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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/42628
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I have a large assortment of _walk on_ characters who appear briefly. Some of them might return, but most will at best be referred to by another character and just disappear.

I find this realistic and reasonable since no one walks through an empty town.

For example, let’s say your MC is injured and taken to an ER. You will need a few nurses, a couple of doctors, some other patients waiting - maybe a few with friends or family. Most of them are wallpaper, atmosphere just so you don’t have the bizarre situation of going to an empty ER. After your MC is treated and released there will be no real reason to bring any of those characters back, but the scene plays better if they are still real characters with lives they will live - just glimpsed for a moment.

Having a large cast of characters adds dimension to a work and some can be sources of levity or wisdom.

This is not to say that a novel cannot be compelling with just a few characters, but it limits one’s options.

I think of my walk ons as the seasoning in my story - too much and it just needs help, not enough and you have a bland story - a fine balance adds dimension and flavour.

Original score: 3