Feo Takahari
Auror
Lately, I've been incorporating scenes into my stories that contain the main characters, but aren't focused around them, essentially being mini-stories on the same theme as the larger work. At first, my characters were still heavily involved in them, but as they become more tangential, I'm starting to wonder if these scenes are more of a negative than a positive.
To give an example, there's a chapter in my current project where one of the major characters, Little Red, visits a drunkard who's been jailed for far more serious charges than usual, relaying a conditional offer from the victim to drop the charges and avoid a court appearance if the drunkard leaves town and never comes back. Neither the drunkard nor the victim have appeared before in the story, and neither will appear again. The scene reveals a bit about Little Red's beliefs, but Little Red isn't the focus in it--it's all about the drunkard, exploring her as a negative counterpart to Little Red's more uplifting philosophy, and providing more weight for the characters who disagree with Little Red.
Focusing solely on themes, the drunkard's chapter fits with the rest of the story. Focusing solely on character, the drunkard's not directly relevant to how the main characters grow and change, and her chapter could be cut without impacting other characters' development. Which is the bigger consideration?
To give an example, there's a chapter in my current project where one of the major characters, Little Red, visits a drunkard who's been jailed for far more serious charges than usual, relaying a conditional offer from the victim to drop the charges and avoid a court appearance if the drunkard leaves town and never comes back. Neither the drunkard nor the victim have appeared before in the story, and neither will appear again. The scene reveals a bit about Little Red's beliefs, but Little Red isn't the focus in it--it's all about the drunkard, exploring her as a negative counterpart to Little Red's more uplifting philosophy, and providing more weight for the characters who disagree with Little Red.
Focusing solely on themes, the drunkard's chapter fits with the rest of the story. Focusing solely on character, the drunkard's not directly relevant to how the main characters grow and change, and her chapter could be cut without impacting other characters' development. Which is the bigger consideration?