Developing a cast of memorable characters isn’t easy. Writers are told to develop their main character well with motivation, internal and external conflict–but sometimes don’t put the same emphasis on secondary characters because they’re too worried about their MC.
It’s easy to manipulate secondary characters and sub plots to support your story, but they have to be much more than leading the reader. We can tell when a writer is using secondary characters to prove a point. So why not build a varied cast of secondary characters that feel like they also exist in real life–like your MC.
How to write secondary characters in your subplots:
- They should feel like they have a life of their own and are just popping into this story for a minute. Your secondary characters’ lives shouldn’t revolve around the main character’s. They should feel like they live on after the book is done.
- They should have their own motivations. How are they involved in the story other than being a friend? Think about them as being bigger than a convenient tool. They should feel organic and authentic, not a puppet of the writer and the message.
- They should contribute to the external conflict, not just be there for quiet talks over coffee. The best secondary characters aren’t merely a sounding board or a place to use dialogue when you’re tired of exposition. The best secondary characters are part of the main plot or theme, too.
- They should compare and/or contrast to your main character’s quirks and struggles. Similar characters mute stories and make them forgettable. Secondary characters and their subplots should be unique and show differences and/or similarities. Use them subtly and organically, and it will help you prove your point without hitting us over the head.
Writing secondary characters should take as much time as your main character. Make them larger than life. Write their characters sketches.
Exercise: Know all of these questions about them too.
Q: How do you make sure your secondary characters are memorable?
Reblogged this on Memoir Notes.
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Reblogged this on Mrs C Writes and commented:
Great advice.
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Thanks for the good advice. I have just read ‘Self-Editing for Fiction Writers’ by Browne and King. It was a great recommendation.
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Such a good read! One of my faves.
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Great post, some really great tips.
I do love secondary characters, especially when they have their own deep character and motivations :)
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Thanks!
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Reblogged this on In Loving Memoir and commented:
Writing secondary characters is definitely something I struggle with. Great pointers here.
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I try to keep in mind that any character could be the “main” character. I try to imagine what the book would be like if I focused on that one instead of this one. If I can’t imagine a whole novel told from the POV of a particular character, then I need to either strengthen or remove that person.
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Ooh, I like that. You never know who could be the main character–good one.
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Excellent tips. Easy to let some of those secondary characters slide by–especially in rewrites. In fact, I keep a spreadsheet on all of the characters and note when they are introduced so when my publisher says I need to cut words or something horrible like that, I don’t cut something that leaves a secondary character “hanging in midair” so to speak.
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I try to give my secondary characters a little something something like a quirky habit or hobby or obsession.
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Reblogged this on the writes of passage and commented:
Carly Watters on secondary characters:
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Ahaa, its good dialogue about this piece of writing at this place at
this website, I have read all that, so at this time me also
commenting at this place.
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Great reminder. I write bios for all main and secondary characters. Not everything gets into the book, but they (hopefully) do more than serve as scenery and a sounding board. Some secondary characters have gone on to become main characters because they were so interesting. Messing up my plot!
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Great advice on an overlooked subject. Thanks!
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