Sharing the Spotlight: How Much Page Time Do Supporting Characters Need?

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Just because they're a supporting character doesn't mean they have to do what the protagonist says.

Everyone knows the protagonist is the star of the show, but supporting characters can be just as critical to the story. They’re the ones influencing your protagonist and causing changes in the plot. Without them, your story can feel empty.

But how much time do supporting characters really need?

It depends on their function.

Supporting characters should feel credible in whatever role they’re in. The fewer scenes they get, the harder it can be to lay the groundwork for whatever their task is. 

If the task is simple, they can show up and vanish and readers won't mind or notice anything wonky. Like a waiter at a restaurant, for example. Little is required for that role to be believable in that situation. But if the character has more impact on the protagonist or the plot, you might need better reasons for them being there.

5 Dos and Don’ts of a Good Sidekick

By Bethany Henry

Part of The How They Do It Series

JH: A great sidekick can add a lot to a novel. Bethany Henry shares tips on how to craft a sidekick that enhances your story without stealing the show.

Bethany Henry writes fantasy novels and blogs about writing and wellness at bethany-henry.com. When not writing, she can often be found on the frisbee field, drinking tea, or reading picture books with her two little girls. Sign up for her email list for weekly posts on writing craft- along with fun extras like quotes and freebies.

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Take it away Bethany...

Create Characters in 60 Seconds

By Laurence MacNaughton, @LMacNaughton  

Part of the How They Do It Series (Contributing Author)

JH: Stories need characters, but we don't always have time to spend all day on them. Here's a fantastic way to build a character on the fly.

When you create great characters, they walk onto the page and make your story unforgettable. They can bring every scene to life. But creating characters takes tons of time and effort, doesn’t it?

Not necessarily.

I’m here to show you how you can create an impressively good character in 60 seconds or less. Sound impossible? Here's the secret.

You don't need to write ten pages of backstory to make a great character. All you need is four short sentences.

How to Tell if That Throwaway Character Is Really a Star

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy


Primary characters are easy. We pick them, we write abut them, we plan their lives. Secondary characters are a bit more sketchy. Sometimes we know exactly who they are are what role they play. Other times, we have no idea who will be a throwaway and who will be a star.

How do you know who is a throwaway character and who will eventually become an important one?

Who Hates Ya Baby? Creating Bad Guys Who Aren't the Antagonist

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Enemies. We all have them. Not necessarily the, "You killed my father, prepare to die," type, but the, "Gal at work who always tries to make you look bad," type. They’re not going to destroy your life, but they make you dread or regret every interaction you have with them.

Our characters are no different. They have enemies too, only most of the time we focus on the Big Bad Antagonist and forget that even nice people have folks who want to see them fail. They just flat out don't like them, but aren't doing anything to actively ruin their lives. They're like, minitagonists.

Second Fiddle, Sweeter Music—Using Secondary Characters To Give Your Novel A Bigger Feel

By Bonnie Randall 

Special Guest Author 

Two things I love as a writer and a reader: deep, emotionally wrought stories, and authentic, rich characters. I am a firm believer that a novel is only as deep as the characters who populate it and, having spent a lifetime reading, a fair chunk of it writing, and devoting a lot of time studying reflections of those who craft great prose, the following are my thoughts on employing secondary characters to give your book greater, richer depth.

What Are Your Secondary Characters Good At?

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

In one of her sessions at Springmingle '14, editor Cheryl Klein said one trait of a compelling character was that they were good at something. I immediately thought of Dwight from the Origami Yoda series by Tom Angleberger--the weirdest kid at school who really creeped everyone out, but he did amazing origami.

This skill made him not only interesting to the reader, but interesting to the other characters and ultimately created the core conflict of the novel's plot (Was Origami Yoda real and could they trust his advice?) Sure, Dwight was weird, but everyone could get past that because of his skills. He could do what none of them could and that made him special.

5 Tips for Developing Supporting Characters

By Nancy Parker

JH: I'd like to welcome Nancy Parker to the blog today to share a little advice on developing those secondary characters. As important as our protagonist' are, they still need folks to help them shine.

Nancy was a professional nanny and she loves to write about wide range of subjects like health, Parenting, Child Care, Babysitting, nanny, etc. You can reach her @ nancy.parker015 @ gmail.com.

Take it away Nancy...

Wait a Second! Creating Secondary Characters

By Marie Lu

JH: Today we have YA author Marie Lu joining us to talk about those pesky secondary characters. She shares three tips on how to make those non-main characters anything but second place.

Marie's debut novel, LEGEND (book 1 of a trilogy), releases today from Putnam/Penguin 9and the buzz on this one has been huge, so go check it out). Set in a dark, futuristic United States, LEGEND tells the story of a notorious 15-year old boy criminal, and a 15-year old girl prodigy hired to hunt him down. You can read an excerpt and find out more by visiting the official Facebook page.

Take it away Marie…

All By Myself: Why Protagonists Need Friends

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

It can be lonely being a protagonist. You go about your day with all kinds of terrible things happening to you, and there's not always someone to talk to about it. But protags need friends and confidants. And not just because it's lonely.

It's difficult to write a character who has no one to talk to.

Solitary protag stories are hard to write. The protag is in their head all the time, internalizing, talking to themselves. Some of this is great (you really get to know a protag that way), but too much and your reader can wind up telling your protag to zip it and get on with things.

Cats and Character: Telling Your Characters Apart

Darwin

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Two of my cats are red tabbies who look identical if you don't know them. It often takes a guest three or four visits before they realize we have two of them and they aren't the same cat, even though they're as different as night and day personality wise. What does this have to do with characters? You can learn a lot about creating characters from my cats.

Throwaway Characters

At first glance the cats look the same. Red fur, long and skinny, short hair, similar weight. This is what first-time guests remember after they leave my house. "They have cats." They might remember how many (minus one) and they might remember the colors.