Ensemble is a category of stories in which there are multiple viewpoint or main characters. In a series, not all of the characters need to have focus in every book, but may be given focus in later books. Wings of Fire and Animorphs both do this. But multiple characters must have focus. This makes it tricky to write, since they must be balanced, but it has the advantage of providing multiple characters in the event that one character isn’t likable or takes time to progress.

In Girl in Red, I had at least ten viewpoint characters, between the students and teachers. In Skwyr Court, a different character takes over the narrative every so often. I had no system in Girl in Red for ensuring each character was given equal time, so one or two characters got more focus than the others. Especially in the first book, Rose got a lot more time than the others. As she faded into the background, other characters got more time in the spotlight. The eight characters I’d consider my “main” characters still got most of the focus, but other characters, including Dumbledore, Draco, and Umbridge, all had parts written from their perspectives.

In Skwyr Court, I have a system. At the time of writing this essay, not all the main characters have been introduced, but after they are, the sequence of viewpoint characters will repeat itself. This ensures that each character will be given equal time and focus. This is what Animorphs did, more or less, using a different narrator each book. Most readers will pick a favorite, so its important to give roughly equal time to each one.

It’s also important to give different characters focus because readers will also have a least favorite. If that character gets too much focus, it can lose readers. While I like the world of Harry Potter, I don’t care for Harry himself. I found the other characters more interesting, but Harry is the only main character, making it hard to follow the series again. Were Harry Potter an ensemble series, the other characters would have focus, and I could at least grin and bear it until a more interesting character took focus.

Focusing on multiple characters is tricky to get right without having a system in place. Some writers have hand-written notes in different colors for different characters. Others will mark each scene in an outline so they know who has recently had focus. In Crimson Caster (year seven), I alternated between groups of characters each chapter. Not only did that build tension when each one ended on a cliffhanger, but it also ensured that each group got attention, not just my favorite group. There are many different ways to approach this. Pick the one that best suits your story.

#Essay #Ensemble

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