You are here#12: Judging Minor Characters

#12: Judging Minor Characters

By KLCtheBookWorm - Posted on 30 May 2010

Defining Minor Characters

Once the protagonist and antagonist are identified, minor characters are everyone else in the story from the protagonist's sidekick to the owner of the weapon shop who only has one scene.

Minor character have the same issues as your major characters. You need to make sure you know their backgrounds, how they would react, what makes them tick. The major difference is the less time the minor character spend in the story so the less you have to tell the reader.

This is usually an issue with beginning writers. They've found out that the weapon shop owner has four kids and cheats on his wife with the apprentice from the bakery, and they think the readers must know too. If the character only has one scene and the information doesn't advance the story, you're better off taking it out.

"The folks your central characters meet in passing do not need careful delineation. Don't waste time on them." (Seidman 186) But not all the minor characters in your story are just passing characters. A few of them inhabit a considerable portion, only a few scenes less than the protagonist. These characters have a greater opportunity to show who they are, so you must be prepared.

The credibility of the scene depends on the verisimilitude of both major and minor characters. How do the minor characters fare? I glossed over the amount of minor characters in the character list compiled in Editing Lesson #10. Now I will have to look at them each in order of importance. To figure out the level of importance, I counted how many scenes the character appeared in.

The Minors with Big Roles

We’re going to concentrate on one character at a time starting with the minor character with the most scenes. What do we need to be on the lookout for?

How much time, if any, have you spent describing the new character's character? Are you telling us about characteristics that will show up in dialogue and action?

How about character histories? How many of your characters' childhoods have you developed in detail? Can some of these life stories be cut?

What information do your readers need in order to understand your story? At what point in the story do they need to know it?

How are you getting this information across to your readers? Have you given it to them all at once through a short author-to-reader lecture?

Does the dialogue exist only to put the information across to the readers?

If exposition is through interior monologue, would your characters actually think these thoughts if your readers didn’t have to know the information?

(Browne and King 25)

Orden Larksphere

Orden Larksphere has the largest number of scenes in the Hyrueliana with nineteen. He is Zoe's love interest—it's fun to subvert the standards, even though Hyrule is hardly a typical fantasy kingdom. He is a returning series character. He met Zoe on his homeworld and followed her to Hyrule. The state of his and Zoe’s relationship should be evident in the story. So where are the problems?

The introduction scene has too much exposition. Orden’s interior monologue isn’t as strongly in his voice as it could be. That tone changes as we move into the stuff rewritten already and both need to be consistent. We need a scene between Orden and Agmaraa to show how he changes from wanting to question the elves to wanting to kill them. It needs to take place before Holias and Zeldra elope.

Zoe and Orden’s romantic climax scene needs work because Zoe has realized she wants to be with Orden and recognizes the sacrifices he has made for their relationship. The pregnancy should be the punchline.

Holias

The next character we need to examine is Holias, Prince of the Elves. Holias is in love with the human Lady Zeldra and her father is prejudiced against elves.

The first problem is in the sequence. Holias meets Zoe too soon. That scene needs to be moved after the scene with Holias and Zeldra. Then his bad mood is more easily understood.

Moving that scene creates problems further in the narrative. How much time is passing for the characters? Events should cover a couple of days. A scene from another character’s POV needs to go between the two or three with Holias in the Underworld.

Holias and his mother, this scene needs to go. I originally included her because of a need to explain why Holias could go off and create his own kingdom in the Overworld. I think this would be better explained by giving him brothers who are never seen, just mentioned in the text.

Zeldra

Lady Zeldra loves Holias and finally defies her father to be with him. She fulfills the more typical damsel in distress role when Agmaraa captures her.

The one scene I absolutely hate is the filler where all Zeldra does is pace and think. Let’s change that to an argument with her father. The rest of the scenes are fine.

Lont

Sir Lont is Zeldra's best friend and one of the human heroes of this tale. He falls head over heals in love with an elf maiden, and offers a counterbalance to Zeldra's plight.

I need to tweak the Lont meeting Meletas scene. Add more conversation between the two of them before they kiss.

A new scene is needed where Lont discovers Agmaraa is in charge of the moblins. I'll combine that with the Orden and Agmaraa scene I need. That will change what Lont is doing in the stables. He's trying to figure out what to do about Agmaraa by talking things out with his horse. That also changes the reason to get Zeldra and Holias together. Zeldra is not safe around Agmaraa. But he should be a little lovesick too.

His scene with the faerie needs a few tweaks on a sentence level. The rest of his scenes are fine.

Meletas

Lont's Elf lover who barely has any screen time. I've already noted I want to add more to her and Lont's introduction but she also needs a scene reacting to falling in love. That scene can do double duty to show other Elves reacting to the humans' attitudes.

The scene between Meletas and the Queen is weak. It needs to be changed to Meletas following Holias to the Overworld. The remaining scenes work fine.

Zelda

Now we're moving into the present day set of characters. Zelda is the current Queen of Hyrule, married to Link, and mother of Zoe. She and her daughter have a history of being at odds with each other, especially over Zelda's plans for Zoe's future.

Zelda's introduction scene starts off well in a fight mode of that vein. Parents' view: Zoe and Orden should get married and be respectable. Zoe's view: Mom's all for it, so it must be a bad idea. I rather like the interplay between all involved in this scene.

Second Zelda scene is trying too hard. I need a break between the scenes to show time passing, but Zelda is over the top drama queen. Let's change to show the confusion over what has happened to Zoe and Orden. The third scene is better, but short. I can probably combine it with the fourth without losing anything.

