While most books focus on one, two or three main characters and have secondary characters filling in as needed, sff lends itself well to an 'ensemble cast'. Not to be confused with a large cast which may incorporate many characters but still has only a few POV characters which directly affect the story, an ensemble cast has four or more main characters, each on their own arc, each affecting the plot and resolution equally. This week Jules and Madeleine look at the advantages and pitfalls of using an ensemble cast in your book, including why you might want to create one, how it makes for richer world building and when not to do it.
On the slab this week: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R R Martin, Spinning Silver - Naomi Novak, Deep Space Nine and many more
Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 218: Plotting, Pantsing, Middling and Snowflaking - Creating Outlines for Books and Series...or Not!
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 217: You Are Cordially Invited - Costume Dramas, 19th Century Literature & Dragons
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 216: Sugar & Spice - Nuance and the Nice-washing of Female Characters in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 215: The Book was Better than the Film, or When it Wasn't - Adaptations, Revamps and Sequels
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 214: Something Sweet & Deadly - Easter Eggs and the Problems with Fan Service
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 213: That's Just Not Literature - the Myths of Fantasy Writing
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 212: I'm the Bad Guy (or am I?) - Morally Grey Characters in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 211: Write What You Know & Other Pearls of Wisdom - the Worst Publishing and Writing Advice
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 210: Toss a Coin to Your Fantasy Author - When Epic Fantasy Hits the Screen
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 209: Bring On the Heartbreak - When Romantic Subplots go Wrong in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 208: Welcome to the Multiverse - Alternate Realities, Evil Twins and Unmade Choices in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 207: Nervous Timid Goth Boys vs Manic Pixie Dream Girls - How a Single Trope can Shift Narrative Preference
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 206: Devilish Dogs and Last Unicorns - Traumatic Moments in Children's Animated Feature Films
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 205: Guardians of Knowledge - Magical Libraries in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 204: Good Hearted Rogues to Xenomorphs - the Dragons' Formative Films
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 203: For the Dead Travel Fast - Monster Hunters in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 202: 2019 - Marvels and Oddities
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 201: It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas - Our Favourite Festive Scenes
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 200: The F-word Revisited - Faeries in Urban Fantasy
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 199: Troubled, Dead or MIA - Parent-child Relationships in Speculative Fiction
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