Ian Dawson's Blog - Posts Tagged "secondary-characters"
Writing Tip of the Week – Story Structure: The Beginning, Part Two
Last week, we talked about some of the elements that go into the Beginning of a story. Whether a novel, a short story, a screenplay, or a play, there are important items to consider from the start as you develop your story. In this post, we’ll talk about a few more things to consider as you work on creating the beginning of your story.
A Basic Formula
One of my screenwriting professors once wrote a basic formula on the board that holds true for pretty much all commercial stories:
Hero + Goal + Opposition = Conflict = Drama
Think about most movies or novels of today, and this formula rings true. We are presented with a Hero. That hero has a Goal they wish to achieve. There’s some Opposition in the way of the Hero achieving the stated goal. That Opposition leads to Conflict. And that Conflict translates to Dramatic tension.
As you develop your story, make sure that the three main ingredients are clear. Then you can find ways to create conflict that increases the dramatic tension of the story.
What is an Antagonist?
When we think about the concept of an Antagonist, we are usually drawn to the big guns: The Joker (The Dark Knight), Thanos (Avengers: Infinity War), Cruella DeVil (101 Dalmatians), Loki (Avengers), Ursula (The Little Mermaid), Dr. No (Dr. No), Hades (Hercules), Dr. Evil (Austin Powers), Scar (The Lion King), or the Evil Queen in Snow White. These are clear-cut antagonistic characters that oppose the goals of the hero in their respective stories.
However, an Antagonist doesn’t have to be a maniacal super-villain or an evil entity bent on world domination. Anyone in your story who opposes your main character’s goals and is a constant block to them achieving that goal is an antagonist.
In Legally Blonde, Elle Woods’s antagonist is her ex-boyfriend, Warner.
In Hairspray, Tracy Turnblad’s antagonist is Velma Von Tussle and her daughter.
In October Sky, Homer Hickam’s antagonist is his father.
Even if the antagonist wants what’s best for the main character, they can still be an antagonizing force getting in the way of their goal if what they want for the main character is in conflict with what the antagonist wants.
And that conflict leads to dramatic tension.
I think that because mainstream cinema is saturated with big-time antagonists because of all the superhero movies, it’s easy to forget that romantic comedies function on the formula of starting the partners off in an oppositional relationship. You’ve Got Mail. Crazy, Stupid, Love. Two Weeks Notice. The Proposal. 10 Things I Hate About You. All begin with oppositional relationships between the main couple.
How Do You Like Your Stakes?
Your protagonist wants something. Something big. If they get it, that’s great. But what if they don’t get it? What if all their attempts to achieve their goal fail? What will happen to them? Their best friend? Their family? Their home?
In other words: What are the Story’s Stakes?
Stakes keep things interesting. They keep the protagonist motivated to achieve their goal. They also keep the viewer/reader along for the ride. What should the stakes feel like?
Life or death. That’s what things should feel like to your hero if things don’t work out. I’m not talking literal life or death (unless your story is about that), but the odds have to be pretty steep against the main character once the inciting incident happens that we’re unsure how they’ll reach their intended goal.
If you have a basic idea of what your story is about, who your main character is, what their goal is, and where the story is going, you should start to brainstorm obstacles that the hero might face throughout the story. Each one should be unique, escalate the stakes, and help move the story and the hero’s character arc along.
The higher the stakes, the better the dramatic tension. Most sitcoms have low-stakes situations (Oh, no, the poker game and the dinner party are planned for the same night!). Dramas tend to have higher stakes (If we don’t find the killer soon, he’ll start killing a new victim at the top of every hour!).
Think of your favorite movie, or a movie you recently saw. What were the stakes for the main character? Were they high or low? I can tell you that in the new Angelina Jolie movie, Those Who Wish Me Dead, the stakes are very high. If a movie you watched has low stakes for the main character, did you lose interest?
Can I Help You?
All protagonists are on a journey. It may not be away from their uncle’s moisture farm on Tatooine to learn the ways of the Force, but they do have to move from point A to point Z by the end of the story.
Is anyone with them?
Best friends. Romantic partners. Sidekicks. Co-workers. Family. Neighbors. Are they people close to the main character that can assist them on their journey? Every character in a story needs to serve the hero and the story in some important way. Much like the protagonist and antagonist have a function in the story, the Secondary and Tertiary characters need to as well.
These characters also help in giving us insight into the main character, they help dimensionalize them, and make them more relatable to the audience. Who populates the world of the hero? Of the antagonist? What functions do those characters serve throughout the story?
The Big Moment
So, you’ve shown us a glimpse of the protagonist in their natural habitat. All is good in the world. And then…BOOM…something unexpected happens that throws their world into a tailspin. Now, they have to regroup and figure out how to fix, stop, or change whatever has just happened. The stakes are high. The Opposition is great. The way to achieving the goal seems impossible. But they have a few folks to help them along the way.
