Writing a series with multiple main characters requires more than giving each person a story. An author must find ways to develop individual personalities, struggles, and relationships while ensuring that every storyline contributes to a larger narrative. When those characters follow different paths across several books, maintaining that connection becomes an important part of the storytelling process.
For author Ryder Phoenix, the approach begins with deciding which characters will take the spotlight in each book while keeping their individual journeys connected to the wider story.
Through the Rainbow Reflections series, Phoenix explores the challenges of balancing multiple character perspectives, fantasy adventures, and LGBTQ+ representation without allowing any single aspect to define an entire character.
Giving Every Character Room to Grow
One of the biggest challenges of writing a multi-character series is deciding how much attention each character should receive. With four main characters, giving everyone equal focus in every book could overwhelm readers and make the story difficult to follow.
Phoenix approaches this by highlighting two main characters more prominently in each book while continuing to develop the other two in the background.
As Ryder explains:
When it comes to mapping out multiple character arcs across a series, I focus on which character(s) will be highlighted for each book. With four main characters, I don't want to overwhelm the audience with too much going on, so I'll typically give more "screen time" to two of those main characters per book. While the other two main characters are still given perspectives and stories of their own, they're less of a focus. Regardless, all of the arcs will tie back together in the end.
This approach allows each character to have meaningful development without competing for the reader's attention at every moment.
It also demonstrates an important principle of series writing: not every character needs equal attention in every book, but every important character needs a meaningful place in the overall story.
By distributing the spotlight, an author can explore individual experiences in greater depth while keeping the larger cast involved.
Connecting Different Journeys Through Shared Themes
As a series progresses, its characters may find themselves in very different situations. Their locations, challenges, and immediate goals can change, making it harder to maintain a sense of unity across the narrative.
Phoenix addresses this by connecting the characters through shared themes, even when their individual storylines begin to diverge.
The author describes how this works in Rainbow Reflections:
For example, in Book 1, most of the storylines are already interwoven since all of the main characters are at magic school together. But by Book 3, the crew is split up in different areas. While their stories and struggles are unique to the individual, there are still similar themes in each character's arc to weave each arc together (in the case of Book 3, searching is a main theme).
This progression illustrates how a series can expand its world without losing its central connections.
In an earlier installment, characters may interact frequently because they share the same environment. As the story develops, they may become separated and face challenges independently. Shared themes can then provide the connection that physical proximity once supplied.
For writers, this offers a practical lesson. When characters follow separate paths, look for an idea, question, or emotional experience that connects their journeys. A common theme can help readers recognize how different struggles contribute to one larger story.
LGBTQ+ Representation Beyond a Single Identity
Another important part of Phoenix's approach is the way LGBTQ+ identities are integrated into character development.
Rather than making identity the sole focus of a character's entire journey, Phoenix aims to portray it as one meaningful part of a more complex person.
The author explains:
Bringing in the LGBTQ+ aspect, I do my best to balance showcasing the characters' unique identities while not hinging their whole arc on this identity.
This distinction matters in character-driven fiction. A character's identity can influence their experiences, relationships, challenges, and understanding of themselves. However, characters also have ambitions, fears, talents, friendships, and personal goals that extend beyond any single aspect of who they are.
By allowing these elements to coexist, writers can create characters who feel more complete and whose stories have room to develop in different directions.
Phoenix's approach makes representation part of the broader storytelling rather than a substitute for character development.
Zyn's Journey: Identity as Part of a Larger Story
Phoenix offers Zyn, a transgender and nonbinary main character, as an example of this approach.
In the first book, Zyn experiences difficulties with their magic that appear to be connected to dysphoria. As they begin to understand this connection, that experience becomes part of their character development.
However, their later storylines are not defined entirely by being transgender or nonbinary.
Phoenix explains:
For example, Zyn is our transgender/nonbinary main character. In Book 1, they have struggles with their magic that seems to be related to dysphoria. Once they figure this out, their future arcs aren't focused on them being transgender; it's just a part of who they are and not consuming their entire story and/or purpose.
This approach allows Zyn's journey to develop beyond the initial challenge. Their identity remains part of who they are, but it does not prevent them from experiencing other adventures, pursuing other goals, or facing different kinds of conflict.
It also highlights how fantasy can provide a setting for exploring personal experiences through the rules and challenges of an imagined world.
When an author's world-building and character development work together, personal struggles can have meaningful consequences within the larger narrative.
Queer Relationships as Part of the Wider Narrative
Phoenix applies a similar principle to the queer relationships in the series.
These relationships are important to the characters' development and contribute to the overall story, but they do not represent the entirety of the characters' identities or motivations.
As the author puts it:
Likewise, the queer relationships we see through our other main characters are crucial to their arcs (and the overall story), but isn't the only thing that makes these characters who they are or drive their arcs.
Relationships can influence decisions, create conflict, strengthen friendships, and change how characters understand themselves and the people around them. Their importance can grow naturally as the story progresses.
For writers working with interconnected character arcs, the lesson is to consider how relationships affect the wider narrative while continuing to give each character an independent personality and purpose.
A relationship should matter because of what it means to the characters and how it shapes their journeys, not because it is the only interesting thing about them.
Ryder Phoenix's Advice for Writing Interconnected Character Arcs
Looking at Phoenix's approach to Rainbow Reflections, several practical lessons emerge for authors developing multi-book series.
1. Decide who takes the spotlight. Identify which characters will receive the most attention in each installment while allowing the wider cast to continue developing.
2. Connect individual stories through shared themes. Characters can face different problems and travel separate paths while exploring related questions or experiences.
3. Let characters develop beyond their initial struggles. A significant early challenge can shape a character without needing to define every later storyline.
4. Make relationships meaningful to the overall plot. Relationships can connect character arcs, but each character should retain their own motivations, ambitions, and challenges.
5. Allow the separate storylines to come together. When characters have their own journeys, the author can look for meaningful ways to connect those experiences within the larger series.
Together, these principles offer a framework for writing stories with multiple perspectives while maintaining a clear narrative direction.
Discover Ryder Phoenix and the Rainbow Reflections Series
Ryder Phoenix's reflections offer insight into the planning behind a fantasy series with four main characters, interconnected storylines, and LGBTQ+ representation.
By distributing character focus, connecting separate journeys through shared themes, and allowing identity to remain one part of a larger character, Phoenix demonstrates how a series can explore different experiences without losing its sense of unity.
Readers interested in learning more about the author and the Rainbow Reflections series can visit the official website:
Explore Ryder Phoenix's work: Rainbow Reflections Official Website
Final Thoughts
A multi-character series becomes compelling when readers have reasons to care about each character individually while remaining invested in the story they share.
Ryder Phoenix's approach to Rainbow Reflections demonstrates how careful planning, recurring themes, meaningful relationships, and thoughtful representation can help achieve that balance.
The central lesson for writers is simple: give every character room to grow, allow their experiences to be distinct, and find the connections that bring their journeys together.
At Speedy Metric, we feature authors, their books, and the creative decisions behind their storytelling. Explore more author insights and discover new books through the Speedy Metric website.
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