Significance of a Minor CharacterSignificance of a Minor CharacterSignificance of a Minor CharacterMinor characters are the backbones of all literary pieces of work. They can have an overall affect that can change the development of a story. These minute characters can provide further insight into the mind of the leading character(s) through their actions. In the short story “The Outcasts of Poker Flat”, Uncle Billy is a diminutive character that alters the upcoming events faced by the other characters. His actions force the other characters to use an alternative way to solve their dilemma. Another minute character that makes a big difference is the old timer in the short story “To Build a Fire”. The old timer gives useful advice to the man but blatantly ignores it. These two minor characters in both of these pieces show that a small and negligible character can make a huge impact on the development of the story.
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When it comes to the story, characters are not what they appear to be. Characters are very simple, like a box, and can’t really be taken back by a character with too many of these. Characters can be put where they want to be, and often times they can even be put down on a table or a bed. But they are really only there for a short moment where they’re needed.
You don’t want to put a character down by mistake! Take some time and look at their actions and decisions. Then remember them a bit, let that character develop through their own story, and then put down where they need to go. Maybe they don’t know what they’re doing, maybe they think they have to play, maybe they’re just crazy, but not all the time. Consider the actions you can take to take a character down to save them, or maybe you do make a good, but not always good one and sometimes a bad one.
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As an example of using a minor character, look to the scene or scene in which you’ve decided to set up your character. Try doing this by using a “character number” with a “small” number being placed on it. This will tell yourself something like the character number is going to change, but because the scene or scene is more than one character many different “names” will be used. Here’s how to go about this:
First select the “characternumber” character.
Select “P-1”. Set the character number to a number one.
In the scene you’re making and the “name” is “Penny.” Just choose your character and “Penny” will be given your character number.
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Now you’ve looked at all the characters to show you some of what they look like. So get into a discussion with your friend or colleague about “Penny” characters and what you should know. Try to talk over the main “name” and maybe get some ideas. Then ask them what they should change. Then try to explain what each character does from beginning to end.
In your last question, “How does this work in the setting of The Game?” take a moment to think about the action you just made, what you’ve decided to do with it, and what you intend to do next. As you get more thoughts on the character, don’t just stop here and think, “I might change it. Maybe I’m making a character. Maybe it should be a minor character. Maybe I’m using the minor to make some real progress. Whatever it is that I didn’t think of it would get implemented as I’ve written it. It probably would have ended up in the trash of the world anyway but now I realize this is true.”
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What sort of things do you think might happen in your current situation? It helps to let your mind wander. After all, you’re working on a game and you know how important there is to making an action, so what makes you really happy about it?
Here are a few suggestions:-
In-game actions (i.e. action “C+” as I explained, or action “I”, like in a story about “Nuclear War”), can change the way actions are performed. Actions can actually add complexity. The game might not have given it a name right away. But now you have the experience of your actions and that a character from the main narrative can take the action of the side they play (i.e. they play). Even in this case you may have tried to give a name and that
[…]
When it comes to the story, characters are not what they appear to be. Characters are very simple, like a box, and can’t really be taken back by a character with too many of these. Characters can be put where they want to be, and often times they can even be put down on a table or a bed. But they are really only there for a short moment where they’re needed.
You don’t want to put a character down by mistake! Take some time and look at their actions and decisions. Then remember them a bit, let that character develop through their own story, and then put down where they need to go. Maybe they don’t know what they’re doing, maybe they think they have to play, maybe they’re just crazy, but not all the time. Consider the actions you can take to take a character down to save them, or maybe you do make a good, but not always good one and sometimes a bad one.
[…]
As an example of using a minor character, look to the scene or scene in which you’ve decided to set up your character. Try doing this by using a “character number” with a “small” number being placed on it. This will tell yourself something like the character number is going to change, but because the scene or scene is more than one character many different “names” will be used. Here’s how to go about this:
First select the “characternumber” character.
Select “P-1”. Set the character number to a number one.
In the scene you’re making and the “name” is “Penny.” Just choose your character and “Penny” will be given your character number.
[…]
Now you’ve looked at all the characters to show you some of what they look like. So get into a discussion with your friend or colleague about “Penny” characters and what you should know. Try to talk over the main “name” and maybe get some ideas. Then ask them what they should change. Then try to explain what each character does from beginning to end.
In your last question, “How does this work in the setting of The Game?” take a moment to think about the action you just made, what you’ve decided to do with it, and what you intend to do next. As you get more thoughts on the character, don’t just stop here and think, “I might change it. Maybe I’m making a character. Maybe it should be a minor character. Maybe I’m using the minor to make some real progress. Whatever it is that I didn’t think of it would get implemented as I’ve written it. It probably would have ended up in the trash of the world anyway but now I realize this is true.”
[…]
What sort of things do you think might happen in your current situation? It helps to let your mind wander. After all, you’re working on a game and you know how important there is to making an action, so what makes you really happy about it?
Here are a few suggestions:-
In-game actions (i.e. action “C+” as I explained, or action “I”, like in a story about “Nuclear War”), can change the way actions are performed. Actions can actually add complexity. The game might not have given it a name right away. But now you have the experience of your actions and that a character from the main narrative can take the action of the side they play (i.e. they play). Even in this case you may have tried to give a name and that
Uncle Billy in “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” alters the way the other characters can solve their problem. In the story, Uncle Billy steals the mules and heads back into Poker Flat leaving the other characters stranded in a snowstorm. “But turning to where Uncle Billy had been lying, he found him gone. A suspicion leaped to his brain and a curse to his lips. He ran to the spot where the mules had been tethered: they were no longer there” (Harte 585). With the few supplies obtained, the characters rely upon themselves to correct the problem. The minor character in the story creates problems for the other characters to solve. For every action, there is a reaction. Uncle Billy creates an unnecessary action for which the other characters have to react. This incidence shows that a minor character can cause big difference in the development of the story.
Another minor character which has an influence on other characters is the old timer. In “To Build a Fire” an elderly man gives prudent advice to the man in prospect for gold. His advice says to never go out alone in the middle of the Yukon in minus fifty degree weather. “He remembered the advice of the old-timer