When is the 'best time' to bring back a minor character?

[Naruzeldamaster]

I know the main answer is going to be 'when the story calls for it/depends on the story/character'
But beyond that I always have a hard time deciding when and how often to use minor characters, especially named ones.
My current progress in the story already has two minor characters that I plan to bring back at some point. I just don't know how relevant to the plot they are.
In both cases they make friends with / help the protagonists out, but I'm not sure I want to do the 'cast assembles to save the day and give the main party a second wind' trope.
I'm sure there's a much shorter way to phrase that. But lots of anime and Video Games do it (at least the ones I play)

On one hand, there are some I'd like the reader to see more often without taking the spotlight from the main heroes.
On the other hand there's some where they're literally designed to be a plot point in that arc of the story.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Bring them back when they're needed. You want conflict and you want to move the story forward into the next part where they've made the difference. Too soon and the narrative can get boggy.

 

[Mad Swede]

I always name all characters, majhor and minor. That way I can bring minor characters back if I need to - which can and should happen if the same place (an inn or whatever) appears in different stories.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

Bring them back when they're needed. You want conflict and you want to move the story forward into the next part where they've made the difference. Too soon and the narrative can get boggy.

Right, too soon and the reader doesn't have a chance to 'miss' them.
Too late and the reader might go 'who is this again' unless they really liked them.

The two side characters play entirely different roles (One is to give a somewhat down trodden main party member a reason to 'live' ) so I am currently deciding when to bring em back.

I always name all characters, majhor and minor. That way I can bring minor characters back if I need to - which can and should happen if the same place (an inn or whatever) appears in different stories.

The only time I don't name a character is when I (plan to) only use them for the one scene.
Two or more scenes and they get a name.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

I always name all characters, majhor and minor. That way I can bring minor characters back if I need to - which can and should happen if the same place (an inn or whatever) appears in different stories.

We have a handful of these types of characters. My favorite is Chuck the security guard. Little past prime, little comfy around the middle, hidden reserve of understated awesome. Last time we see him, he's made it to the top of the tower with actual faerie knights in shining armor, lost an eye but gained the certainty he's helped to save the world.

Meet Chuck.

~~
The first of the human guards came close, gun drawn but pointed at the nuckalevee. He took in their team, the three therian in fur form, the two remaining vampires, and the Unseelie in their matte-black armor, his eyes showing white around the edges. “What the hell is that thing?”

Etienne took a calculated risk and put his gun up. “Your boss has interesting pets. That’s one of them. It’s a nuckalevee.”

“A nut-what?” The human looked from the approaching fae with horror and confusion back to Etienne. “What are you doing here?”

Etienne’s mouth pulled into a reckless grin. “We’re here to kill that thing, and then your boss. And then save the city. Maybe the world.”

“Save the city? From… from things like that?”

“That’s it exactly.”

The human nodded, perhaps a little too fast, but he nodded all the same. “All right, then. I’m Chuck—”

“Summer’s Get!”

Chuck crouched low at the nuckalevee’s bellow, as did his fellow guards. “Who’s that supposed to be?”

Etienne reached for his sword hilt. “That would be me.” Much as he hated that name, he hated ‘Queen’s Son’ more. If Midir wanted to needle him he’d have to get to know him better. He put one hand on the fabric wall and prepared to leap over.

“How can we help?”

Etienne looked over his shoulder. “Shoot it, not us. Don’t die.”

Chuck smiled for the first time. “Deal.”

Etienne’s grin widened. “Then let’s kill a monster.”

>>>

A dagger in each hand, Lana vaulted over the back of one of the wolves as he bit at the thing’s legs. She landed on the horse’s neck, sinking blades deep into flesh. The nuckalevee screamed with both voices and grabbed Lana by her hair, throwing her hard into the cubes.

The nuckalevee reared up and kicked Scoithín back.

Etienne brought the paintball gun up, aiming for the bulk of the creature’s body. It didn’t have to be a killing shot, just a sure one. He pulled the trigger.

Click.

What the fuck? Etienne frowned and had just enough time to notice the slight offset of the gas canister before the nuckalevee’s hoof dealt him a glancing blow to the hand, crushing the barrel and numbing Etienne’s arm. He dashed backwards, cradling his useless limb.

Lana came crawling out from the cubes, looking a bit worse for wear but carrying some sort of small cylinder. She came to a crouch and then darted between snapping wolves, slashing blades, and flashing hooves, only stopping when she was directly beneath the belly of the beast. Between her teeth she held a lighter. What was she going to do with—?

Lana leaned back on her knees, flicked the lighter, held up the cylinder, and engulfed the drying, skinless nuckalevee in flames.

