A question on some plot/writing choices.

So!

I'm plotting up yet another concept for a fanfic (these things need time to simmer, of course, so Delta Species will be finished first) and - from a heavy influence from the very good book Good Omens - I've thought about it a little bit and decided to present three separate sets of main characters (set one - a couple of Trainers and a Pokémon ranger - has three people, sets two and three - operatives from teams Magma and Aqua - have two). They will meet up with each other occasionally in the beginning and more frequently as the plot nears its end, and naturally the Magma and Aqua ops will feud whenever they do. However, this is taking place in the Kanto/Hoenn Battle Frontier while the two Teams are still searching for the Orbs (having no idea they're on top of Mt. Pyre yet), and the Ranger and Trainers are really just trying to work out what they're doing and how to stop it. This may wander into alternate reality, but in any case, I have two questions: Is having three sets of main characters (seven in total) a good idea? and would writing a third person perspective from one of the characters in each group (three narrators in total) be too confusing?

I don't see a problem with that many main characters, but it sort of depends how long this story will be. The longer the story, the more room you have to balance them out and develop their characters. Though, having that many main characters is a pretty good idea since it allows you to explore different perspectives on a single issue, so as long as you balance the characters (i.e. give each group their own screen time), you should be fine.

Changing perspectives like that isn't confusing as long as you don't change perspectives too often, like in a middle of a scene.

patch. said:

I have a sudden urge to collab that idea with you. o_o

It's not the most original idea, and it's not confusing; a commonly used thing is chapter-switching, where you switch 'team' or 'character' per chapter until when they meet up, when you have a sole narration for all of them.

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I'd be happy to collab, if you want to.

Anyway, it's not going to be per chapter. A wonderful example of what I'm trying to accomplish was the previously mentioned Good Omens, which is a hefty volume of about four ridiculously long chapters ('Thursday' to 'Sunday') which has a bucketload of important characters and switches perspectives remarkably often. Actually, Good Omens was a collaboration too - between Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, but still. The different groups don't meet up too often in this story, which is a lot like what would probably happen in my story - what reason would two groups of Evil Teams have grouping together with a couple of Trainers (and vice-versa) or their mortal enemies?

I don't see a problem with that many main characters, but it sort of depends how long this story will be. The longer the story, the more room you have to balance them out and develop their characters. Though, having that many main characters is a pretty good idea since it allows you to explore different perspectives on a single issue, so as long as you balance the characters (i.e. give each group their own screen time), you should be fine.

Changing perspectives like that isn't confusing as long as you don't change perspectives too often, like in a middle of a scene.

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Oh, it will definitely be lengthy, and I do want to explore a lot of the characters' personalities. I wouldn't do it in the middle of a scene, since both Teams are on a lead that the various Orbs are somewhere in the Frontier wilderness and - Mew forbid - together, and considering the Trainers are Kanto natives and I'm on the fence if the Ranger should be included at all, they have no knowledge of just who these schmucks are (at least one of the two Team groups are smart enough to not tell them), they'll all be working towards the same goal: find the Orbs.

I don't see three third-person narrators being a problem, as long as the switches are at a break in the story. Just remember to make sure you have enough time to develop each character - that's the only big problem I could see arising here.

Three first-person narrators, actually. That's why I'm worried about it being too confusing and being able to make the character narration distinct.

I have no probably having seven main character because I have before. Try to keep your characters in order and that would be good. You're a good enough writer to pull it off.

Same as above, just use something to signify it. Anything

~~~
---
@@@
***
&&&

anything will work really.

Yes, I would be using the --- I typically do, or perhaps [M], [A], and [T] for teams Magma, Aqua, and Trainer (d'hurr), respectively. Also, contacted~!

Hell, I do this all the time in my fics, and it works fine. I mean, Shattered switches regularly between Tyson, Haley, Samuel, Matthew and even Jeremiah, with more planned to come in the future. There's no reason for it not to work. I think it makes things much more interesting, personalmente.

It's a good idea, as long as there isn't too many breaks. But if you want your reader to feel as if he/she is actually interacting with the characters themselves, then try second-person.