Stories with ‘double acts’ are hugely popular with young readers and publishers. There are many books – and series – in existence which focus predominantly on the dynamic between two characters. These are particularly found at the younger age of the fiction market, in picture books and chapter books.
WHY FEATURE FEWER CHARACTERS?
• Key characters
Having a smaller ‘cast’ to keep track of can help prevent younger readers from becoming overwhelmed, especially if they are new to reading more complicated stories. Even if there are further background characters who appear at some point in the story, if two are pushed to the fore, and occupy the most time on the page, it can make stories more accessible.
Equally, when you have two well-created characters who have a strong dynamic between them, it is perfectly possible to create stories with
