  Romance/Love
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 Girl meets Boy  .
So why anyone else? |
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In a romance story, there's a 'girl' and there's a 'boy'. But there are others, too. And those 'others' are far more important than you think, especially in this genre.
These are just a few things the so-called 'minor' characters do in a romance story.
(Here, I refer to everyone except the 'boy' and the 'girl' as minor characters).
The confidant(e) The boy/girl's best friend. The one they pour their heart and soul to. The one to whom they spill out things they never knew they felt themselves. The one with whom they're safe being in the moment, being themselves. An effective way (besides narration) to bring out what they're really thinking and feeling.
The foil She's impulsive, her best friend is very deliberate. He's an artist, his brother is a businessman. These characters help naturally bring in a different viewpoint and perspective, and, in a sense, help round out the main character by possessing some human qualities the main character does not possess.
Also, they help keep the conflict going. If the main conflict is due to the personalities of the two lead players, the supporting cast help amplify the conflict.
The stepping stone or the emotional baggage An ex-girl or boy friend and the interaction between them makes for interesting 'growth' or 'weighing down' for the hero / heroine. Either they learnt something from past relationships, or they're still carrying some hurt, anger, whatever, which affects the current relationship.
The villain If you have a good guy / gal, you need a bad guy / gal, too, huh! Just to spice things up a bit!
Sub-plots and undercurrents In real life, there are more-than-one things happening. In a short-story, a writer usually takes one of those things and focuses. But someone writing a novel has the space to play, to explore - while one relationship is in the spotlight, there are others in the background, going their own way, providing a comparison or contrast to the main plot. Minor characters are great for this. (Case in point - the Jessica-Lorenzo love story, or the Gratiano-Nerissa love story, going as a sub plot to the Portia-Bessanio love-story and Antonio-Shylock rivalry in Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice'.)
The link to the real world While the romance is happening, real-life goes on. The secretary who brings coffee everyday provides that continuity. The heroine might be sitting at her desk, contemplating her relationship, thinking of returning the ring - in walks the secretary with the coffee and the day's messages. The real-life balance.
The reason Sometimes, the 'other' characters might be the reason for the story -- without them, the entire plot wouldn't have happened. Case in point (Shakespeare again) - 'Romeo and Juliet'. If it hadn't been for the family rivalry, there would have been no story.
Empathy and sympathy I personally feel romance plays a lot on empathy - 'been there, felt that'. In every romance story, there needs to be someone every reader can empathise with. Usually, it's the 'boy' or the 'girl'. But when a story appeals to a wider audience, it's often the minor character that truly elicits the empathy. The hero and heroine may get that reader's sympathy, but the real identification is with the minor character.
A new meaning, twist or angle I was watching a reality show and a contestant who has been doing well said that while his wife understood perfectly why he was away from home, his three-and-a-half year old daughter asked him why he didn't want to be with her any more. The love between the man and his wife is clear, the child brings a new angle in to it, one that can have a powerful impact on the story of their romance.
Relief from the intensity Sometimes, a romantic story might get a bit too intense. If the writer wants to give the readers a bit of relief without altering what the main characters are going through, minor characters can step in for a bit of comedy, perhaps.
Clues to other aspects of the character's personality How a character deals with minor characters (a pet, a homeless man, the mechanic at the garage) gives clues to aspects of their personality which would then impact the main story.
A few points to remember about minor characters
1. Make sure they have a purpose.
2. No matter how small an appearance they make, you should know something more about them than you let on in the story. It may not be necessary to do a full-fledged character sketch of each of them, but you, the writer, should at least have a 'nodding acquaintance' with them.
3. Since they do have a purpose in your story, give them some characteristic that is memorable, so that the reader recognises them when they make a second appearance in another chapter.
4. There's no rule of thumb about how many minor characters you may have, or when they are introduced. The thing to remember is - enough to support your plot and major characters, not enough to overshadow them.
5. Minor characters should fit in to the fabric of your story, they should not appear to be add-ons.
6. Minor characters won't help you out of a hole in the plot, or rescue you if you've written yourself up against the wall. Readers see through that pretty quickly!
7. It can be great fun and a wonderful writing exercise to create believable minor characters!
So create those characters - all of them!
Write On,
Sonali |
Some good reads, and a contest or two for you to enter!
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AND - a wonderful cast of characters in this real-life love story!
A slightly delayed addition - from another point of view!
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My first  Romance/Love Newsletter!
Hope it was useful! Please do write in and let me know.
Thank you,
- Sonali |
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Romance/Love: April 15, 2009 Issue [#2981]
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