Thursday, June 30, 2011

revision: minor characters

As I revise my WIP, I'm noticing I've given my walk-on characters short shrift. They don't get any names or physical descriptions. It's not even clear in some scenes how many of them there are. Ugh. I think I'm going to have to put this on my Watch List. ;) This is not good. Readers should always know how many people are in a scene.

However, while in acting "there are no small parts", in writing there are. Authors shouldn't give a whole big description of every walk-on character because it draws the reader's attention to them--like a loaded gun. (Of course, if the character is important later, then, yes, focus on that character.)

How about you? How do you deal with minor characters? Do you have any revision tips?

Back to the salt mines for me...

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3 comments:

  1. shellyJune 30, 2011 at 9:56 AM

    Minor characters deserve one or two things you can reconize them by. Waitress could equal: Persperation lined her forehead as did a blond mustache above her upper lip.

    Ever have one wait on you?

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  2. NiaRaieJune 30, 2011 at 12:05 PM

    "Authors shouldn't give a whole big description of every walk-on character because it draws the reader's attention to them--like a loaded gun."--EXACTLY.
    Most of the time I don't give minor characters name if they aren't important at all. The postman doesn't have a name and that girl, is the girl in the blue shirt.

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  3. lesleylsmithJuly 1, 2011 at 10:02 AM

    Thanks for the tip, shelly.
    Thanks for the tip, NiaRaie.
    :)

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