Minor characters are people too

When my writing partner and I were penning the beginnings of issue 0 of The Constellation Chronicle we designed two characters Marcel and Wainwright. We wanted to introduce the looming threat that was barreling towards the main cast and the most convenient way to do that was through these two minor characters.

diymfa.com describes the objectives of minor characters as such:

1) Propel the plot forward.
2) Reveal information or give additional insight about major characters
3) Set the tone of a scene

Marcel and Wainwright certainly fulfil those objectives. They were two reconnaissance team members, investigating the mysterious signal that they received from a derelict ship. Once there, they discover strange and threatening monster and the rest is history. It was written simply and in a straightforward manner as there was a clear purpose in mind. However, they began to go wildly off script as we began to move them through the scene.

We became attached to them. Honestly we shouldn’t have name them. That was our first mistake. They began to weave their own quirks and backstories and when it came for their demise we were just as torn up about it as they were. But we learnt a valuable lesson.

Despite how minor a character is, that doesn’t mean they’re flat. They come in all shades which are often dictated by how much time you plan to spend focusing on them/having them present. Take some time to explore them a little bit and they might surprise you by how much they have to offer to your story.

Have you ever become attached to a minor character? Let us know in the comment section below! And join us on Sunday evening for our Quackchat at 5:30PM(EST)!

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