How to Be a Minor Character in Five Simple Steps

Hi everyone! Cari here. Today, I've got another AMAZING stereotypes post for you. I hope you're getting as much of a kick out of these as I am!

And now, here's How To Be a Minor Character in Five Simple Steps by Sarah Sargeant!

***

1. Before you do anything, you must have some purpose. Either be really smart and helpful, the comedic relief, or an amazing warrior/gifted in some way. You have to be this way because you have to fight for your page time. You’re a minor character, for crying out loud! You have to have a purpose or else you’re just wasting space.

2. You’re going to be severely underdeveloped. Your character only serves to provide new things for the story and will be lacking in motivation and depth. You don’t get the luxury of a character arc. Sorry, we’re on a word crunch, and your arc is pretty far down on the story totem pole. Due to a lack of arc, you stay your steady, helpful self who only manages to finagle a little bit of page time. Apologies if you don’t like your character - you’re not going to change much, if at all. However, because you’re so helpful/funny, nobody’s going to realize that your character is shallow.

3. You’re going to have several random times where you will disappear from the story entirely, then show up again several chapters later and act as though nothing happened. But you won’t offer any explanation for random disappearances.

4. You’re going to be everybody’s friend, but nobody’s best friend. The characters will enjoy and appreciate your presence in the story, but you won’t be the first person they go to. Chances are, the MC may even forget that you exist from time to time. It might be lonely, but your undeveloped character doesn’t seem to mind.

5. Small importance, but very likable. All the readers will enjoy chapters with you in them and wonder why you weren’t given a bigger role. If only your author saw it that way.

And there you have it - your simple guide to being the forgotten minor character. Maybe someday you’ll move up on the totem pole, but it is not this day.

Sarah is a high-spirited teenager who loves Jesus, her friends and family, and good novels (in that order). When she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out with friends, enjoying dystopian stories with her family, competing in speech and debate, spending too much time looking at memes, playing the piano, drinking tea, or riding dragons into the great wide somewhere. She doesn’t have a website yet, but when she does, you’ll certainly be the first to hear about it!

***

Oh, yes! This is so accurate. Let's have a moment of silence for those poor minor characters.

Well, who are your favorite minor characters? Let us know in the comments!