I'm in the revising stage for book two in my fantasy series, and I think it would help remind readers about who the twenty-plus characters are if I included a list in the front of the book. The trouble is, if I put a character list there, it will use up a lot of Look-Inside space, and I also suspect that the book will be set to auto-start past it anyway, so readers won't see it. I could put the character list in the back, but that's only helpful if the readers know it's there, and a note near the front to skip to the back for a character list would also probably get cut off when the auto-start is set for the beginning of chapter 1. Has anyone else solved this problem? Do you just skip character lists for non-print books?
aimeeeasterling
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164 Posts
My initial reaction was to say I wouldn't like this at all, but then I remembered that a book I really liked had something like this in the front, and I referred to it frequently to double check who different nobles/families were. No character descriptions or anything, just a list of important households and their members. I don't think it's really necessary- I got through ASOIAF without one (though I just looked and apparently there is one in the back, which makes sense).
So in my personal experience, with a list at the front I see it and reference it frequently. With it in the back, I dive right in and learn as I go, never thinking to look for a character list. Though I imagine that's not true of everyone.
If you're writing epic fantasy with a lot of characters and houses, it could be helpful. In other genres, I think I'd find it obnoxious.
Just my two cents as a reader.
So in my personal experience, with a list at the front I see it and reference it frequently. With it in the back, I dive right in and learn as I go, never thinking to look for a character list. Though I imagine that's not true of everyone.
If you're writing epic fantasy with a lot of characters and houses, it could be helpful. In other genres, I think I'd find it obnoxious.
Just my two cents as a reader.
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