Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech has ten characters, but four of them hold centre stage throughout. An orphan brother and sister and their foster parents.
Similarly in Little Woman, the four girls: Amy, Beth, Meg and Jo dominate. Jo is the protagonist.
Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech has ten characters, but four of them hold centre stage throughout. An orphan brother and sister and their foster parents.
Similarly in Little Woman, the four girls: Amy, Beth, Meg and Jo dominate. Jo is the protagonist.
Too many probably
The one main character principle seems sound. However, the number of other characters can differ immensely, depending on how well you can define them and how clear their role is in the story.
If you have too many and find it difficult to remove any of them, try to see if you can take the role, actions and conflicts of two and combine them into one.
Sometimes you can easily sustain a whole host of characters, especially if they're introduced gradually - I'm currently reading "The hundred year old man who climbed out a window and disappeared" and the author brilliantly adds ever more supporting characters to the main story, while dropping new characters into the back story, even switching POV mid-scene and referring to them with different names at points (one character's nickname has changed entirely), with almost no confusion. This is probably an exception though.
I am in the planning stages and can count seven including the central protagonist. The other six consist of the central antagonist and secondary characters who each significantly assist or disrupt the central protagonist's progression towards her scene or story goal.