After a few missteps, things start to feel like they’re going the hero’s way. Maybe getting to that goal will be easier than they thought. All they have to do is…
BOOM
Something HUGE comes out of nowhere and knocks the wind out of them. What they thought was the way forward is no longer the way forward. Everything they thought they knew, every decision they were sure was working, is suddenly turned upside-down.
Welcome to Turning Point 1.
It’s a big moment in the story. It’s something that shakes things up and takes the hero and the audience in a new direction. Here’s an example from Legally Blonde (get used to it, I’m gonna use it a lot in this series):
Hero: Elle Woods
Antagonist: Warner
Inciting Incident: Warner dumps Elle as he heads to law school instead of proposing to her.
Legally Blonde Inciting Incident
Hero Goal: Get into and graduate from Harvard Law School (and reconnect with Warner).
Turning Point 1: At the first party of the semester, Warner tells Elle she’s not smart enough to get a prestigious internship with their law professor.
Legally Blonde Turning Point 1
Notice how Elle is initially crushed by Warner’s words but then actively pushes through and uses his Opposition to her goal as motivation to keep going.
In the film, this is the start of Act 2. It’s the end of the Beginning, and the beginning of the Middle.
Homework
Watch some movies and determine what the initial stakes are for the hero and when Turning Point 1 happens. For most two-hour movies, it’s around the 25-30 minute mark.
We’ll talk about the Middle (of a story, not the series starring Patricia Heaton) in two weeks!
A Basic Formula
One of my screenwriting professors once wrote a basic formula on the board that holds true for pretty much all commercial stories:
Hero + Goal + Opposition = Conflict = Drama
Think about most movies or novels of today, and this formula rings true. We are presented with a Hero. That hero has a Goal they wish to achieve. There’s some Opposition in the way of the Hero achieving the stated goal. That Opposition leads to Conflict. And that Conflict translates to Dramatic tension.
As you develop your story, make sure that the three main ingredients are clear. Then you can find ways to create conflict that increases the dramatic tension of the story.
What is an Antagonist?
When we think about the concept of an Antagonist, we are usually drawn to the big guns: The Joker (The Dark Knight), Thanos (Avengers: Infinity War), Cruella DeVil (101 Dalmatians), Loki (Avengers), Ursula (The Little Mermaid), Dr. No (Dr. No), Hades (Hercules), Dr. Evil (Austin Powers), Scar (The Lion King), or the Evil Queen in Snow White. These are clear-cut antagonistic characters that oppose the goals of the hero in their respective stories.
However, an Antagonist doesn’t have to be a maniacal super-villain or an evil entity bent on world domination. Anyone in your story who opposes your main character’s goals and is a constant block to them achieving that goal is an antagonist.
In Legally Blonde, Elle Woods’s antagonist is her ex-boyfriend, Warner.
In Hairspray, Tracy Turnblad’s antagonist is Velma Von Tussle and her daughter.
In October Sky, Homer Hickam’s antagonist is his father.
Even if the antagonist wants what’s best for the main character, they can still be an antagonizing force getting in the way of their goal if what they want for the main character is in conflict with what the antagonist wants.
And that conflict leads to dramatic tension.
I think that because mainstream cinema is saturated with big-time antagonists because of all the superhero movies, it’s easy to forget that romantic comedies function on the formula of starting the partners off in an oppositional relationship. You’ve Got Mail. Crazy, Stupid, Love. Two Weeks Notice. The Proposal. 10 Things I Hate About You. All begin with oppositional relationships between the main couple.
How Do You Like Your Stakes?
Your protagonist wants something. Something big. If they get it, that’s great. But what if they don’t get it? What if all their attempts to achieve their goal fail? What will happen to them? Their best friend? Their family? Their home?
In other words: What are the Story’s Stakes?
Stakes keep things interesting. They keep the protagonist motivated to achieve their goal. They also keep the viewer/reader along for the ride. What should the stakes feel like?
Life or death. That’s what things should feel like to your hero if things don’t work out. I’m not talking literal life or death (unless your story is about that), but the odds have to be pretty steep against the main character once the inciting incident happens that we’re unsure how they’ll reach their intended goal.
If you have a basic idea of what your story is about, who your main character is, what their goal is, and where the story is going, you should start to brainstorm obstacles that the hero might face throughout the story. Each one should be unique, escalate the stakes, and help move the story and the hero’s character arc along.
The higher the stakes, the better the dramatic tension. Most sitcoms have low-stakes situations (Oh, no, the poker game and the dinner party are planned for the same night!). Dramas tend to have higher stakes (If we don’t find the killer soon, he’ll start killing a new victim at the top of every hour!).
Think of your favorite movie, or a movie you recently saw. What were the stakes for the main character? Were they high or low? I can tell you that in the new Angelina Jolie movie, Those Who Wish Me Dead, the stakes are very high. If a movie you watched has low stakes for the main character, did you lose interest?
Can I Help You?
All protagonists are on a journey. It may not be away from their uncle’s moisture farm on Tatooine to learn the ways of the Force, but they do have to move from point A to point Z by the end of the story.
Is anyone with them?
