Dear Geist,
Three people who read a draft of my novel said they had some trouble keeping track of the characters. Should I make a chart or a list of characters in the book,
Leo Tolstoy or Elena Ferrante?

Dear Epic,


The dramatis personae is a tried-and-true device. Before you deploy it, though, ask yourself sternly why you are thinking of it. Do all of your characters matter to the story? Does each one come clear instantly, in every appearance, through what he/she says and does? Are the characters’ trajectories woven together in a compelling, seemingly inevitable way? You want your list of characters to be a reference, not a truss.
—The Editors