How can I introduce and describe and multiple characters in the same room?

 It can be done, but it’s best to follow the rule of three. This rule exists because few writers are good enough to write a scene containing more than three characters without their readers becoming confused. So limit your scene to three characters or less if you want your story to actually be read and understood.

How, you ask, can I limit a scene to three characters when there are many, many more characters that must interact in that scene? It’s easy.

 

Put your characters into groups so you have no more than three groups. Then go ahead and write your scene, except instead of describing individual characters, describe which group that character is a part of. It won’t matter which specific character is carrying the story, all that will matter is which group of characters is involved.

You can mention a character’s name to introduce the name to your readers but be sure that the reader understands which group that character belongs to.

If there are more than three groups, then your story is possibly too complex to be understood by any casual reader and should be changed. Simplified. Honed. Slimmed down.