From: ATH@kruemel.org   
      
   Hi.   
      
   On one hand I sometimes think that I might have too many characters. On   
   the other hand, there are some characters, or rather a particular type,   
   that are kind of neglected.   
      
   I like a big cast, many different viewpoint characters that take turns,   
   in tight third, telling what's going on. They have different   
   personalities, too. Then there's all those that don't get viewpoints,   
   some more important, some only needed for one thing, getting a mention   
   by name when not giving a name would feel wrong.   
      
   But sometimes, after a pause in working on this story, even I forget who   
   this or that character actually is (good thing I have notes :) ).   
      
   So, hoping to finish the third book, I keep wondering whose viewpoint to   
   show next to see what happens (in most cases, I don't know what happens   
   before writing it). And I am somewhat reluctant to add even more (as in,   
   a new) viewpoint characters. But then, they (whoever it would be) might   
   show something to move the story forwards. One new viewpoint already   
   solved something I'd been wondering about, and opened up possibilities   
   for something else, that I hadn't thought of before either.   
      
      
   Then last night it occured to me that I neglected an entire group of   
   characters. Not just sometimes forgetting about most of them (I'd   
   noticed that before), but also that they don't get any/many viewpoints   
   at all.   
      
   I have male, female, and neutral genders. Males are hogging the stage,   
   but there are around a handful of female viewpoint characters, and there   
   are two neutral viewpoint characters (that in the story end up being   
   changed into male and female).[*] Hrmpf.   
      
   Just because the neutral genders only assist in what the others do   
   doesn't mean they're less important. Plus, those that are shown add   
   colour, variety. And it's part of the setting that in most tribes, there   
   are as many neutral adults in a family/household/community as adult   
   males and females.   
      
   Of course, the females take care of what really matters (to the   
   characters; bringing the children to life and raising them according to   
   their nature), but the males do most of the interesting (story) stuff.   
   The females show that they have thoughts and insights too when it suits   
   them. But they're really not interested in anything outside their   
   immediate concerns, so they don't get to do much concerning the actual   
   story.   
      
   And the neutrals even less. Hrmpf.   
      
   Here's a new quote I like:   
   --------------------------------   
   Jodra: "And here I thought it was the Lords who decided things."   
   Thay patted him on the shoulder with a smile. "Only the things that   
   don't matter much to anyone else."   
   --------------------------------   
      
   So, hm... Not sure I have a question. Maybe this is just thinking aloud.   
   Comments?   
      
      
   [*] Not counting bad guys in there anywhere, btw. They have a few short   
   scenes/viewpoints. Don't have more than a vague idea of what they might   
   (or might not) be doing in the third book yet.   
      
   --   
      
   Mickmane   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)