Writers read books differently than many readers who read specifically for entertainment. As a writer, I should take more time to identify what works and what doesn’t instead of letting the impression pass by without teaching me something.
How often do you get to read a book where you’re entirely charmed by all of the characters, including the minor ones? Have you been amazed by how they all fit together to propel the story forward? Or, on the other end of the spectrum, where you wonder why a certain character was even included? Secondary characters can certainly enhance a book—or help sink it if they’re not well used.
These days, while I’m putting together a new story idea, there are a few things I’m reminding myself about one element of storytelling: those “other” characters, the secondary ones.
Here are a few questions I’m asking myself:
Is every character necessary? Do they play a part in the plot or do they sufficiently impact one of the major characters? Is the secondary character more than just a sounding board for the main character to reveal to the reader his/her thoughts, goals, intentions, etc.? Does more than one secondary character play the same role, performing the same element in the overall story? Is there something unique about the secondary character/s, something to help the reader imagine them in their head, to make them memorable? Many characters come on and off the pages, but the ones who are assigned names usually play more than just cameo roles. My job is to make sure they earn their name.
So I’m replaying all of this in my head as I put together ideas for my next project. I usually find myself spending most of my time and energy on my main characters, at least initially. Being a seat-of-the-pants writer (one who doesn’t do a lot of advance outlining) I’m sometimes surprised by the appearance of a secondary characters, which is probably not the best time to ask all of the above questions. A more organized writer might have much of this figured out in advance. But no matter when questions like these are asked, they should be addressed.
Recently I found myself wondering with more detail about one of the minor characters I have in mind for my new story. This actually surprised me, since the story idea is so very new and I haven’t officially “worked with” this character yet. I usually have a vague idea of secondary characters at this point, but for this story, there will be two men vying for my heroine’s attention and so this secondary character will almost be like a hero. Almost is the key word here, because of course only one of them can be the real hero. One must lose at love, and I find myself feeling sorry for this character already, especially since I don’t plan to give him a book of his own in which to let him find his happy ending. Worrying about him is a good sign, though, because that’s the first thing I look for in a story and the characters filling it: am I emotionally involved?
So how can I present a character interesting enough to catch the eye of my very special heroine, create a viable sense of competition in my equally special hero, without totally fooling my readers? If this secondary hero is too charming half the audience will want him to win, and that’s exactly what I don’t want to do—alienate half of my audience!
It’s one more balancing act, one of many to make the story come alive to please a picky reader like myself.
Join Me!