Character Lists

I think character lists/dramatis personae/cast role call are important for any novelist. Not all books should have one (if any ever do). They should be for the author only. This helps in case you forget a character or their profession.

Example:

Title of Book
   Main Characters:
     Jack Wells, commander, Death Commandos (human male from Rulnudor)*
     Rhys Jones, commander, Liberty Rangers (human male from Libertia)
     Tamara Lamnar, lieutenant, Liberty Rangers (human female from Libertia)
     Jessica Green, lieutenant, Death Commandos (human female from Calassa)
     Jori, lieutenant, Liberty Rangers (human female from Libertia)
     Kyle Daly, reporter, Calassa News Network (human male from Calassa)
     Jon Green, senator (human male from Calassa)
     Prince Khariss, head of Darkstar criminal organization (human male)
   Secondary Characters:
     Juan Lopez; lieutenant, Liberty Rangers (human male)
     Q, lieutenant; Death Commandos (Mar'ahli male)
     Nick Trang; lieutenant, Death Commandos (human male)
     Sarha Poland; captain, Liberty Rangers (human female)
     Tessa; captain, Death Commandos (human female)
     Latchton; assassin (human male)
     Y'Canthra; mechanic (Azhiiry female from Azhiiry)
     T'ol; mechanic (human female from Hydronkker)
     Tixe; general, Rulnudor Special Operations Brigade (human male from Rulnudor)
     Vhoz Lamnar; general, Libertia Special Operations Brigade (human male from Libertia)
     Stone; general, Libertia Special Operations Brigade (human male from Libertia)
* = this may be different if your story is only set on earth, main stream fiction, or doesn't involve other species like dogs, cats at which point the "(human male/female)" becomes irrelevant.

I don't recommend this for all writers though. It mainly works well with Sci-Fi or Fantasy (if you have a lot of characters, mind).

New Characters for a new story

Since I took a break from SOC, I started working on its followup story. Mostly for myself and cause I just had to get the ideas down somewhere as a "just in case".

Returning Characters:
Jack Wells; prisoner (male human from the territory Rulnudor) {Arrested for killing the Emperor}
Rhys Jones; fugitive (male human from the territory Libertia) {WANTED for suspected brainwashing}
Jessica Green; fugitive (female human from the destroyed city Calassa, now from Rulnudor) {WANTED for suspected brainwashing and assassinating the Emperor}
Tamara Lamnar; prisoner (female human from Libertia) {Arrested for being brainwashed and spreading Rulnudor propaganda}
Jori; fugitive (female human, origins are unknown) {WANTED for suspected brainwashing}
Kyle Daly; prisoner (male human from the destroyed city Calassa) {Arrested pending investigation of unknown circumstances}
General Tixe; general of the Rulnudor Special Operations Brigade (male human from Rulnudor)
Griff Wahl; prisoner (male human from the territory of Libertia) [moved from the original prologue and epilogue of SOC to here. His events have been erased] {Arrested for bribery}

New Characters:
Y; prisoner (female Mar'ahli) {Arrested for old prejudices}
Master Tesqui-Wiit; Ji-Jorhan martial arts instructor (male Ji-Jorhan from the territory Raji-Jorha)
Rou'tre; mechanic (female human from the territory Hydronkkers)
Sarline'batra; prisoner (male Azzaery) {Arrested for political reasons}
Oph'la; prisoner (female human/Hydronkker) {Arrested for sabotaging Rulnudor and Libertia vehicle compounds}
Bylee; prisoner (female Ji-Jorhan) {arrested for "threatening" an emissary}
Mira; Ji-Jorhan student (female Ji-Jorhan from Raji-Jorha)
Emperor Malton Alhai; ruler of Rulnudor (male human from the territory of Rulnudor)
Chief Walrot; ruler of Libertia (male human from Libertia)
Jeksonn Alhai; son of the Emperor (male human from Rulnudor)

Today's blog update is going to be nothing more than a rambling from me. I have found myself in a corner, working on a lot of additions to and modifications of my novel. I have seemingl gotten bored with the book and have so put it to the side for now. I have started working on another project I put into the drawer for some time. It is a follow up to SoC, and details the events of the survivors and the basic outline for the next story.

In it, I have old characters, some new, and some who we've heard from/of, but never seen. For instance, in SoC, we get epigraphs from Kyle Daly, but in the second story, I give him scenes and a life. The other is the Emperor. All I have on him is he's a friend of Jack Wells, and wants peace. I haven't decided upon a  name yet; I'm still considering what name would be appropriate for him.

New characters introduced are a broken Mar'ahli, two female prisoners who have a love for weapons, the Emperor's son, an exiled Hydronkker, and a lithe Azzaery assassin. I don't have names yet, but I am having fun writing their descriptions and stats down. Hopefully, I should break out of this spell and get back on that book.