking about their friends and making the audience aware of the fact that they missed their compatriots. This helps us to link the stories together, to make sure that everything is still unified under the same story, but keeps it all separate enough that we still understand what's going on.


Can you guys think of other stories that work like this? I have a few off the top of my head, but I'm curious if you know any -- leave your answers in the comments!

[love]

{Rani D.}