Best friends. Romantic partners. Sidekicks. Co-workers. Family. Neighbors. Are they people close to the main character that can assist them on their journey? Every character in a story needs to serve the hero and the story in some important way. Much like the protagonist and antagonist have a function in the story, the Secondary and Tertiary characters need to as well.
These characters also help in giving us insight into the main character, they help dimensionalize them, and make them more relatable to the audience. Who populates the world of the hero? Of the antagonist? What functions do those characters serve throughout the story?
The Big Moment
So, you’ve shown us a glimpse of the protagonist in their natural habitat. All is good in the world. And then…BOOM…something unexpected happens that throws their world into a tailspin. Now, they have to regroup and figure out how to fix, stop, or change whatever has just happened. The stakes are high. The Opposition is great. The way to achieving the goal seems impossible. But they have a few folks to help them along the way.
After a few missteps, things start to feel like they’re going the hero’s way. Maybe getting to that goal will be easier than they thought. All they have to do is…
BOOM
Something HUGE comes out of nowhere and knocks the wind out of them. What they thought was the way forward is no longer the way forward. Everything they thought they knew, every decision they were sure was working, is suddenly turned upside-down.
Welcome to Turning Point 1.
It’s a big moment in the story. It’s something that shakes things up and takes the hero and the audience in a new direction. Here’s an example from Legally Blonde (get used to it, I’m gonna use it a lot in this series):
Hero: Elle Woods
Antagonist: Warner
Inciting Incident: Warner dumps Elle as he heads to law school instead of proposing to her.
Legally Blonde Inciting Incident
Hero Goal: Get into and graduate from Harvard Law School (and reconnect with Warner).
Turning Point 1: At the first party of the semester, Warner tells Elle she’s not smart enough to get a prestigious internship with their law professor.
Legally Blonde Turning Point 1
Notice how Elle is initially crushed by Warner’s words but then actively pushes through and uses his Opposition to her goal as motivation to keep going.
In the film, this is the start of Act 2. It’s the end of the Beginning, and the beginning of the Middle.
Homework
Watch some movies and determine what the initial stakes are for the hero and when Turning Point 1 happens. For most two-hour movies, it’s around the 25-30 minute mark.
We’ll talk about the Middle (of a story, not the series starring Patricia Heaton) in two weeks!
Writing Tip of the Week: Purposeful Characters
No matter what type of fiction you’re writing, characters are essential to the story. They engage the reader, generating empathy, sympathy, and connection. Your characters must serve a purpose within the framework of your story’s world.
As writers, it takes time to craft, shape, and mold our protagonist, antagonist, and other characters into the overall story arc that we have created. We shouldn’t be wasting creative energy creating superfluous characters who have no reason to be in the story.
Here are some tips to help you eliminate aimless and purposeless characters from your story.
Take Inventory
Who’s who, and why are they there? If you are in the beginning stages of writing your story, take time to establish your main characters, secondary characters, and background characters on a spreadsheet or piece of paper. Do they serve an essential function in the story?
If you have already written your story, take inventory of your characters as you read through. Do they all serve a purpose? Is there anyone that doesn’t belong or isn’t really essential to the story?
By creating a spreadsheet, you can list who the characters are, their role, and how they tie into the story. If you find characters that serve no critical function or role, you may want to cut them because…
More Characters = More Problems
Taking on an ambitious fiction project can be exciting. Still, you also have to make sure that everyone you introduce has a reason for existing and serves an essential role in your story. The more characters you bring into the mix, the harder it can be to keep track and keep things focused.
Limiting the number of characters can help keep the story and its conflict focused, so you don’t get lost in the weeds, which reminds me…
Where’s the Focus?
Your story has a main storyline with a protagonist working toward a goal amidst numerous obstacles. That should be your primary focus as you write. Find yourself deviating too much into subplots and side quests with other characters? It may be time to either rethink the protagonist or move those other characters into their own story.
If the subplots tie directly back to the main character and their story, that’s fine. But if you do notice that what they’re doing has zero impact on the main narrative, it’s time to cut it.
Superfluous Characters
Are there characters you’ve created that don’t really go anywhere or serve any real purpose within the story? Maybe you wrote an elaborate backstory for a Starbucks barista that the main character encounters on their journey. But, if they are in one chapter and never seen or mentioned again, you may want to trim out how they saved their grandma and her cat from a space heater fire in the fifth grade.
However, if the barista’s backstory serves a key role in the story later on, and the character comes back to help save the day, they serve a purpose. Just make sure that if you put in the time to provide lots of detail on a specific character, the reader has a reason to be given that information.
Elevate or Eliminate?
If your creative mind has crafted a complex side character who initially has no real purpose in the overall story, you have a few options:
• You can cut them out of this story and move them to one where they can play a more significant role.
• You can elevate them and combine their character and attributes with a less-than-stellar secondary character who may need some extra life.
• Or you can see how this character’s current role can be elevated through further interactions with the protagonist and the main story.
There are ways to make it work, but the character can’t detract or deviate from the main story.
