
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


Having a large cast of characters can overwhelm your readers, especially if the characters are introduced all at once, too many characters crowd a scene, their roles are too similar or just not clear.
Readers will struggle to keep track of who’s who, and who they should be paying attention to. This can hinder their engagement with your story.
So you want to carefully consider the necessity of each character.
Not every character needs the same amount of depth and range. But you want to make sure that every character, no matter how minor, contributes to the overall narrative in a meaningful way.
In this episode, I’m breaking down three types of characters you’ll likely have in your story: major characters, minor characters, and functional characters. You'll learn how to give each of these characters a clear story purpose.
Episode Web Page
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts.
Love what you're learning from the Writer Unleashed podcast? Pease consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers -- just like you -- to write the story that won't let them go.
Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast so you never miss an episode.
Not sure how to structure your story? Start Here. This free 3-Act Worksheet gives you a clear framework so you know exactly what your beginning, middle, and end need to do — so you can stop guessing and start writing. Grab it free here.
By Nanci Panuccio5
2626 ratings
Having a large cast of characters can overwhelm your readers, especially if the characters are introduced all at once, too many characters crowd a scene, their roles are too similar or just not clear.
Readers will struggle to keep track of who’s who, and who they should be paying attention to. This can hinder their engagement with your story.
So you want to carefully consider the necessity of each character.
Not every character needs the same amount of depth and range. But you want to make sure that every character, no matter how minor, contributes to the overall narrative in a meaningful way.
In this episode, I’m breaking down three types of characters you’ll likely have in your story: major characters, minor characters, and functional characters. You'll learn how to give each of these characters a clear story purpose.
Episode Web Page
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts.
Love what you're learning from the Writer Unleashed podcast? Pease consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers -- just like you -- to write the story that won't let them go.
Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast so you never miss an episode.
Not sure how to structure your story? Start Here. This free 3-Act Worksheet gives you a clear framework so you know exactly what your beginning, middle, and end need to do — so you can stop guessing and start writing. Grab it free here.

1,006 Listeners

876 Listeners

9,622 Listeners

629 Listeners

225 Listeners

87,529 Listeners

111,948 Listeners

311 Listeners

12,633 Listeners

1,489 Listeners

790 Listeners

15,950 Listeners

2,318 Listeners

428 Listeners

93 Listeners