The Cast List

Why did this convention fall by the wayside?

Cast of characters from The Moving Target, Ross MacDonald

I love nothing more than a map just inside a book cover.

Except perhaps a cast list. There is something thrilling to see the people all lined up, ready to begin the novel. While this convention has fallen out of fashion since the 1940s, when the above cast list was published, creating a cast list is an incredibly helpful tool for you as the writer.

Let’s get into what information to keep track of and which characters belong on this list.