If your protagonist’s character arc has the ability to deepen your story, then just think how much more depth you can create if all your minor characters have arcs! Dizzying concept, isn’t it? And it raises the (somewhat trepidatious) question: Should all your minor characters have arcs? It’s a fair question. After all, we want […]
August 24, 2014 by 113 Comments CharactersThe Impact Character: Why Every Character Arc Needs One
When we think of necessary characters, we tend to come up with obvious choices such as the protagonist, the antagonist, and maybe the mentor, love interest, and sidekick. “Impact character” probably isn’t at the top of your list. But it should be. Because you can’t create a character arc without one. “Impact character” is the […]
August 8, 2014 by 2 Comments CharactersHow to Create Walk-On Characters Who Are Memorable (But Not Too Memorable)
Today, I’m guest posting over on Wordserve Water Cooler, with the post “How to Create Walk-On Characters Who Are Memorable (But Not Too Memorable).” Here’s an excerpt: Every character is the hero of his own story. That bit of popular advice is a marvelously evocative reminder to breathe life into even minor characters. However, chances […]
August 6, 2014 by 33 Comments CharactersWhat’s the Most Important Relationship in Your Story?
This week’s video shows you how to find your story by finding your story’s most important relationship–and then putting it to work. Video Transcript: I think most writers would agree that the core of any story is its characters—and not just characters, but the interaction between characters. It’s in these interactions that we really discover who […]
June 4, 2014 by 35 Comments CharactersLessons From Jane Eyre: 5 Ways to Bring Minor Characters to Life
Just for fun, today I’d thought I’d give you a sneak peek of my upcoming book Jane Eyre: The Writer’s Digest Annotated Classic. The book, available in late July (release date coming soon!), finds the method behind the magic of Charlotte Brontë’s enduring novel. Via annotations to the original text, I have analyzed the storytelling […]
January 19, 2014 by 41 Comments ThemeHow to Use Minor Characters to Deepen Your Story’s Theme
Is theme the moral of a story? Is it the message an author wants to share? Or is it something more inherent to the plot itself? If this were a multiple-choice test, then I hope you chose C! Although theme is potentially both a moral and a message, neither of these should be its point (if they […]
December 29, 2013 by 102 Comments CharactersHow Many Characters Should Be in Your Story?
Here’s a question you’d think would have no solid answer: How many characters should be in your story? After all, every story is different. Some are multi-generational epics that need a cast of hundreds (or thousands if you’re like G.R.R. Martin and keep killing everybody off). Others may need only a handful of actors (e.g., […]
January 30, 2013 by 41 Comments CharactersHow to Know if You Should Make a Minor Character Your Protagonist
Most of the time authors begin writing because a particular character has caught their fancy. The guidelines for confirming that a character is protagonist material usually go something like this: 1. The character is someone the author cares about. If characters don’t interest you, why think they will interest readers? 2. The character has, if […]
August 29, 2012 by 26 Comments CharactersHow to Find Your Character’s Voice
The single most important factor in getting readers’ attention is a strong, unique, and personality-heavy narrative voice. Voice is what defines both your story and your narrating character. You can think of voice as your story’s unique fingerprint. If your book were a band, this would be the sound that makes it recognizable. So if […]
July 18, 2012 by 34 Comments CharactersWhy Your Hero Needs a Yappy Sidekick
Some of the most memorable character pairings in literature and film are those that team the protagonist with what I like to call The Yappy Sidekick. Now, if this is giving you images of an obnoxious little runt running around after your purposeful and heroic lead and generally being a nuisance, while said hero is doing […]
