The Benefits of Limiting Characters in the First Quarter of a Novel

The characters in a book are the most essential part of the world an author builds. Because a story relies so heavily on its cast, it’s vital that writers are clear in descriptions of characters. They also need to be careful in their character choices. Elaine Ash, author, editor, and book coach, gives advice on the best ways to choose and introduce characters. In her practice, she’s seen many books that contain too many characters in the first chapters. She broke down her favorite bestselling...