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Question: Readers: How Do You Feel about Unexplained Characters!?
Like!.!.!.Someone Who Shows Up Without Much Explanation and is maybe given background later in the story or not at all!?
If You Read a Story Would You be opposed to a character's background being almost completely inferred!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
At times, suspense or enigma can be a writer's most useful element when writing a novel!. It leaves the reader wanting more, at times unable to set the book down!. This question honestly depends about personal opinion!. Characters that develop slowly are highly favoured by me!. I would rather wait until the end to discover the full background of the character, rather than have their past flaunted the moment they are introduced in the novel!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It depends upon the Characters importance in the story!. If they are minor, then it would be no big deal!. But if they have an important part, then it could be a major problem and I am sure any editor worth their salt in a publishing company would not let you get away with it!. Major Characters have to be setup and explained!. As far as background!.!.!. there are lots of times they are mysterious and their background is eek-ed out later!.!.!. it can serve a purpose!. Or they can remain a mystery!.!.!. part of the Character mystique!. Depends on the STORY!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I don't mind them not being explained if it's reasonable for the characters not to expect them to be explained either!.

I mean, I don't expect to know much about my postman or the lady in the shop down the road!. I do expect to know a whole lot more about anyone who is a close friend, or who is giving me important advice!.

In general I find it extremely annoying if the characters know more about someone than I do - especially if part of the tension of the plot is dependent on me not knowing it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

If the character's appearance doesn't feel like a plot device, if it makes sense that this person would be in this setting and know one of the other characters, then their background is not really that relevant unless it affects the story in some way!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It would depend wholly on how important to the story that character is and whether the lack of background is PART of the story!.

9 times out of 10 it would show a lack of effort on the writer's part!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

As long as the character serves some sort of purpose, other than to reveal valuable plot changing information to the protagonists, I don't mind them so much!. Sometimes they can add more depth to the story!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's cool and mysterious I guess!!!!Www@QuestionHome@Com