Background Characters
Background characters are tools, not stars.
The NPCs of the Literary World
Background characters are the non-player characters of fiction. Think of a game master in Dungeons & Dragons who runs the shopkeeper or the guard for a scene or two. They exist to serve the moment, not to become the story. You do not want readers forming deep attachments to people who will never matter again.
Only Give Them What the Story Needs
A background character shows up, does a job, and leaves. In a crime novel, that might be the pawnshop owner who answers a few questions and disappears. Their purpose is to move the plot forward, not to build a life of their own on the page.
Sometimes They Do Not Even Get a Name
I often do not name them at all. They are “the engineer,” “the shopkeeper,” or “the Smith.” Names create expectations. Once a character has a name, readers start to wonder what happens to them later. If that person is never coming back, do not invite that kind of attachment.
Let the Reader Do the Imagining
I rarely describe background characters. If I say “the Smith,” the reader will picture a big, burly person hammering steel on an anvil, or whatever fits their own imagination. That freedom pulls them deeper into the story. You do not have to do all the work for them.
Too Much Backstory Creates Disappointment
When you spend paragraphs on a character who appears once and vanishes, readers feel cheated. It looks like a dangling thread that never gets resolved, even though it was never meant to be one. That kind of detail just slows things down and distracts from what matters.
Keep the Story Moving Forward
Your main characters drive the plot. Background characters only exist to help or hinder them in that moment. Do not let side people steal the spotlight or bog the story down. The goal is always momentum.
Final Thought
Background characters are tools, not stars. Give them just enough to do their job, let the reader fill in the blanks, and keep the focus where it belongs. We do not get paid by the word. We get paid by telling a great story.
Background Characters — Original Medium Article
Background Characters — Over 1000 Five Minute Focus videos on the Successful Indie Author YouTube Channel
SIA Writing Challenge website — Record Your Progress on Your Way to Becoming a Successful Indie Author
Craig Martelle is an author, leader, and entrepreneur living in Alaska. Retired from the Marine Corps military intelligence community and physical security, he graduated summa cum laude from law school and went into business consulting. From intelligence, to the inner workings of company boardrooms, to on-the-ground leadership, Craig has seen it firsthand.
He is a million-selling author of over 200 science fiction (post-apocalyptic, military sci-fi, and space opera), thrillers, and the non-fiction series, Successful Indie Author. Craig has been running author conferences since 2017, and also the Successful Indie Author Facebook Group, and the Successful Indie Author YouTube Channel.
Leadership is a service, not a crown to lord over others.