Should My Protagonist Have a Pet?
I’ve seen this brought up before, and it’s an interesting question. The answer is simple: only if you are willing to have the main character’s dog or cat be a part of the story. You can’t just introduce the reader to the protagonist’s dog in one chapter and never mention them again. Once you commit to your main character being a pet owner, you have chosen to keep that pet as a part of the story.
So, if your main character travels the world on quests, it’s probably best to keep the pets out of things. Otherwise, readers may wonder, “Who’s watching Rex? Is the dog okay? I know cats are independent, but she’s been gone for three weeks!”
Read, Read, Read
Skim through novels and see how different authors set up and establish their various characters. Some will be more detailed than others, but the key to this research is to identify how main characters, secondary characters, and others are described throughout the story.
Whether you’re writing a short story or short film, a novel or a screenplay, knowing who your characters are and their purpose is essential to keeping the story moving and the reader or viewer engaged.
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you in two weeks!
As writers, it takes time to craft, shape, and mold our protagonist, antagonist, and other characters into the overall story arc that we have created. We shouldn’t be wasting creative energy creating superfluous characters who have no reason to be in the story.
Here are some tips to help you eliminate aimless and purposeless characters from your story.
Take Inventory
Who’s who, and why are they there? If you are in the beginning stages of writing your story, take time to establish your main characters, secondary characters, and background characters on a spreadsheet or piece of paper. Do they serve an essential function in the story?
If you have already written your story, take inventory of your characters as you read through. Do they all serve a purpose? Is there anyone that doesn’t belong or isn’t really essential to the story?
By creating a spreadsheet, you can list who the characters are, their role, and how they tie into the story. If you find characters that serve no critical function or role, you may want to cut them because…
More Characters = More Problems
Taking on an ambitious fiction project can be exciting. Still, you also have to make sure that everyone you introduce has a reason for existing and serves an essential role in your story. The more characters you bring into the mix, the harder it can be to keep track and keep things focused.
Limiting the number of characters can help keep the story and its conflict focused, so you don’t get lost in the weeds, which reminds me…
Where’s the Focus?
Your story has a main storyline with a protagonist working toward a goal amidst numerous obstacles. That should be your primary focus as you write. Find yourself deviating too much into subplots and side quests with other characters? It may be time to either rethink the protagonist or move those other characters into their own story.
If the subplots tie directly back to the main character and their story, that’s fine. But if you do notice that what they’re doing has zero impact on the main narrative, it’s time to cut it.
Superfluous Characters
Are there characters you’ve created that don’t really go anywhere or serve any real purpose within the story? Maybe you wrote an elaborate backstory for a Starbucks barista that the main character encounters on their journey. But, if they are in one chapter and never seen or mentioned again, you may want to trim out how they saved their grandma and her cat from a space heater fire in the fifth grade.
However, if the barista’s backstory serves a key role in the story later on, and the character comes back to help save the day, they serve a purpose. Just make sure that if you put in the time to provide lots of detail on a specific character, the reader has a reason to be given that information.
Elevate or Eliminate?
If your creative mind has crafted a complex side character who initially has no real purpose in the overall story, you have a few options:
• You can cut them out of this story and move them to one where they can play a more significant role.
• You can elevate them and combine their character and attributes with a less-than-stellar secondary character who may need some extra life.
• Or you can see how this character’s current role can be elevated through further interactions with the protagonist and the main story.
There are ways to make it work, but the character can’t detract or deviate from the main story.
Should My Protagonist Have a Pet?
I’ve seen this brought up before, and it’s an interesting question. The answer is simple: only if you are willing to have the main character’s dog or cat be a part of the story. You can’t just introduce the reader to the protagonist’s dog in one chapter and never mention them again. Once you commit to your main character being a pet owner, you have chosen to keep that pet as a part of the story.
So, if your main character travels the world on quests, it’s probably best to keep the pets out of things. Otherwise, readers may wonder, “Who’s watching Rex? Is the dog okay? I know cats are independent, but she’s been gone for three weeks!”
Read, Read, Read
Skim through novels and see how different authors set up and establish their various characters. Some will be more detailed than others, but the key to this research is to identify how main characters, secondary characters, and others are described throughout the story.
Whether you’re writing a short story or short film, a novel or a screenplay, knowing who your characters are and their purpose is essential to keeping the story moving and the reader or viewer engaged.
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you in two weeks!
Writing Tip of the Week: Should Your Story Have Rules? – Part Three, Character Rules
Over the last two posts, we’ve explored the Technical and Narrative Rules to consider when crafting a story. In this final post, we’ll explore the third leg of the story rules stool.
Let’s dive in and explore the world of…
Character Rules
They are an essential element of any story, but they should come with their own set of parameters before you toss them into the narrative chaos they are about to experience.
Who’s in Charge of the Story?:
Which of your characters should shoulder the burden of carrying the reader through the story from beginning to end? Which of them has the most to lose, the most to gain, and the most incredible ability to change as the story unfolds?
