Shrek
It doesn’t always have to be a major quest or a wild adventure. Yet, groups have to start somewhere even if it’s prior to the book. Authors need to consider the beginning when they go with ensemble casts. After all, it sets the tone of setting, characters, action, and just about everything.
- How would you start a group adventure story?
- What do you think is a common mistake authors make when beginning an adventuring party story?
- Do you have a favorite ensemble cast introduction scene?
Legends of Windemere 
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I remember the issue you bring up in #2 being a challenge for Nytefall. I had to introduce most of the cast in the first book. So, it was done in small groups. Headache of a juggling act.
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Since you have multiple novels, you can pull that off. But since the question mentioned common mistakes, I assumed you meant new authors.
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Got it. I see what you mean now.
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I would start a group adventure story with a group caught in a severe storm at sea
A common mistake authors make when beginning an adventuring party story is to give a few characters dominance almost before the adventure begins. It’s like the writers didn’t want to go through the trouble of writing the events up to choosing a leader.
My favorite ensemble cast introduction scene is The Lost TV show.
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The dominance issue always seems to turn up. I think it’s like real group dynamics where only some people take the spotlight.
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I like to see the dominance developed, not just assumed..
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I would probably start with a group conversation, which is a good way to introduce the participants.
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Definitely works when you want to show their personalities.
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Good for backstory, too!
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Looking back I have started group stories with some sort of… meeting. Like, in Too Many Princes, the king called his family together to give them assignments. Or in The Seven Exalted Orders it began with basically a guild meeting of all the mages where one major character was asking for a rules change and got denied.
It doesn’t sound exciting, but there are so many dynamics in a tense meeting that introduce characters and conflicts.
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Meetings seem to work though. You show off personality quirks and the like.
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These are tough, but I try not to do the same thing twice. I tend to dribble in characters so readers don’t get overwhelmed with character soup. In Lanternfish they met them along the way. In my current WIP I introduced two, then a whole bunch of clones that are basically the same person, moved to a different planet and introduced two more before bringing them all together. I kind of like the idea of wounded lying on a battlefield with both sides claiming victory, some shade is cast about who takes who prisoner, then they help each other up and hobble off together. Might try that some day.
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I like that idea.
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Did you know that Shrek was first a picture book? Great book, and great author.
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I think we have it in the house somewhere.
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I’m so glad!
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