While trying to decide on a topic for today's blog, I was
torn between a writing type topic or a more general area of discussion. Since last week's blog was a writing topic, I
decided to continue along those lines.
A couple of days ago I was watching on old movie, the 1974
production of Agatha Christie's Murder On
The Orient Express with its all star cast where almost everyone in the movie
was a major character. It occurred to me
that there were very few characters other than the many primary ones. So I started thinking about secondary
characters and how they can be used to prod, shove and push the main characters
into and along the necessary path for the story line.
So, let's talk a bit about secondary characters.
When I say secondary characters, I'm not referring to the
minor characters that decorate a scene and maybe have a couple of lines of
dialogue or only appear in one scene. I'm
talking about the characters who have a prominent place in your story but are
not your main characters. These are the
characters you can use to maneuver your main characters into and along the path
toward achieving the story goal. They
are a key factor in moving your story along and determining what direction it
takes.
In developing these characters you need to decide what you
want them to accomplish and how you want them to relate to and interact with
your main characters in addition to each other in order to move your story line
along to its conclusion. Let's take a
look at how a set of secondary characters can be used to move a story line in a
specific direction. Remember, it's not
who they are, it's what they do and how they relate to the main characters and
how the main characters respond to them.
Example: You have a
story about a teenager who is the leader of a gang that has been stealing cars
for some mobsters. You have two ways you
can go with your main character, in other words, two directions your story line
can take and you must choose one of them.
#1: he wants to leave the gang and make something of his life OR #2: he
runs his gang with a iron hand and threatens anyone who wants out.
With scenario #1 your secondary characters who will influence
the story line can be his girl friend, his little brother, and one of his
teachers. That tells you who they are
(what their relationship is to your main character), but doesn't tell you how
they move the story. His girl friend
fears for his safety and finally gives him the ultimatum to leave the gang or
she's leaving him. His little brother
idolizes him and wants to be just like him, but he doesn't want his little
brother to make the same mistakes he did.
His teacher is mentoring him by helping him with his studies and finding
him an after school job.
With scenario #2 your secondary characters can be his girl
friend, a rival gang leader, and his contact with the mobster who pays him for
the stolen cars. Again, that tells you
who they are and what their relationship is to your main charabut not what they
do to move the story in a specific direction.
His girl friend demands more and more in the way of material things so
he needs the money from stealing cars to keep her happy. The rival gang leader is trying to take over
his stolen car business so he has to watch his back at all time to protect
himself and his own interests. The
mobster gives him access to the easy money he needs to keep his girl friend happy
and the promise of being able to move into their organization and advance in
the criminal world.
Each scenario has a girl friend, but her function is
different in the two scenarios so that her character helps move the two story
lines in two different directions.
One of the great things about secondary characters is that
you can make them as outrageous, unconventional and over-the-top as you
want. You don't have the same parameters
and cautions with secondary characters as you do with your main characters. The main thing you need to be careful with in
creating your secondary character is to not make them more interesting than
your main characters so that they don't steal the show and shove your main
characters into the background.
A good example of secondary characters being over the top was
the television stiuation comedy Will and
Grace. The secondary characters of
Karen and Jack were totally outrageous while the main characters of Will and
Grace were more grounded.
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