Sometimes, a character we initially think would be the ideal main character gets sidelined by one that captures our attention more effectively. This attention-seeking character might be a perfect candidate for the position of story protagonist. The protagonist should be someone capable of change, who is directly impacted by the events unfolding in the story, and who will engage in a confrontation with the story’s antagonist.
Look at your cast of characters and decide if the person you’ve chosen to be the main character is the best choice, or if there’s someone else waiting in the wings for their moment in the spotlight.
How Many POVs:
Some writers throw lots of points of view at their readers. James Patterson likes to do this, giving characters a single chapter to inform the reader of things the main character doesn’t know yet, so we’re ahead of them in the narrative.
Others stick with just the protagonist’s point of view; we find out information at the same time they do.
Others alternate, such as Nelson DeMille, who will give us the POV of the main character, then intersperse a few chapters from the antagonist’s POV so we understand their mindset and perspective, usually before the final showdown.
This is worth considering, since the more POVs you have, the more story you have to craft for these characters to have something to do that adds to the story and provides additional conflict or tension for the main character.
Even if these characters are embroiled in a subplot, they still must connect to the main character and story in some significant way; otherwise, their existence in the story is pointless.
Also, too many POVs could lead to confusion for the reader, which is the last thing you want to do.
If this is your first novel, I suggest sticking to one or two POVs to maintain your sanity as you write the story. Keep things simple and easy to follow. You’ll thank me when you begin the rewrite process and don’t have to keep track of eight different POVs!
A Character’s Purpose:
Step back and examine each character that will populate your story. What function do they provide in the overall narrative structure of the story?
Each character should exist to serve the story. If they’re just there, they need to go. It’s as simple as that.
From the main character to the people in a crowd, each character you include in your novel, short story, screenplay, or play needs to have a definite purpose. It can be simple or complex, but they need to have a reason to be there.
Let’s break things down:
Main Character: They drive the story forward; without them actively pursuing a goal, the story has nowhere to go.
Antagonist: The person opposing the main character and trying to prevent them from reaching their stated goal.
Secondary Characters: These can be friends, love interests, sidekicks, pets, or anyone who is around the main character or antagonist, offering them advice, support, or assistance.
Tertiary Characters: Minor characters your main character meets along their journey. They may be in only one chapter or scene, but the information they provide or the actions they take assist the main character positively or negatively and can contribute to the story’s direction.
Utility Characters: A crowd at a concert. Protesters. Campers. Patrons at a biker bar. These are usually nameless characters that help give a location atmosphere and personality. These are extras (aka background artists) that can be described to enhance the location currently inhabited by your other characters.
As you add characters to your story, ask yourself what purpose they serve. If their presence doesn’t enhance or help move the story forward, then it might be wise to remove them from the narrative.
Final Thoughts…
I know it’s a lot to consider. Still, by taking the time to think about and establish the basic Technical, Narrative, and Character Rules for your story, you will give yourself a great advantage as you begin writing. Since these rules have already been set, you can now focus on the creative side of things and get into the creative side of things: the drafting process.
Happy writing, and I’ll see you next time!
Let’s dive in and explore the world of…
Character Rules
They are an essential element of any story, but they should come with their own set of parameters before you toss them into the narrative chaos they are about to experience.
Who’s in Charge of the Story?:
Which of your characters should shoulder the burden of carrying the reader through the story from beginning to end? Which of them has the most to lose, the most to gain, and the most incredible ability to change as the story unfolds?
Sometimes, a character we initially think would be the ideal main character gets sidelined by one that captures our attention more effectively. This attention-seeking character might be a perfect candidate for the position of story protagonist. The protagonist should be someone capable of change, who is directly impacted by the events unfolding in the story, and who will engage in a confrontation with the story’s antagonist.
Look at your cast of characters and decide if the person you’ve chosen to be the main character is the best choice, or if there’s someone else waiting in the wings for their moment in the spotlight.
How Many POVs:
Some writers throw lots of points of view at their readers. James Patterson likes to do this, giving characters a single chapter to inform the reader of things the main character doesn’t know yet, so we’re ahead of them in the narrative.
Others stick with just the protagonist’s point of view; we find out information at the same time they do.
Others alternate, such as Nelson DeMille, who will give us the POV of the main character, then intersperse a few chapters from the antagonist’s POV so we understand their mindset and perspective, usually before the final showdown.
This is worth considering, since the more POVs you have, the more story you have to craft for these characters to have something to do that adds to the story and provides additional conflict or tension for the main character.
Even if these characters are embroiled in a subplot, they still must connect to the main character and story in some significant way; otherwise, their existence in the story is pointless.
Also, too many POVs could lead to confusion for the reader, which is the last thing you want to do.
If this is your first novel, I suggest sticking to one or two POVs to maintain your sanity as you write the story. Keep things simple and easy to follow. You’ll thank me when you begin the rewrite process and don’t have to keep track of eight different POVs!
A Character’s Purpose:
Step back and examine each character that will populate your story. What function do they provide in the overall narrative structure of the story?