In the fourth scene, the interplay between Zelda and Zoe is wrong. It should be an emphasis from Zelda that she's not trying to force Zoe into doing anything, but she wants to see Zoe safe and happy. And happiness wins out over safe.

Lyle

When Lyle comes of age as a Guardian, he must play around with time to ensure that Agmaraa doesn't win. He is the son of Lissa, and a quarter Gensiarian. So this story shows Lyle at his current age and his future self.

The first glimpse is of the adult Lyle but he doesn't say anything to Zoe or Orden. In the very next scene, the six-year-old Lyle has just gotten mentally slammed with what his future self has done. I'm not happy with Lissa's explanation here. It needs tweaking to something along the lines that you wouldn't send Zoe and Orden into a situation they couldn't handle.

The third time we see Lyle is the future version who takes Zoe and Orden home and helps Lont, Holias, and Zeldra get out of Death Mountain. I don't feel anything is wrong with this scene.

Lissa

The current active-duty Guardian, half-sister of Link. She is this universe's primary magic expert, and isn't too shabby with a sword either though that doesn't come up in this story. Her primary function is to nudge destiny along its path.

Lissa's first scene is Lyle's second scene that I've already noted needs work. Her second scene is when Zoe and Orden return to the present. The problem with this scene is it needs to be in Lissa's POV so the reader understands what has happened to Zoe and Orden.

Lissa's third scene is explaining to Zoe what has happened. The biggest problem is it needs to be combined with the tiny scene after it.

Contraite

Contraite is the servant that takes care of and guards Zoe while she is in the Underworld. The first scene she has is with Zoe and Holias when Zoe wakes up in the Underworld. With this scene in its proper place, there will be no problems with Contraite's actions.

I'd like to add a scene between the restless Zoe and Contraite, the question is where to put it. I'm thinking after Meletas' second scene could work. No, that won't work because that's where we're moving the waking up scene. Let's shift the Orden, Agmaraa, and Lont scene to after the wake up. Then we'll have the scene with Zoe and Contraite. And then move the fight with Zeldra and her father after that point and before Holias decides to elope. This is the type of stuff that can drive people to a decision of never writing again.

Contraite's second scene was cut out. Since I think I have under utilized this character, I'm going to toss her into the elopement conversation between Zoe and Holias. That will be fun.

Her last scene is when Meletas comes to get Zoe and she gives Zoe's sword back. I don't see any problems with this scene.

Everyone Else

Congratulations, we've made it halfway through the cast list. In theory, this should be a lot less complicated as these people have less of a bearing on the overall plot.

Link

Link is the hero of the original game and Zoe's father. He and his wife, Zelda, have a telepathic bond. Zoe was always his favorite, and she takes after him more than her mother. In fact when it was time for Link to pass on his heirloom sword, Zoe as the one it went to.

His first scene is the scene in which Zoe and Orden outline their brilliant idea to him and Zelda. I don't have any problems with his actions or motivations here. He wants Zoe to be happy, and if Orden makes her happy, they need to do things properly as benefits his daughter and a Princess of Hyrule. And unlike Zelda, he's not going to try for a full-blown wedding because that would only make Zoe balk even more.

Link's second scene is interacting with Zelda who can't be with Zoe while Lissa is still healing her. I already noted the changes I wanted to make in this scene when we looked at Zelda. Maybe adding some of the Lissa/Link brother/sister dynamic wouldn't hurt.

Kevin

Kevin is Link and Zelda's youngest son. Zoe stepped out of line for the throne, so he and his twin sister are planning to jointly rule Hyrule next. Kevin and Kelamane's adventures haven't really begun yet.

His first scene is the scene in which Orden, Kevin, and Kelamane are all introduced. And all of those introductions and narrative need work. He shows up again when Zoe and Orden return to the present, and Lissa sends him off to get help.

Queen of the Elves

Both her scenes have been cut in prior changes. Moving right along.

Owner of the weapon shop

He sells Zoe a magic dagger in the first scene of the story. The scene sets up the mythology of Hyrule. This scene needs some tweaking with introductions and descriptions, but over all it's strong.

Kelamane

Kelamane is Link and Zelda's youngest daughter. She is to inherit the throne with her twin brother Kevin. Her only scene in this story is Orden's introduction scene. There are problems with the introductions, but I don't have any issues with Kela's performance.

Josh

Josh is Lissa's husband from Earth, and Lyle's father. His one scene is trying to deal with a distraught six-year-old Lyle after Zoe and Orden have been sent to the past. No problems here.

He shows up briefly questioning Lissa's decision to let Zoe see Orden who hadn't awakened yet after they returned to the present. This whole section needs work, and Josh should be more visible in it.

Jolo

Jolo is the barkeep in Saria-town of the past. He also keeps weapons in his tavern that patrons can fight back when there is an attack. I don't find any problems with his actions.

Elaine

Elaine is Zoe's sister-in-law. She and her husband, Lin, live in the Gold Land protecting the Power of Gold. Her only scene is when Zoe brings Orden to meet them and invite them to the wedding. No problems here.

Lin

Lin is Link and Zelda's oldest son, and the one who finally defeated Ganon. He guards the Power of Gold to prevent another Ganon from becoming. I always enjoyed the banter between Zoe and Lin, and this scene is no different.

Cassonn

Cassonn is a minor character in the first Legend of Zelda fanfic I wrote Verge of Destruction. Draw all the deep metaphorical reasons you want for me to include him here, truth is, he was old. Besides I needed somebody to spell everything out just in case. Cassonn's good at that.

New Version

And we are done with the minor characters. To get the latest copy of the story, click here. The next part will be checking if the conflict is credible between the characters.

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