The next several months will bring author commentaries on all six stories contained within the Tales from Portents collection. My hope is to offer insight into the decisions made in putting the project together and the challenges therein. It’s also fun to point out the little Easter eggs throughout. (I love that crap.) So, SPOILER WARNING is in effect for the duration.
The importance of minor characters
Protagonists stand or fall by the world around them. Depth comes from interactions with other characters. Perspectives comes from this interplay and each piece, each character, adds a little more to the overall feel of the work.
Minor characters bolster the leads. Each, with their own unique flair, offer new insights and perspectives into the drama unfolding both physically and emotionally for the leads.
The Great Divide, and Tales from Portents in general, was designed not only to inspire more depth in the backstories of the principle players of Greystone, but also introduce new minor characters to the mix or flesh out the smaller roles from Signs of Portents.
Edgar Rusch
I know, I know, this seems like a cheat. Edgar Rusch isn’t even in the story! True, but by offering that small glimpse at Ruiz’s relationships including the unseen Mr. Rusch we learn how connected Ruiz is to his world. That short exchange with his wife ABOUT his friend, gave more insight into Ruiz than a 2,000 word scene WITH his old friend.
The bonus of introducing Edgar here is that it left less to be explained when he pops up in The Medusa Coin. Again, planning ahead helps incredibly when putting together a series. I cannot emphasize that enough!
Julian Harvey
I wrote about Harvey last time and the luck at his introduction to the series. With a tale like The Great Divide, I was able to have a situation where Ruiz wasn’t the elder statesman in the room. He’s the newbie, the immature member of the duo. Who would he turn to for help?
Enter Julian Harvey, old curmudgeon. (and how I see myself turning VERY soon…) If I could have fit in one more rant of his about young people and the lack of ambition or the dangers of acid reflux! (Maybe I’ll start a whole new series of him hating on millennials…)
Harvey, while lost in his own opinions, played a crucial role in ushering Ruiz into the world of Portents. The true city. How did he come by the knowledge? Oh, wouldn’t that be a fun story to tell. Hmmm….
Honestly though, Harvey is the most important first appearance in Tales. Keep a lookout for when he pops up again.
EASTER EGG – Did you catch who Harvey is related to at the Central Precinct? Check out the little snippet from Chapter 3 below:
“…Most of the grunts here remind me of my good-for-nothing nephew. Happy to sit and zone than think for himself. He’s actually thinking about applying to the academy but I’ll be damned if I see a Pratchett in this department in my lifetime.”
It was just a throwaway line I had tossed in there. I figured it would be fun to make a small connection to our favorite giant of an officer, John Pratchett. Little did I realize where we were headed….
Michelle Ruiz
When I was making my list for this entry, I almost forgot Ruiz’s wife. Shame on me. I forgot The Great Divide served as her first appearance. It took a long time to piece together who Michelle was as a person. Her role in The Medusa Coin helped (again!) and offered a vision for this strong-willed woman that basically became a single mother of three daughters since her husband is never home.
Here, she has a little more innocence, a little more joy, as the divide comes after. Another crucial player filling out the world and playing off Ruiz to create tension and support with each interaction.
Hady Ronne
Another vital component in The Medusa Coin, which is actually why she shows up here. How Ruiz sees her at this moment in their relationship is crucial to what happens down the line.
Hady also gives this creepy vibe every time she shows up. She’s so off-putting to be around the only way Loren can handle it is with sarcasm bordering on meanness. I wanted to see how Ruiz acted in Loren’s place.
EASTER EGG – There is a reason behind Hady Ronne’s name. You’ll find out why in September.
What’s next?
Next week I’ll be taking a closer look at Gremlins. Be sure to stop by on Thursday for some awesome FREE BOOKS!
Thanks for reading.