Each character should exist to serve the story. If they’re just there, they need to go. It’s as simple as that.
From the main character to the people in a crowd, each character you include in your novel, short story, screenplay, or play needs to have a definite purpose. It can be simple or complex, but they need to have a reason to be there.
Let’s break things down:
Main Character: They drive the story forward; without them actively pursuing a goal, the story has nowhere to go.
Antagonist: The person opposing the main character and trying to prevent them from reaching their stated goal.
Secondary Characters: These can be friends, love interests, sidekicks, pets, or anyone who is around the main character or antagonist, offering them advice, support, or assistance.
Tertiary Characters: Minor characters your main character meets along their journey. They may be in only one chapter or scene, but the information they provide or the actions they take assist the main character positively or negatively and can contribute to the story’s direction.
Utility Characters: A crowd at a concert. Protesters. Campers. Patrons at a biker bar. These are usually nameless characters that help give a location atmosphere and personality. These are extras (aka background artists) that can be described to enhance the location currently inhabited by your other characters.
As you add characters to your story, ask yourself what purpose they serve. If their presence doesn’t enhance or help move the story forward, then it might be wise to remove them from the narrative.
Final Thoughts…
I know it’s a lot to consider. Still, by taking the time to think about and establish the basic Technical, Narrative, and Character Rules for your story, you will give yourself a great advantage as you begin writing. Since these rules have already been set, you can now focus on the creative side of things and get into the creative side of things: the drafting process.
Happy writing, and I’ll see you next time!
Help! My Story Isn’t Working! – Is It the Characters?
After a brief break, we’re back and talking about one of the key aspects of any story: the Characters. Think about your favorite movie, TV series, or novel, and it’s the characters populating the story that immediately pop into memory. They are the driving force of any narrative and the primary reason we keep watching.
However, it’s possible to run into challenges when creating and crafting characters for a story. Let’s look at some potential problems and their solutions.
But first…
Who Are These People?
Fictional characters come in all shapes and sizes, but they also have their own assigned roles in a story. Here’s a quick run-down of how you should look at each character that lives in your fictional world:
Main Character: They drive the story forward; without them actively pursuing a goal, the story has nowhere to go.
Antagonist: The person opposing the main character and trying to prevent them from reaching their stated goal.
Secondary Characters: These can include friends, love interests, sidekicks, pets, or anyone who is associated with the main character or antagonist, offering them advice, support, or assistance.
Tertiary Characters: Minor characters your main character meets along their journey. They may be in only one chapter or scene, but the information they provide or the actions they take assist the main character positively or negatively and can contribute to the story’s direction.
Utility Characters: A crowd at a concert. Protesters. Campers. Patrons at a biker bar. These are usually nameless characters that help give a location atmosphere and personality. These are extras (aka background artists) that can be described to enhance the location currently inhabited by your other characters.
Now, let’s dive into a few possible problems you may encounter as you work with your characters.
Problem: My Main Character is boring.
Possible Solution #1: Make sure they have a Character Arc.
Your Main Character should evolve over the course of your story. They should have problems, issues, conflicts, and relationships established at the start that they can then work on and resolve as the story unfolds, develops, and wraps up.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of being afraid to have your Main Character have problems or conflicts. You might be fearful that readers will turn against them or not like them as the Main Character. But flaws add depth to a character and make them more relatable to the audience than being the poster child for perfection.
As you develop your Main Character, focus on how they change over the course of the story. What events take place around them or to characters in their circle that help them change as a person? These are pieces of the puzzle that can give your Main Character more depth and make them less boring.
Possible Solution #2: Consider Recasting
Okay. You’ve taken the first step and admitted your Main Character is dull. What character in the story do you enjoy writing about? What is it about them that makes you excited to get to their chapters? That is who should be helming your story, and it may be time to either cut your original Main Character completely or move them to a secondary role.
No matter what type of story you’re writing, your Main Character needs to be compelling, interesting, and engaging to the reader. Often, we relegate that type of character to the role of second banana, thinking they are too zany to work as the story’s protagonist.
However, it is worth considering the idea of having them take on that role. Or, you may consider another alternative…
Possible Solution #3: Merge your Main Character with the fun one.
Blend the aspects of the Main Character with those of the fun character and see what new energy and life is injected into your story. Now you have a Main Character with some zip to them, and you can have some fun and let them not be so rigid and boring as they once were.
Problem: My Main Character is too passive.
Possible Solution #1: It’s all about choices.
If your Main Character is passive, this means things are happening to them; they are not making things happen. And while it’s okay for your Main Character to get into situations beyond their control, it’s how they react to those situations that determines if they are being passive or active.
And you definitely want your Main Character to be ACTIVE and MAKING CHOICES that help move the story forward.
All stories are like Choose Your Own Adventure books. As authors, we are the ones making the choices for the reader. We must choose actions that propel the story forward while also putting the Main Character in control of the action. Even if their choices are wrong and lead to tragedy, they must be at the center of those choices and actions.
