Soldier 1262 question

[inverty]

I was wondering if anyone has any stories or suggestions of stories that take a very mundane, nameless character in a crowd of similar characters, and actually develops that character into something interesting and gives them a backstory etc..

also, does anyone else give backstories to all of their "nameless" characters? I tend to overdo this and have given every character small or major at least a semblance of a backstory.. even if it's unnecessary, because it makes my world feel more real to me, even if that information never actually makes it to my story.

How did henchman 43 get to be in the position he's at now in life? what mistakes did they make to put them on that path? perhaps I overthink too much, but I ponder these questions often.

 

[Not_Alice]

I like this. It feels extremely respectful to me, granting importance to not just the hero but also the ordinary people. I don't usually develop backstories for everyone, but the moment there's interaction, even if it's short, I have a clear vision of the people involved. I know what they look like, how they sound, and sometimes they grow strong enough to actually have an influence. A casual remark may throw the hero off balance, makes them question what they're about to do. A nameless character may suddenly find themselves a side character with an agenda of their own. Everything can happen.

 

[CupofJoe]

I have a character that while not nameless is peripheral to the main story. Now they are a baker, but they have a history [and the skills and knowledge that goes with it] that at least one of the MCs does not.
If it was a film these would be cameo roles at most.

 

[inverty]

I like this. It feels extremely respectful to me, granting importance to not just the hero but also the ordinary people. I don't usually develop backstories for everyone, but the moment there's interaction, even if it's short, I have a clear vision of the people involved. I know what they look like, how they sound, and sometimes they grow strong enough to actually have an influence. A casual remark may throw the hero off balance, makes them question what they're about to do. A nameless character may suddenly find themselves a side character with an agenda of their own. Everything can happen.

This is how I feel as well, while I generally do an outline, I'm always willing to bend my own story and I never know where inspiration may come from. should I need one of those lesser used characters, I already have an idea of how they will act and Interact. Besides I feel if I create something, especially a world then I deserve to go all in as if I'm living there myself. On top of that I kind of view myself as one of those "nobody" characters in real life and if someone was writing a story about the place I live, I'd feel a tad insulted if I was just am extra haha.

 

[Finchbearer]

I also build an image in my mind of ‘side characters’ too - and I do find myself asking, what’s their story? Everyone has a story. Some are more interesting than others. In fiction, the lives of interesting people are followed because you have stakes, conflict, tension and all that stuff that makes the modern novel, otherwise you’re reading slice of life, which has its own appeal, but there’s only so far you can take ‘person with mundane life’.

 

[ThinkerX]

My tales are set in the aftermath of a devastating war that dragged on for decades. Usually, fantasy tales of great conflicts like this - Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings being prime examples - focus on the exploits of a few central characters with a few others getting 'special moments.' My approach, though, was that there are tens of thousands of potential stories in a grand war. So, I have a *lot* of minor characters with three or four-word descriptions with war stories to tell. These range from minor aristocrats to peasant draftees to petty wizards to rogues recruited for special missions.

 

[pmmg]

Well, the nameless ones, probably not. But I do pretty much have an idea of the events and culture that shaped them. Most characters that get named, I do have an idea of how they came to be, even if they don't get enough screen time to show it. I have a lot of named characters, and getting named is usually not good for their life expectancy. Many characters grow on the spot, and evolve as the story goes on.

I have a bad habit of saying things survive...leaving me with extra characters at times, cause it just does not seem likely that everyone but the MC would die in events. Ship wrecks and characters are washed up on shore? What are the chances that it was only the MC that survived it? and then...bingo...some extra characters to consider.

In my last book, I had two characters I really didn't want. I wanted to call them Rosencrantz and Gildenstern. They survived 3 rewrites, but I killed them in the fourth. Seemed like they needed it

 

[inverty]

Well, the nameless ones, probably not. But I do pretty much have an idea of the events and culture that shaped them. Most characters that get named, I do have an idea of how they came to be, even if they don't get enough screen time to show it. I have a lot of named characters, and getting named is usually not good for their life expectancy. Many characters grow on the spot, and evolve as the story goes on.

I have a bad habit of saying things survive...leaving me with extra characters at times, cause it just does not seem likely that everyone but the MC would die in events. Ship wrecks and characters are washed up on shore? What are the chances that it was only the MC that survived it? and then...bingo...some extra characters to consider.

In my last book, I had two characters I really didn't want. I wanted to call them Rosencrantz and Gildenstern. They survived 3 rewrites, but I killed them in the fourth. Seemed like they needed

 

[inverty]

Ha, I actually caught the rosencrantz and Gildenstern reference, there was a book about it following the lives of two of the side characters from Hamlet if I remember correctly. Quite a fitting duo for the question in point.

 

[pmmg]

Yes, its called Rosencrantz and Gildenstern are dead

They die at the end wondering if there was somewhere along the way they could have avoided it.