4 Tips for Creating Universe Filler Characters

Chapter 5 “Characters” – Section 5 “Filler”

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“Respect your characters, even the ­minor ones. In art, as in life, everyone is the hero of their own particular story; it is worth thinking about what your minor characters' stories are, even though they may intersect only slightly with your protagonist's.”

Every character that your audience encounters adds a spice to your story and your world. There is no such thing as a character that exists in a vacuum which does not affect anything around it; even those who have no thought put into their creation will give it a bland or unreal taste. Universe Filler Characters are not just stupid pedestrians that stand and point or scream helplessly as life-threatening danger comes their way. They are an extension of your characters--the mothers, fathers, brothers, peers, and teachers of your main characters. They are a huge part of the reason that your primary characters are who they are. And they are an extension of your world, making the difference between a cardboard stage and as breathing plane of imaginary existence. These tips will give you some ideas for creating good Universe Filler Characters are something that can make your story stand out.

Tip 1: Make a document with the name and role of each Universe Filler Character.

To start off, list every character in the story. You won't be able to do all of this in your pre-story planning, of course. Many of these will come about as you need shopkeepers, police officers, victims, or anyone else who populates your world. Once you have written down their name, establish their purpose in the story. this doesn't have to be super complex. You may just need a minion to bring your villain his dinner, demonstrating the antagonist's lofty nature. Or you may just want to have a child playing in the streets to give a scene description some movement. If you know why you are writing your minor character, you can work towards making them fulfill that purpose more efficiently. Additionally, you can see if you have too many characters fulfilling the same purpose and cut down on the number. Be extremely critical and examine whether your story would lose anything if you cut out any universe filler character completely.

Tip 2: Give each Universe filler Character two noticeable physical characteristics.

This can be anything from a limp when they walk, to a mole on their face. Just write down something that sets them apart from any other character so that you can give a subtle description that helps to make them as unique as each and every person you meet briefly through the course of a day. Your audience will probably not remember or notice any of these subtle touches, but they will be more inclined to imagine people instead of blank plot devices walking around your world. 

Tip 3: Make a list of characteristics that could make each Universe Filler Character more dynamic.

Like with any other character, we want to make out universe filler characters distinctive, beyond simple cliches. So create descriptions and personality that come off as unusual and worth thinking about. Are you creating a minor bully antagonist who will only appear a couple times to give your protagonist trouble? Give the bully asthma, a learning disability, or a pet snail he/she really cares about. Are you writing your sub-protagonist's mother who will only have one line in the entire story? Give her a thick southern accent while showing her frame doctoral degree on the wall. Not everything has to be in opposition, just striking and memorable. 

Tip 4: Put yourself in the shoes of each of the Universe Filler Characters.

Universe filler characters are not such because they are inherently any less of a person than the protagonist. They are such because that particular story is not about them. Meaning, they should be given a justifiable amount of intelligence, ethics, and drive. In each scene, figure out what you would do if you were in the shoes of that character. Would you stand around while Spiderman rescued people from a fire, or would you be waiting on the ground beneath him, ready to carry the injured away from the danger zone? Or, given the circumstances and personality of that person, would you be robbing the wallets of those unconscious? Make people act like people, not a secondary audience to the events of the story.

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