As you work through your story, think about your Main Character’s choices. Their choices reveal aspects of their personality to the reader. If they are passive and allow others to make decisions for them, the reader will lose interest.
Possible Solution #2: Do they have a strong goal?
Your Main Character needs a reason to exist. That reason is a GOAL they need to achieve by the end of the story. The goal can be a person, a location, or an object. It’s whatever exists at the end of the journey that motivates the Main Character to keep going.
It also has to be on a scale where if they fail to achieve their goal, there are literal or figurative life-or-death consequences associated with it. This means the goal you pick for your Main Character should motivate them into action, which should eliminate any passive tendencies they may have.
Throw in a ticking clock, where they only have a limited amount of time to reach their goal, and it adds another layer of suspense to help drive the Main Character into being active in their pursuit of the goal.
Possible Solution #3: Who’s the opposition?
There needs to be someone in your story trying to prevent your Main Character from reaching their goal. Your Main Character must be willing to confront this person to achieve that goal, and the only way to do that is by being active.
It’s important that the opposition – also known as the Antagonist – has a direct link to the Main Character in some way, and that their defeat is crucial as part of reaching the goal at the end of the story. This defeat can be literal or figurative, but it’s crucial that it takes place as part of your Main Character’s journey.
The need to defeat the Antagonist and reach the final goal must motivate your Main Character to take action and propel their arc and the storyline forward. These elements should leave no room for your Main Character to be passive during their quest.
Problem: I keep losing track of all my characters.
Possible Solution #1: More characters = More problems
If you’re writing your first novel, I highly recommend that you limit the number of characters that populate your story. This will not only make your writing life easier, but it will also help keep the story on track and focus your attention on the main storyline and its characters.
While novels can have dozens of characters, it should be noted that each character should exist to serve the story. If they’re just there, they need to go. It’s as simple as that.
Plus, once they are introduced and named, they need a description, a link to the Main Character or the overall storyline, and are now another person you have to keep track of as you write.
Don’t stress; streamline instead. Merge characters. Cut characters who add nothing to the story. Eliminate subplots that have no value to what’s happening in the main narrative.
Possible Solution #2: Make a spreadsheet
Of course, if you must have a lot of characters, it’s time to do the technical work and create a spreadsheet. This will provide a visual breakdown of each character, their relationship to the Main Character, their purpose in the story, and a brief description.
Now you don’t have to remember if Bob is Dave’s cousin or Dale’s, and if he was the tall cousin or the short one. You have a reference guide to help you as you write.
Possible Solution #3: Outline, Outline, Outline.
Before you sit down to write a single chapter, I strongly advise you to outline your story so you know all the ins and outs of what’s going to happen, which characters are where, and how everything fits together. This will prevent headaches down the line as you are knee deep in the manuscript. It’s a lot easier to track where a character is in an outline than in a 100,000-word document.
I recommend outlining any story you want to write so you have a complete picture available before you begin writing. You can always alter the outline, but you’ll have access to how everything unfolds and evolves in your story before things become too difficult to fix.
Just the Tip of the Iceberg
There are so many aspects to character that we didn’t cover here, but I hope these tips give you a starting point to get your Main Character back on the right track. There are hundreds of books available that delve even deeper into the world of character development, so if you are interested in exploring this topic further, I highly recommend seeking those out.
Next Time…
We briefly talked about the story’s Antagonist, and with an Antagonist comes Conflict! We’ll talk about that in the next post!
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
However, it’s possible to run into challenges when creating and crafting characters for a story. Let’s look at some potential problems and their solutions.
But first…
Who Are These People?
Fictional characters come in all shapes and sizes, but they also have their own assigned roles in a story. Here’s a quick run-down of how you should look at each character that lives in your fictional world:
Main Character: They drive the story forward; without them actively pursuing a goal, the story has nowhere to go.
Antagonist: The person opposing the main character and trying to prevent them from reaching their stated goal.
Secondary Characters: These can include friends, love interests, sidekicks, pets, or anyone who is associated with the main character or antagonist, offering them advice, support, or assistance.
Tertiary Characters: Minor characters your main character meets along their journey. They may be in only one chapter or scene, but the information they provide or the actions they take assist the main character positively or negatively and can contribute to the story’s direction.
Utility Characters: A crowd at a concert. Protesters. Campers. Patrons at a biker bar. These are usually nameless characters that help give a location atmosphere and personality. These are extras (aka background artists) that can be described to enhance the location currently inhabited by your other characters.
Now, let’s dive into a few possible problems you may encounter as you work with your characters.
Problem: My Main Character is boring.
Possible Solution #1: Make sure they have a Character Arc.
Your Main Character should evolve over the course of your story. They should have problems, issues, conflicts, and relationships established at the start that they can then work on and resolve as the story unfolds, develops, and wraps up.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of being afraid to have your Main Character have problems or conflicts. You might be fearful that readers will turn against them or not like them as the Main Character. But flaws add depth to a character and make them more relatable to the audience than being the poster child for perfection.
