Minor characters can also be extremely handy when it comes to creating comic relief. This type of character is used as filler for your story, a character that exists but doesn’t matter to the plot. Not all your characters are going to be equal, they won’t all get the same about of ‘page time’ and readers certainly won’t gain an insight into the thoughts, secrets and desires of those characters who don’t have a leading role. If everyone else is dressed in drab and dreary outfits and your protagonist bursts into the room in a bright orange jumpsuit and flamboyant hat, they’ll be noticed even more. The presence of these personages also expands upon the audience’s experience while giving audience members characters to which they can relate. Give Us a Call At 1-919-521-8981, Why Your Minor Characters Are So Important. Here’s why minor characters are important I remember reading one time, that the difference between secondary characters and minor characters is that minor characters don’t speak. Your reader shouldn’t be distracted by them, yet their presence must be there - otherwise your reader will be distracted by the lack of them. When it comes to writing your book, you will no doubt include a whole host of characters. The minor character shouldn't be intriguing enough or significant enough to detract from the main characters; however, the minor character must contribute something of value. Minor characters can sometimes add comic relief, a dramatic interlude or some other brief but compelling effect. Best friends in a romantic story often compel the main character to act in a certain way. In contrast to a secondary character, a minor character will play a very small role in the hero’s quest. Have a Question, Comment, Concern or Simply Want to Place an Order? This type of character includes your protagonist, antagonist, and supporting characters (other important characters that matter to the plot). Minor characters can also be used to highlight different characteristics in your main character. Minor characters are incredibly useful in a book, they are the pawns of the chess set, and you can keep moving them around to protect your main characters, but ultimately what you do with them just might win you the game! Minor characters do a fantastic job of dropping hints to the major themes at the end of any play. Pete checked at the desk for his messages. What is a minor character? They make the main characters more meaningful. However, they all have a part to play, and minor characters still need to be carefully thought out, however seemingly inconsequential in the grand scheme of your book. Harper Lee is a very intelligent writer, who uses minor characters to explore the complex themes generated in the novel. Writer's Life.org is the go to place for writers and authors across the planet and of all genres. Just as in real life, the people that surround the main character speaks a lot about the... Symbolism. These brief discriptions of main characters in Hamlet along with some Hamlet character analysis will help you impress your friends and neighbors with your knowledge of literature. Not all characters in a novel are created equal. These Tips Will Help You! How are the minor characters in Frankenstein important? Simply mentioning one distinguishable feature (such as a flamboyant wardrobe choice or a quirky tic) will suffice. Minor Characters Minor characters are very important in a book. Add minor characters with a purpose, and you can establish a protagonist or polish a memorable scene. Copyright © WritersLife.org 2017 All rights reserved. Russian stories are often filled with a vast number of minor characters whose names we may find difficult to pronounce or remember. If you book is full of tension, occasionally this should be broken by coming relief. Henry, Elizabeth, and Justine are three characters in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein who contribute a lot to the novel. Adding Dimension to Leads. Forests provide jobs to over 1.6 billion people, absorb harmful carbon from the atmosphere, and are … (Geesh... Could we get any worse with this run on sentence and lack of structure? Nora accidentally gave the cabby a $20 bill for a $5 ride and then was too shy to ask for change. If everyone in the room is chattering 100 miles an hour and roaring with laughter yet your main character stays silent this only further highlights the contemplative/ scared/ angry mood that they are in. Great writers know it is important to pay attention to your minor characters, to spend time perfecting them and make sure that each and every one services its purpose. Easy, instead of focusing 110% of our efforts on meaningless things such as correct spelling, proper grammar and fancy words... ...We'll give you solid information, that you'll get solid results with when tested in the real world ;-). In this case, they should be more noticeable. In John Updike’s “A&P,” this remains true. Here are three important reasons why: 1. Minor characters typically have a brief or modest role in a story, but they contribute to the intrigue of the story or the development of main characters. Unless your story takes place in a hermitage or a desert island, your main characters are surrounded by many people who are utterly unimportant in the story. Influencing The Conflict: The Murderers After visiting the witches again, he perceives Macduff as his next threat and plans to kill him He does not feel safe with almost anyone alive 2. When writing these ‘vanishing’ characters, you need to make sure they don’t suddenly take centre stage. Required fields are marked *. This definition confused me. Can you help me in any way? Why are trees important to the environment? Is the Coronavirus Crisis Increasing America's Drug Overdoses? What Is the Importance of Minor Characters. Throughout the story, two minor characters, Queenie and Lengel, reveal Sammy’s personality and motivations. However, it is not expected of them to be interesting as the major characters are far more complex and have intentions that