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We’d like to thank Jan Cheripko for this blog post.
“Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.”—Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
“A secondary character has two jobs: to show us another side of the main character and to create tension and problems that will move the plot ahead.”—Cynthia Lord, author of Rules, a Newbery Honor Book
Take a look at your current writing project with regard to these questions:
Now, consider these:
Just as people move in and out of our world, the lives of supporting characters criss-cross those of our protagonists and antagonists. Sometimes they zip by in a flash; sometimes they linger — with a sweet after-taste, or a bitter one, like stale coffee. Regardless of the length of time they spend with us and the flavor they leave us with, they are most definitely real. And we need to give them the respect real people deserve.
Posted on: February 6, 2015
Tags: character, cheripko, writing tips