When “Minor” Doesn’t Really Do The Character Justice
Over the past few months I’ve reinstated the “About the Characters” series which focuses on minor characters in The Wall of Night series.
The reason for this focus is because “I think it’s the presence of the smaller characters that “makes” a story, creating texture around the main points of view.” (The quote is from my Gemmell Legend Award finalist’s interview, awa’ back in 2013.)
The major characters are easy to identify. They’re the central protagonists, like Malian and Kalan, and the point-of-view characters, or simply those characters that may not get point-of-view time (for which there may be reasonz, dear reader) but nonetheless play a powerful part in what “makes” the story.
The truly minor characters are easy, too, because they are what the theatre would term walk-on parts or only have a few lines to deliver, e.g. Banath in Daughter of Blood, or Teron from The Heir Of Night.
But then there are the betwixt and between characters, like Audin Sondargent and Malisande in The Gathering Of The Lost — personalities that are essential to the fabric of the story without being central players. In that sense they’re associate or supporting characters…and too important, really, to sit easily within the “minor character” category.
So what do you think? Should there be an associate, aka “moderately important”, character category?
And do you have a favourite associate / “moderately important” character from The Wall Of Night books? Or any book or series for that matter!
If so, do share in the comments. 🙂