well im working on my first novel. its a fantasy fiction. and well i have one main character, Ares. but then ive just had a panic and thought do i have to have another one? like i have an antagonist aswell and there little 'posse' but do i need to give my MC a 'buddy' of sorts? any suggestions?
It's your story. If the story calls for a character in a particular role, write one in. If a character is unnecessary to the story, cut him or her out.
It really depends what you want in your story. Having a buddy does allow for more character development through dialog, but if you prefer to develop characters through thought and action then one MC is just fine! The other thing about having a friend is that you can develop a very strong connection and then you can control the reader's emotions depending on what you do with that connection Good luck, happy writing!
Don't forget that supporting characters can grow in importance throughout the story, even if you don't plan it that way. Fiction is funny like that.
You see different sides of characters when they are around people. Don't we all act a little different around people at times? I reckon you should give your character a friend not just to make that character more real, but to spice up the story a little with some humour. Lonely roads are boring and action is so much more fun to write when you have a handful of potential victims. However, as somebody else said, don't have an army. They get in the way.
Armies (actual armies or armies of characters associated with them) don't have to get in the way. Each of my main characters have armies of their own, and there's still room for squabbling between them. As long as your character doesn't talk to everyone he/she sees, which becomes a distraction, and you yourself know a bit about logistics, you can easily put in armies whilst keeping your readers focussed on your character.
I always like having like a "Buddy" Character. If not for anything else maybe some comic relief, because for the most part the MC will be the more serious and capable character, but as said before it is your novel. Im sure whatever you decide will be the right choice.
"well im working on my first novel. its a fantasy fiction. and well i have one main character, Ares. but then ive just had a panic and thought do i have to have another one? like i have an antagonist aswell and there little 'posse' but do i need to give my MC a 'buddy' of sorts? any suggestions?" It depends on what you want; like others have said, it's your story. I know where you're coming from though. So here's what I think. Most fantasy these days, readers kind of know what to expect. That's not dissing fantasy--I'm a reader too! But for me, a straightfoward action-oriented story doesn't have a lot of appeal. The stories that most moved me have been as much about the relationship between the hero and his/her friends as they have been about good vs. evil. If you've read Robin Hobb's Assassin triology, that's a good example of what I'm talking about. A good friendship in your story is definitely not going to take away from it. I guess what I mean is, the more the merrier!
