How Much Is Too Much?
December 2018 Editorial
www.ink2quill.com

In situations where there is no scarcity, whether it´s at the supermarket or access to life´s essentials how much is too much? If you take people´s access to food  that might be a fair question only if you you are considering the food´s quality and the lifestyle of the person. If you are taking into account things like water the question of how much becomes a simple question of waste or entitlement in an unfair society. But how much is enough in other aspects of life? Say, in the art and the creative world how is too much? Can you have too much of one color in a painting or can a painting be too obscure and abstract for its audience? Many artists don´t seem to care and they shouldn´t.

Let´s narrow that question down to a specific case. I am reading a well written book right now with an interesting, character driven story that takes place across the galaxy with many interesting characters. I can´t say enough how well written it is. My eyes just slide off the pages like they were made of butter. The story is also very good and plausible which has me thinking that it might have been inspired from historical events, several possible historical events. I´m pretty sure that it won the Arthur C. Clarke Award, so quite a few other people think that it´s a good book too. The one interesting aspect of this book is the flood of characters in the story. It helps build the world of the book and drive the story but I have to say that there are more characters than your usual good sci-fi book. This had me wondering about story structure.

So, on the theme of what is enough, how many characters is too much? Now it´s important to add that pushing and even ignoring set artistic laws is something all artists are entitled to do and should do… as often as possible. I am a believer that creation, creativity should be more or less organic. That is how the greatest works are produced, especially in sci-fi.

So, how many characters is too many characters? Keeping in mind that this depends on each and every work written and that no strict and complex law can be uttered with any credibility I have to say that superfluous characters are real in the literary world, especially in these days of self publishers and the editing uncles and aunts. Let me give the simplest definition of a superfluous character with a short list.

1. Not the main character(s).
2. Does not add to the story by revealing something about the main character(s) or story flow.
3. Does not help any with world building.
4. You are trying to make a friend or family member famous. 

Yes, I could only think of three ways to define a superfluous character. I think it´s that simple but if you do have superfluous characters in your story I wouldn´t worry about it. We the readers don´t really mind.

John

 

 

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