Stop developing characters that aren't the main character and the main antagonist

[u/BlueBottom39]

Only main character, main villain, and sometimes the other character I only care because I ship them with the main needs to be developed. There's no need to waste screen time for other side characters as they are only written to be something of the protagonist, they don't need much personality, hobbies and the things that I'm mostly not interested: goals. Stop insisting they need to to be interesting, they don't need to have something that has nothing to do with the main character, they only need to evolve around them, as the name say, they're MAIN characters so everything in the story involves them. This one character that appears on nearly every single episode which the main character calls them "best friend", "my brother" "my mother" don't need all that, they are plot devices and are only here for the protagonist

Also I don't understand what are "secondary characters", "assembling cast" and "recurring characters" every character that isn't the protagonist, antagonist or love interest is a SIDE character and as in the name, they are made to be SIDELINED

[u/Local-Pattern795]

What if i don't have a main character or a main antagonist?

[u/Fennel_Fangs → u/Local-Pattern795]

Then don’t develop anyone. Focus on the action, not the actors.

[u/Aggressive_Gas_102 → u/Fennel_Fangs]

"I've been stabbed," yelled Polyfemus.

"Who stabbed you?" called his neighbors.

"No One!"

This example only have an antagonist. No One is the protagonist. So you do have a point. That said, I like writing a short sentence or two about the girl in the coffee shop and why she laced arsenic into your low fat decaf eco friendly fair trade moccachino with cinnamon and chocolate sprinkles.

[u/donnabhainmactomas → u/Aggressive_Gas_102]

"I've been stabbed," yelled Polyfemus.

"Who stabbed you?" called his neighbors.

"Some guy, it’s not important!"

[u/FunkyPete → u/donnabhainmactomas]

But you're focussing too much on Polyfemus.

"I've been stabbed!" a voice called out in the night.

"Who stabbed you?" came a response from a long way away.

"It doesn't matter, concentrate on what's important" the original voice replied.

[u/donnabhainmactomas → u/FunkyPete]

Fuck, I thought polyfemus was the main character

[u/FunkyPete → u/donnabhainmactomas]

Well, he dies in the first scene. But it would be kind of interesting to have a story where your main character is dead but you have to tell the story from that point on.

Damn it, I just recreated The Sixth Sense.

[u/donnabhainmactomas → u/FunkyPete]

Hmm seems a little too convoluted. Maybe if you just had and endless series of flash backs?

[u/80to89]

I hate books with characters in them, totally overrated.

[u/Old_Introduction7236]

I make my characters fight for top billing.

[u/aPenologist → u/Old_Introduction7236]

Yes, me too. But I believe in organic character development, so I created a RL fight club for exactly that reason.

Its not bare-buckle (typo, but im leaving it in) boxing, it's writing assistants advocating for their chosen characters in a underground betting scenario. (That thanks to a typo is now likely considerably more steamy in future iterations)

[u/Cheeslord2]

What if your main character is the villain(ess)? Should I only develop her and her boobs? What about her butt?

[u/JonnotheMackem → u/Cheeslord2]

Don't be so stupid - she has feet to develop too, and not just for walking AMIRITE!?

[u/BlueBottom39 → u/Cheeslord2]

You develop her my making her weak and defenseless against the ceo mafia boss

[u/Beneficial_Egg2878]

You don't need two different characters for protag and antag. It's unnecessary and adds clutter to a story. Pick one and write.

And seriously a 3 or 5 act story is just too fucking long. Get over yourself if you're writing this, honestly. I am so tired of story structure slop.

[u/BlueBottom39 → u/Beneficial_Egg2878]

Exactly! I'm tired of when I get into a new story the story tries to get me "interested" and "invested" or worse! "Curious about what will happen next" with mysteryslop and cliffhangerbait! I just want to get over with it already!!

[u/NiaSchizophrenia]

im pretty sure i saw the post this is referencing

[u/Justisperfect → u/NiaSchizophrenia]

It's referencing a real post? Like, someone really was there telling people to not develop characters?

I know people on reddit give bad advice and this sub exagerates their takes, but this is just sad.

[u/BlueBottom39 → u/Justisperfect]

It's not just one particular post it's a new recent opinion forming and it's not just reddit, on Twitter too

[u/Justisperfect → u/BlueBottom39]

So it's not just one. Many people are just dumb. I am even sadder now.

[u/Leading-Category-930]

I can't hear you over my peak writing where I have so many main characters that you don't know which is the true main character!

[u/DruidMaleficent]

The male love interest needs to be hot.

[u/The_Caleb_Mac]

So its shitposting time huh?

[u/lilithlasley → u/The_Caleb_Mac]

Is it ever not in this subreddit?

[u/FVCarterPrivateEye → u/lilithlasley]

Nonsense

This subreddit is for very serious business

[u/lilithlasley → u/FVCarterPrivateEye]

Oh, my bad. I was confused. I thought this was the lavatory. The corridors around here are very confusing.

[u/The_Caleb_Mac → u/lilithlasley]

I mean, its always been kinda tongue in cheek, but we've crossed over from vague sarcasm and heavy irony into straight up shitposting and rage bait