How much do you need to describe a familiar character?

One of the things I struggled with in Backstage Disneyland was how much to describe characters most people already know and love.

I expected most readers to be at least somewhat familiar with Indiana Jones, Mickey Mouse, Darth Vader and Buzz Lightyear. But as a newspaper reporter, I understand the importance of explaining the basic background so the uninitiated won’t feel lost if they happen to stumble upon your story.

I stuck to simple physical descriptions and job titles of the characters so I could focus in greater detail on the differences between their onstage personas and backstage personalities.

Characters that made brief appearances in the story got short shrift - under the assumption most people have at least heard of Peter Pan or Cruella De Vil. And if they haven’t, I left it for readers to fill in the blanks with their imaginations. It’s not going to change their understanding of the story if they don’t know a minor character.



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Sample chapters
Prologue: Once Upon a Time
Chapter 1: Wonderful World of Disney
Chapter 2: A Whole New World
Chapter 3: Exile on Main Street USA
Chapter 4: Evil Plans
Chapter 5: Real Princesses of Disneyland
Chapter 6: Action Figure
Chapter 7: Code R
Chapter 8: Common Foes
Chapter 9: Peace, Love & Mickey
Chapter 10: Operation Death Star
Chapter 11: Frozen Ever After