It shrieked and shrieked and tried to get away, but the rest of the team held it in reach, its flesh crisping and curling away, until it was clawing at itself to escape the pain of its charring bones. Scoithín hacked at the burning body with his longsword, until the trident lay on the carpet beside its twitching arm, and first the rider and then the horse were deprived of their heads.

Silence descended on the fabric labyrinth, broken only by the dull popping of flames.

Chuck appeared with another canister, this one red, and used it to spit white foam all over the nuckalevee’s remains. The security guard shrugged when he realized everyone was looking at him. “No reason to burn down the building with us inside, right?”

Lana smiled at him, looking pleased for some reason.

 

[pmmg]

I know the main answer is going to be 'when the story calls for it/depends on the story/character'

'It depends' is secretly the answer to every forum post.
(Which is why I actively try to give a more useful answer).

On one hand, there are some I'd like the reader to see more often without taking the spotlight from the main heroes.

I find, once a character has been named and introduced, the hard part of bringing them in has been done. I sometimes reuse them when it makes at least some sense that they might be where they are and doing whatever they are doing. I like that it shows a little that things happen even when the MC is not around. I have characters who have appeared in one book, and not shown up again until three books later, cause...the story kind of moved back to where they might be included, and...partially because it makes sense, and partially cause I don't want to make a new one, I found it good to add them back. One was not even named in the book where they first appeared.

But, I do find that once a character gets a name, they become a type of vessel I can start to fill. They start to grow, get a back story, have things happened to them, and all of sudden, they might get their own scenes. Sometimes that is a problem, sometimes not. Following more than one character is not bad, it adds depth and intrigue to the story. And, in a backwards way, helps show what the MC is fighting for and what its all about.

I am not sure I can say, in your work, where you should make scenes about other POV's, or even if you should, I will say, it is not be feared, and new characters sometimes take on a life of their own, and you might be surprised where it goes when you start to tell their stories too.

It also does not hurt, when they book is looking a little thin...

I would not worry about the MC losing the spotlight, they are the one pursuing the conflict, and the one the conflict will be about. They will keep their spotlight...and if they don't, you may find a better story to tell with the one who does (though, it may lead to some rewriting).

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

'It depends' is secretly the answer to every forum post.
(Which is why I actively try to give a more useful answer).



I find, once a character has been named and introduced, the hard part of bringing them in has been done. I sometimes reuse them when it makes at least some sense that they might be where they are and doing whatever they are doing. I like that it shows a little that things happen even when the MC is not around. I have characters who have appeared in one book, and not shown up again until three books later, cause...the story kind of moved back to where they might be included, and...partially because it makes sense, and partially cause I don't want to make a new one, I found it good to add them back. One was not even named in the book where they first appeared.

But, I do find that once a character gets a name, they become a type of vessel I can start to fill. They start to grow, get a back story, have things happened to them, and all of sudden, they might get their own scenes. Sometimes that is a problem, sometimes not. Following more than one character is not bad, it adds depth and intrigue to the story. And, in a backwards way, helps show what the MC is fighting for and what its all about.

I have a hard time giving some characters a name, because some of these are like, the guy manning the hot dog cart.
Then there's other ones like Ti Chi (who you've met) who are much more closely related to the protagonists.
I have a couple that are in between and those are the ones I'm nervous about bringing back.

I am not sure I can say, in your work, where you should make scenes about other POV's, or even if you should, I will say, it is not be feared, and new characters sometimes take on a life of their own, and you might be surprised where it goes when you start to tell their stories too.

It also does not hurt, when they book is looking a little thin...

I'd say my book is a touch thin right now, only three chapters in on both of them lol
But I fully intend to finish one of them (rough draft) this year. I've decided to fully abandon (not deleted or anything, just 'put in a corner' ) the fanfiction projects until then.

I would not worry about the MC losing the spotlight, they are the one pursuing the conflict, and the one the conflict will be about. They will keep their spotlight...and if they don't, you may find a better story to tell with the one who does (though, it may lead to some rewriting).

Yeah, the things the main party are doing are pretty significant.
From befriending and revealing the 'human' side of the gods (Including the so called 'evil' force of nature)
To bringing the world back together, they're gonna be a busy bunch.

 

[Prince of Spires]

One thing to consider is if you can merge two or more side characters into one. It creates a tighter narative and fleshes out the world more. It also offers a rewards to attentive readers for remembering these characters.

A. E. Lowan 's guard is a nice example. There's nothing wrong per se to just having a different guard show up each time one is called for. However, if you have 3 occasions where you run into a guard, you could have all three be the same. And with each encounter you can show more of the world your characters inhabit. It's much easier that way to create the perception of depth even if there is none. After all, if you even know about a random guard that he has 4 kids, doesn't like his wife, and his favorite color is purple, then you will of course also know all the big stuff you never mention about your world, right?!?

'It depends' is secretly the answer to every forum post.

That depends a bit though...