I’m a writer blog

Guidelines for writing Poems, Stories and Tales

Is there such a thing as using too Many “I’s” in a first person novel?

Asked by: Andy Martin

It might be personal taste, but I’ve recently read a first person book and – apart from being an awful book – the extensive use of I was annoying me to no end. I’d say there is definitely a thing as too many I s.

How many POVS is too many in a novel?

But Evan Marshall in his Marshall Plan for Novel Writing suggests four POV characters are sufficient based on my page count (104,000-ish). He allows up to six for a book in excess of 150,000 pages.

Can you write multiple POVS in first-person?

Can I have multiple narrators in first person? Yes. This is called Multiple Viewpoint First Person. You get all the benefits of writing in a particular person’s voice and the intimate view inside their head, as well as the benefits of multiple perspectives.

How do you avoid using too much in first-person?

Try recasting sentences that start with ‘I’ more objectively, so that the focus is on the what – the emotion, the object, the person, the action and so on – rather than the sense being used to experience it or the I-narrator doing the experience. Use the principles of free indirect speech to reduce your ‘I’ count.

Is there such a thing as too many characters in a book?

The short answer is: no such number exists. You can include as many characters in your novel as you want to. It’s your story, and there’s no rule book you need to follow on how to write a great story. The creative process is yours to own.

How can a story be told from multiple perspectives?

Here are a few ways to make multiple perspectives work in your creative writing:

  1. Hone in on the most important character. …
  2. Use different perspectives to build characters. …
  3. Stick to one point of view for each scene. …
  4. Clearly define perspective shifts. …
  5. Give each character a unique perspective and voice.

What is Multiperspectivity?

Multiperspectivity (sometimes polyperspectivity) is a characteristic of narration or representation, where more than one perspective is represented to the audience.

How many characters does Harry Potter have?

There Are Over 700 Harry Potter Characters, And I’ll Be Impressed If You Can Name 25.

How many characters is the average 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.

What do you do when you have too many characters in a story?

Does Your Novel Confuse Readers with “Too Many” Characters? 8 Ways to Unconfuse Them.

  1. by Anne R. …
  2. 1) Make Characters Vivid When You Introduce Them. …
  3. 2) Don’t Name “Spear Carriers” …
  4. 3) Don’t Give Your Characters Unpronounceable Names. …
  5. 4) Make Sure the Name fits the Character. …
  6. 5) Don’t Give Too Many Characters Similar Names.

How many is too many characters in a story?

A good rule of thumb might be: Include as many characters as needed to tell the story and evoke the proper style and scope—and no more. For intimate novels, this number might be as small as 2-5 secondary characters, and for broader stories, this number might be 20-30.



How many protagonists Can a novel have?

The majority of books only have one protagonist. It is possible to have more than one, but you need to be incredibly organised if this is the way you want to go. I would advise avoiding this at all costs for your first writing project. It doesn’t matter how much you love your story or characters, you will get confused.

How many antagonists can a story have?

You can have more than one antagonist in your story. But, the villain must remain the protagonist’s main opponent. Once you have identified your antagonists and created a masterful villain, you will fill your story with obstructions and tensions that keep your readers engaged.

Who is the antagonist of Peppa Pig?

That Lucina, Peppa Pig’s biggest antagonist, is flawed is both interesting and important.

What is a Contagonist?

The contagonist is an antagonistic character who will get in the protagonist’s way, try to lead him astray, and just generally cause conflict and tension. He differs from the antagonist in that he isn’t necessarily directly opposed to the protagonist.

Can you be both the protagonist and antagonist?

Sometimes, there is no clear distinction of whether a character is a protagonist or an antagonist. Whether their intentions are unknown, their actions are both positive and negative, or they are their own worst enemy, a primary character can be both a protagonist and an antagonist at the same time.



What is the meaning of a Tritagonist?

Definition of tritagonist

: the actor taking the part of third importance in a play (as in the ancient Greek theater) — compare deuteragonist, protagonist.

Can a protagonist be evil?

Can the protagonist be the bad guy? Yes! Though not as common as traditional, heroic protagonists, or even anti-heroes with complex motivations, there are some fully malevolent villains that serve as the protagonists of their own stories.

What is a flat character?

A flat character is a character with little to no complex emotions, motivations, or personality. They also don’t undergo any kind of change to make them more well-rounded. In other words, they’re the opposite of a “round character,” who has a fully fleshed out profile and changes throughout the story.

What is a foil character?

In literature, authors will sometimes highlight certain aspects of a character’s personality by using a foil: a supporting character who has a contrasting personality and set of values. Putting the foil and main character in close proximity helps draw readers’ attention to the latter’s attributes.



Is Sherlock Holmes a flat or round character?

Many stories and novels in fact feature flat characters as main characters, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson for example, as well as the characters in various stories such as the “Twilight” series.

Is Shrek a flat character?

How do we know Shrek is a dynamic character? Shrek is the perfect dynamic character. Think of how he changes from a mean old grump to a kind-hearted soul as he falls in love with the princess.

Is Elsa a static or dynamic character?

Elsa is also a DYNAMIC character because she does undergo huge personality changes throughout the movie. At the beginning , but Gru’s morals, values, and personality completely change by the end of the movie. Elsa from the movie Frozen is an example of what kind of character?

Is Dory a static character?

Static Characters



Dory is a very static character because she doesn’t change throughout the movie.