As you develop your Main Character, focus on how they change over the course of the story. What events take place around them or to characters in their circle that help them change as a person? These are pieces of the puzzle that can give your Main Character more depth and make them less boring.
Possible Solution #2: Consider Recasting
Okay. You’ve taken the first step and admitted your Main Character is dull. What character in the story do you enjoy writing about? What is it about them that makes you excited to get to their chapters? That is who should be helming your story, and it may be time to either cut your original Main Character completely or move them to a secondary role.
No matter what type of story you’re writing, your Main Character needs to be compelling, interesting, and engaging to the reader. Often, we relegate that type of character to the role of second banana, thinking they are too zany to work as the story’s protagonist.
However, it is worth considering the idea of having them take on that role. Or, you may consider another alternative…
Possible Solution #3: Merge your Main Character with the fun one.
Blend the aspects of the Main Character with those of the fun character and see what new energy and life is injected into your story. Now you have a Main Character with some zip to them, and you can have some fun and let them not be so rigid and boring as they once were.
Problem: My Main Character is too passive.
Possible Solution #1: It’s all about choices.
If your Main Character is passive, this means things are happening to them; they are not making things happen. And while it’s okay for your Main Character to get into situations beyond their control, it’s how they react to those situations that determines if they are being passive or active.
And you definitely want your Main Character to be ACTIVE and MAKING CHOICES that help move the story forward.
All stories are like Choose Your Own Adventure books. As authors, we are the ones making the choices for the reader. We must choose actions that propel the story forward while also putting the Main Character in control of the action. Even if their choices are wrong and lead to tragedy, they must be at the center of those choices and actions.
As you work through your story, think about your Main Character’s choices. Their choices reveal aspects of their personality to the reader. If they are passive and allow others to make decisions for them, the reader will lose interest.
Possible Solution #2: Do they have a strong goal?
Your Main Character needs a reason to exist. That reason is a GOAL they need to achieve by the end of the story. The goal can be a person, a location, or an object. It’s whatever exists at the end of the journey that motivates the Main Character to keep going.
It also has to be on a scale where if they fail to achieve their goal, there are literal or figurative life-or-death consequences associated with it. This means the goal you pick for your Main Character should motivate them into action, which should eliminate any passive tendencies they may have.
Throw in a ticking clock, where they only have a limited amount of time to reach their goal, and it adds another layer of suspense to help drive the Main Character into being active in their pursuit of the goal.
Possible Solution #3: Who’s the opposition?
There needs to be someone in your story trying to prevent your Main Character from reaching their goal. Your Main Character must be willing to confront this person to achieve that goal, and the only way to do that is by being active.
It’s important that the opposition – also known as the Antagonist – has a direct link to the Main Character in some way, and that their defeat is crucial as part of reaching the goal at the end of the story. This defeat can be literal or figurative, but it’s crucial that it takes place as part of your Main Character’s journey.
The need to defeat the Antagonist and reach the final goal must motivate your Main Character to take action and propel their arc and the storyline forward. These elements should leave no room for your Main Character to be passive during their quest.
Problem: I keep losing track of all my characters.
Possible Solution #1: More characters = More problems
If you’re writing your first novel, I highly recommend that you limit the number of characters that populate your story. This will not only make your writing life easier, but it will also help keep the story on track and focus your attention on the main storyline and its characters.
While novels can have dozens of characters, it should be noted that each character should exist to serve the story. If they’re just there, they need to go. It’s as simple as that.
Plus, once they are introduced and named, they need a description, a link to the Main Character or the overall storyline, and are now another person you have to keep track of as you write.
Don’t stress; streamline instead. Merge characters. Cut characters who add nothing to the story. Eliminate subplots that have no value to what’s happening in the main narrative.
Possible Solution #2: Make a spreadsheet
Of course, if you must have a lot of characters, it’s time to do the technical work and create a spreadsheet. This will provide a visual breakdown of each character, their relationship to the Main Character, their purpose in the story, and a brief description.
Now you don’t have to remember if Bob is Dave’s cousin or Dale’s, and if he was the tall cousin or the short one. You have a reference guide to help you as you write.
Possible Solution #3: Outline, Outline, Outline.
Before you sit down to write a single chapter, I strongly advise you to outline your story so you know all the ins and outs of what’s going to happen, which characters are where, and how everything fits together. This will prevent headaches down the line as you are knee deep in the manuscript. It’s a lot easier to track where a character is in an outline than in a 100,000-word document.
I recommend outlining any story you want to write so you have a complete picture available before you begin writing. You can always alter the outline, but you’ll have access to how everything unfolds and evolves in your story before things become too difficult to fix.
Just the Tip of the Iceberg
There are so many aspects to character that we didn’t cover here, but I hope these tips give you a starting point to get your Main Character back on the right track. There are hundreds of books available that delve even deeper into the world of character development, so if you are interested in exploring this topic further, I highly recommend seeking those out.
Next Time…
We briefly talked about the story’s Antagonist, and with an Antagonist comes Conflict! We’ll talk about that in the next post!
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