cause them to be the central focus of the play. Whether they are sitting in a crowded bar or walking down the street, omitting these people that brush past them or give them a strange look or hand them their drink will make your world will seem empty and strange. Some eccentricity or something exaggerated about the way they act or speak should catch the readers and the main characters attention - this then catalyses a series of events, some of which the minor character might be involved with, but eventually they too disappear once they have served their purpose. It helps to inspire and create an impact. The writers put the minor characters because they are the elements that will make their works more valuable. It is really essential that we fill our kids' home libraries with books featuring characters that look like them. The only thing they are interested in is knowing if your writing is something that will SELL.. Minor characters should add spice to your novel, not dull it down. Should such a character change, that person's role in the story would come into question. Because the minor characters help develop and drive the plot. Why does Shelley use a frame story for Frankenstein, and what is the connection between Victor and Walton? I am writing about minor characters in the Crucible and their significance to the book. Minor characters do a fantastic job of dropping hints to the major themes at the end of any play. A minor character that crops up throughout the story who has an amusing appearance or always does the same repetitive but hilarious thing, or manages to deliver witty one-liners can be extremely instrumental when providing comic relief for your audience. However, from the barista who spills coffee down your characters new shirt to their fusspot mother - often the minor characters are the ones that surprise you, and play a bigger part in your story then you initially thought they would. The minor character shouldn't be intriguing enough or significant enough to detract from the main characters; however, the minor character must contribute something of value. Writing An Anthology? Will 5G Impact Our Cell Phone Plans (or Our Health?! The roles that these characters play set the mood, influences the ending and reveals important information about themselves or other characters. Minor characters are a very important part of any story, as they provide a lot of information about others things such as, the main character. Consider the mis-spellings, grammatical mistakes and lack of $1000.00 words that you may or may not find on this site a reminder to you to focus on the things that will "really" prompt publishers to become interested in your book or potential fans of your writing to want more and more and more.. ...And that is, learning how to write not good, but Great content, that pulls people in and will have them coming back begging for more. Developing an effective minor character is often challenging. Henry, Elizabeth, and Justine are three characters in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein who contribute a lot to the novel. Minor Characters Other Kids. They can cause arguments or disagreements, they can set off a chain of events, they can be like a naughty toddler, out to cause mayhem. Jordan serves multiple purposes throughout the story. Minor Characters. Minor characters can make or break a story. I don't know how you can expand such a … In The Great Gatsby, minor characters are essential to the progression of the plot because it is through minor characters where we learn about the personalities and lives of the major characters. A minor character can, however, help your protagonist make a decision, have an epiphany, or suddenly remember something important which changes their course of action. Developing an effective minor character is often challenging. Without purpose, they only bog you down. Don’t have them doing anything that demands a readers attention - fidgeting, looking nervous, acting suspiciously and so on. Others might appear in just a single scene.A typical novel contains dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of characters, though few of them will be significant enough to command much of the writer’s time and attention.In order of importance, there are four main types of character… 1. Some play bigger parts than others - your main protagonist(s) for example, are hugely important and must be interesting and engaging (though they don’t necessarily have to be likeable) to keep your reader immersed in your story and curious to know what happens next. Flat characters in the fantasy genre are appropriately called "quest-givers." They are background; they are part of the milieu. How do we plan on accomplishing this? The One Thing Every Successful Writer Has In Common, How To Make Yourself Aware Of Publishing Scams, Why Almost ALL Writers Make These Grammar Mistakes At Some Point, 5 Tips For Authors On How To Deal With Rejection, Top Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Novel, Write What You Love Vs Write What You Know. Blog Writers Top Techniques For Concluding Your Content, Tips For Author Email Marketing Campaigns, Past Or Present Tense – The Pro’s and Cons. ), The Secret Science of Solving Crossword Puzzles, Racist Phrases to Remove From Your Mental Lexicon. Consider this lesson #1 ;-) (Use the social buttons above to follow us on your favorite social site.. You'd hate to mis the next lesson wouldn't you?). Minor Characters Minor characters are very important in a book. I am overwhelmed! Kids need to see people who look like them who have faced challenges, overcome obstacles, and made a difference in the world. Captcha loading...In order to pass the CAPTCHA please enable JavaScript. These minor characters, alongside the more prominent personalities, are each important in their own right, allowing the storyline to flow and move through the main themes with ease. ...A Doll's House : Minor Characters "The supporting characters are important in themselves because they face the same type of problems "(Urban "Parallels"). Other Major Characters 3. The world is full of people, some we interact with and some we don’t. Thus, readers who ask, “What makes him or her tick?” should be on the lookout for foil characters to get the answers. Minor characters typically serve as a plot device to establish a setting or theme. Many of the minor characters in the literatures and plays have important roles for the existence. Some are important to the story and will demand a great deal of your time and attention as you create them. A Doll’s House: Minor Characters “The supporting characters are important in themselves because they face the same type of problems? Shakespeare’s minor characters are as often as diverse and essential to the plot as their protagonist counterparts, used within his plays to illuminate the main characters’ goals and feelings. Pap Finn is a pretty minor character in the fiction novel The Adventures of Huck Finn by Mark Twain. “(Urban “Parallels”). It really depends upon the context as to which is more important in a literary work. For example, in the 1999 film "Office Space," the character Milton Waddams appears intermittently in the story, offering humorous lines and anecdotes to the broad message of office lethargy. We meet a few other unwinds on Connor and Risa's journey across half the U.S. First, the first minor character that is introduced in the novel is Jordan Baker. In this case, they should be more noticeable. There's Hayden, the collateral damage in a bitter custody battle.His parents would rather no one have him: "Each would rather see Hayden unwound than allow the other parent to have custody" (2.19.90). Stock characters, such as the wise adviser in the "Quest" fantasies, are intended only to further the plot by providing critically important information to the protagonist. I guess not, but I'm sure you get the point...). Our mission is to give you the resources, tools and information needed to take your writing to the next level. Writers use minor characters to spark off others, to lay the foundations to further conflict and tension or to help foreshadow events. Authors use foils to help readers recognize and understand the traits, attributes, and motivations of the other characters. Ther… Why Foils Are Important . Trees help clean the air we breathe, filter the water we drink, and provide habitat to over 80% of the world's terrestrial biodiversity. Why Is A Minor Character Important In Huck Finn. Let’s take a look at why they are so important. Brief, intermittent interactions between a main character and a minor character who is a colleague or acquaintance can add something of value. This is where minor characters can be crucial to the development of your story. While the nurse and Mercutio serve to promote themes within the story and to make the viewer notice certain qualities in the protagonists, they are also very important to the development of the plot. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Here are a few samples: 1. Victor is the main character in … The Importance of Minor Characters Delivering Exposition. The most important minor character that has influenced the final tragedy of the play was Friar Lawrence. Your email address will not be published. Well-conceived minor characters add an extra spark that distinguishes the best fiction from everything else.-James Scott Bell. If you want your book to seem believable (regardless of whether it is set on this planet or not) your protagonist will undoubtedly come across different characters in every scene. This is a question that all writers, both aspiring... Grammar is a tricky beast. The minor characters can be the ultimate driving force of the stories, and add intensity to the stories, which attracts the readers. Mercutio played a very important role for a character that was only there for a short period time. Often, minor characters support the main characters or add value to the evolution of the plot involving the main characters. It’s true. In a way you must force yourself to write these characters as stereotypes, their behaviour should be completely ordinary for the kind of person they are. Sometimes they don’t even have names. The Protagonist 2. This book was written in 1883 but was set in the 1830’s. Within a minute a skycap had the rest of her money. A minor character can, however, help your protagonist make a decision, have an epiphany, or suddenly remember something important which changes their course of action. A waiter wears a waiters uniform and hands the protagonist their drink - nothing more. Asked by dimitar v #97339 on 6/17/2009 12:48 AM In some stories, a friend or family member offers advice or creates tension for a main character. 1319 Words 6 Pages. A publishing house could care less if you won the spelling bee 10 years in a row.. Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers', Your email address will not be published. They contribute to the plot, and especially on highlighting Victor’s character. This is where minor characters can be crucial to the development of your story. They contribute to the plot, and especially on highlighting Victor’s character. By providing us with these oppositional characters, Shakespeare highlights the qualities that he finds important within Romeo and Juliet. Without the role of the friends, the reader may struggle to see the compelling influence for the character's actions. All these characters need to be observed and then forgotten. These characters require very little as far as physical descriptions are concerned. Minor characters in your story must serve a purpose – primarily serving character, tone, or plot. If they are well placed, a minor character adds information that helps the reader understand other characters better. Some minor characters have obsessive or eccentric personalities that endear them to readers. Fact Check: What Power Does the President Really Have Over State Governors? Often, minor characters support the main characters or add value to the evolution of the plot involving the main characters.