: Re: First quarter friends As I've mentioned before, I'm working on a military sci-fi novel. Here's the trouble with the military: you don't spend all of your service, start to finish, with the same

@Jessie137

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Similarly, in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, we don't hear about Bishop Myriel, his sister and his servant after their scene with Jean Valjean, nor about Félix Tholomyès and his friends after he abandons Fantine. Only, I can't think of more modern examples, which troubles me.

It is indeed hard to think of a modern work that bothers to flesh out and spend time with characters who'll soon disappear. Personally, I find the modern trend annoying. Right or worng, I see it as Chekhov's gun stretched into characters and to the utmost. If the character will be important in the future, flesh it out, otherwise lose it or leave it cardboard.

Let me start by saying that in no way do I favour long, in-depth characterisation of transient characters just because. On the other hand, I do believe that even the most transient character should be fleshed out to a certain degree (even if it's just a particular habit that makes it into an individual in the background rather than an obvious stock character).

I'm asking the reader to get to know a set of characters, only to lose sight of them several chapters later. The characters the MC was closest to in each stage do get further involvement in the story, but most drop out of sight.

In this particular case, if you follow the trend, the reader will automatically know which characters will disappear from the plot and which will remain. If your aim is to tell the reader not to bother with them, go for it.

But, if your aim is to show how important they were for the MC during those months, then I suggest two alternatives:

a) Focus on the relationship

Don't worry so much about the characters per se, but about how the MC feels about them. Show how the MC feels sad when one fails an evaluation, or their happiness for the friend even when that friend is successful where the MC failed. Later, the MC could mention how they miss their old pals.

b) Focus on the characters

Give them moments where they can shine and be more than just a secondary character. Show their problems and how the MC is invested in helping them overcome such problems, much like they are willing to help the MC

In your particular case, I'd suggest option A. The reader doesn't really have to know the transient friends that deeply. The only thing that matters is that the MC enjoys spending time with them and that he finds them loyal and worthy friends.

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