--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The more characters you have, the bigger…" description: "\"“The more characters you have, the bigger the book, the more flaming chain saws.”\" — Benjamin Percy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8d/benjamin-percy-17850_book_the-more-characters-you-have-the-bigger_2439719.jpg" --- # The more characters you have, the bigger the book, the… ![“The more characters you have, the bigger the book, the more flaming chain saws.” quote by Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8d/benjamin-percy-17850_book_the-more-characters-you-have-the-bigger_2439719.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8d/benjamin-percy-17850_book_the-more-characters-you-have-the-bigger_2439719.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8d/benjamin-percy-17850_book_the-more-characters-you-have-the-bigger_2439719.jpg) > ““The more characters you have, the bigger the book, the more flaming chain saws.”” [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. More characters expand a story’s scope, leading to larger, more complex narratives, sometimes resulting in chaotic plots. **In simple terms:** More characters make books bigger and potentially messier. Key Takeaway Balance character count with coherence. Themes writing storytelling complexity Mood analytical creative Type literary advice When to use this quote - novel planning - screenwriting - series development - editing Key Concepts character development plot structure genre expectations Questions to Reflect On - How to manage large casts? - When does complexity hinder clarity? A Different Perspective Too many characters can dilute focus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bigger Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger-book-476612/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Flaming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-flaming-476611/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Chain Saws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chain-saws-380528/) [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Characters Bigger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-bigger-476610/) [Flaming Chain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flaming-chain-476613/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“I knew a man who, in the age of chain-saws, went right on cutting his wood with a handsaw and an axe. He was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/i-knew-a-man-who-in-the-age-of-chain-saws-went-right-on-cutting-his/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [All chain saws are formidable and dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-hubbell/all-chain-saws-are-formidable-and-dangerous/) [Sue Hubbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-hubbell/) > [I think it's the next thing, getting out of the comfort-zone readership, that at some point you have to try and break out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-magary/i-think-it-s-the-next-thing-getting-out-of-the-comfort-zone/) [Drew Magary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-magary/) > [The TV audience is way bigger than a book audience, and no matter what I do, I'm always thinking if this will help people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/the-tv-audience-is-way-bigger-than-a-book-audience-and-no-matter-what/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [What a big book, captain, might be made with all that is known!" "And what a much bigger book still with all that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-verne/what-a-big-book-captain-might-be-made-with-all-that-is-known-and-what/) [Jules Verne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-verne/) > [I'm no longer going to play thugs or debauched cops that I can't possibly make complex characters. I'm bigger than that. I owe too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/i-m-no-longer-going-to-play-thugs-or-debauched-cops-that-i-can-t/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) > [I love playing characters that are bigger than life and maybe have a darker side that they present to the world. Those are good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-quaid/i-love-playing-characters-that-are-bigger-than-life-and-maybe-have-a/) [Randy Quaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-quaid/) > [“Good writing is made up of characters who are bigger than their circumstances.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-knight/good-writing-is-made-up-of-characters-who-are-bigger-than-their/) [Michael Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-knight/) > ['The Grace of Kings' was meant to read like a set of legends about characters who were bigger than life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/the-grace-of-kings-was-meant-to-read-like-a-set-of-legends-about/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [I love when I get to play these characters that are bigger than life. There are roles in animation that I never get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-madsen/i-love-when-i-get-to-play-these-characters-that-are-bigger-than-life/) [Virginia Madsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-madsen/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) ## More by Benjamin Percy > [“The best way to mess with the head of your reader is to strategize the delivery of bad news.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/the-best-way-to-mess-with-the-head-of-your-reader-is-to-strategize/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) > [“Matters of the heart make your world worth occupying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/matters-of-the-heart-make-your-world-worth-occupying/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) > [I grew up with guns. For my 16th birthday, in fact, I received a .357 instead of a car. But there was nothing playful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/i-grew-up-with-guns-for-my-16th-birthday-in-fact-i-received-a-357/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) > [I want to build as many worlds as possible - each a version of ours with a crack running through it - and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/i-want-to-build-as-many-worlds-as-possible-each-a-version-of-ours/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) > [“So you could write what you know. The problem, of course, is that some people don’t know shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/so-you-could-write-what-you-know-the-problem-of-course-is-that-some/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) > [“When she thinks of the toxins built up inside of her from so many years of eating carelessly, of the resentment that has grown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/when-she-thinks-of-the-toxins-built-up-inside-of-her-from-so-many/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) > [“The seagull doesn’t mean anything,” I said. “It’s just a seagull. It’s there for beach ambience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/the-seagull-doesn-t-mean-anything-i-said-it-s-just-a-seagull-it-s/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) > [“It’s like this. Terror might make someone kill, but love will make someone die. People die for love. They would give up anything for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/it-s-like-this-terror-might-make-someone-kill-but-love-will-make/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) > [“... he feels the darkness of the grave pressing around the fire and infecting his vision so that there seems to be no separation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/he-feels-the-darkness-of-the-grave-pressing-around-the-fire-and/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) > [As in the case of many of the stories that I've written I'm not trying to editorialize. I don't want there to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/as-in-the-case-of-many-of-the-stories-that-i-ve-written-i-m-not/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) > [I have a scenario but almost always it's entwined with at least one person to begin with. Then I sort of expand from there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/i-have-a-scenario-but-almost-always-it-s-entwined-with-at-least-one/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) > [“Books are like batteries, he says. And you grow a little stronger by reading them, surrounding yourself with them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/books-are-like-batteries-he-says-and-you-grow-a-little-stronger-by/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) > [“Her husband once said that he believed some sort of mathematical equation could be applied to life - since the longer you lived, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/her-husband-once-said-that-he-believed-some-sort-of-mathematical/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) > [I think my leap into TV and movies and comics is in a way natural because I'm a visual storyteller. If you look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/i-think-my-leap-into-tv-and-movies-and-comics-is-in-a-way-natural/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) > [“I would encourage subtlety. Nabokov’s bubble gum or Munro’s water over Dumbo’s magic feather.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/i-would-encourage-subtlety-nabokov-s-bubble-gum-or-munro-s-water-over/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) [Explore all 36 Benjamin Percy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The more characters you have, the bigger the book, the more flaming chain saws.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Benjamin Percy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/the-more-characters-you-have-the-bigger-the-book-the-more-flaming/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/the-more-characters-you-have-the-bigger-the-book-the-more-flaming/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8d/benjamin-percy-17850_book_the-more-characters-you-have-the-bigger_2439719.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8d/benjamin-percy-17850_book_the-more-characters-you-have-the-bigger_2439719.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8d/benjamin-percy-17850_book_the-more-characters-you-have-the-bigger_2439719.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The more characters you have, the bigger the book, the more flaming chain saws.” — Benjamin Percy", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Benjamin Percy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The more characters you have, the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/the-more-characters-you-have-the-bigger-the-book-the-more-flaming/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/the-more-characters-you-have-the-bigger-the-book-the-more-flaming/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```