Category: Writer’s Edge

The Role of Secondary Characters: Amplifying Your Protagonist’s Journey

WRITER'S EDGE – TUESDAYS

Welcome to Writer's Edge, your weekly resource for mastering the art and craft of storytelling. Every Tuesday, I'll share insights drawn from my experience as a Fictionary Certified StoryCoach Editor, blending the best elements of Edge Coach, First Edge, and Craft Edge. Whether you're staring at a blank page, wrestling with revisions, or fine-tuning your final draft, you'll find actionable advice, proven techniques, and encouragement tailored to your stage of the writing journey. Let Writer's Edge sharpen your skills, spark your creativity, and guide you toward building stories that captivate readers.

Secondary characters are the unsung heroes of storytelling. While the protagonist takes center stage, secondary characters add richness to the narrative, deepen themes, and push the protagonist toward growth. Today, we’ll explore how to craft impactful secondary characters who elevate your story.

Why Secondary Characters Matter

Secondary characters serve as mirrors, foils, and catalysts for your protagonist. They:

  • Reflect the protagonist’s qualities, helping readers understand them better.
  • Challenge the protagonist’s beliefs or decisions, driving internal and external conflict.
  • Embody themes, reinforcing the story’s core message.

Think of Dr. Watson in Sherlock Holmes. He’s not only Holmes’s loyal companion but also the everyman who grounds the narrative, making Holmes’s brilliance accessible to readers.

Types of Secondary Characters

  1. Mentors:
    • Provide wisdom or guidance, often tied to the protagonist’s growth.
    • Example: Haymitch in The Hunger Games challenges Katniss to confront her fears and trust her instincts.
  2. Foils:
    • Highlight the protagonist’s traits by offering a contrasting personality.
    • Example: Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter emphasizes Harry’s moral integrity through his oppositional actions.
  3. Allies:
    • Support the protagonist in achieving their goals, offering camaraderie and perspective.
    • Example: Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings exemplifies loyalty and perseverance, themes central to Frodo’s journey.
  4. Antagonistic Figures:
    • These aren’t always the main antagonist but provide obstacles or differing viewpoints.
    • Example: Javert in Les Misérables challenges Jean Valjean’s path to redemption.

Crafting Memorable Secondary Characters

  1. Give Them Their Own Goals:
    • Secondary characters shouldn’t exist solely to serve the protagonist. Give them desires, flaws, and arcs of their own.
    • Example: In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch’s fight for justice isn’t just Scout’s story; it’s his deeply personal mission.
  2. Tie Them to the Theme:
    • Let secondary characters embody different facets of your story’s themes. Their perspectives can enrich the narrative and deepen the message.
  3. Balance Their Presence:
    • Secondary characters should enhance the story, not overshadow the protagonist. Keep their arcs meaningful but focused.

Practical Exercise: The Secondary Character Web

Take a moment to map out your secondary characters:

  • How does each relate to the protagonist?
  • What role do they play in the plot?
  • How do they contribute to the story’s themes?

Use this exercise to identify underdeveloped characters or opportunities to strengthen their impact.

Edge Coaching Tip:

Avoid stereotypes. Give your secondary characters complexity, even if they only appear briefly. A well-rounded side character can leave a lasting impression on readers.

Your Challenge This Week:

Choose one secondary character in your story and write a short scene from their perspective. Explore their goals, motivations, and conflicts to deepen their role in the narrative.

Next Tuesday, we’ll tackle how to balance backstory and action to keep your story engaging.

Happy writing!

– Your StoryCoach

Use the Contact form to schedule a phone call or a Zoom meeting to discuss any aspect of your first novel. The first thirty-minute appointment is FREE.

Creating Dynamic Characters: The Art of Internal and External Conflict

Welcome to Writer's Edge, your weekly resource for mastering the art and craft of storytelling. Every Tuesday, I'll share insights drawn from my experience as a Fictionary Certified StoryCoach Editor, blending the best elements of Edge Coach, First Edge, and Craft Edge. Whether you're staring at a blank page, wrestling with revisions, or fine-tuning your final draft, you'll find actionable advice, proven techniques, and encouragement tailored to your stage of the writing journey. Let Writer's Edge sharpen your skills, spark your creativity, and guide you toward building stories that captivate readers.

Characters are the beating heart of any story. While a gripping plot can draw readers in, it’s the characters—flawed, complex, and relatable—that keep them turning pages. Today, we’re exploring how internal and external conflicts shape your characters and make your story unforgettable.

What is Internal Conflict?

Internal conflict is the struggle that takes place within your character. It’s their inner demons, fears, desires, or doubts. This type of conflict drives emotional depth and creates a character readers can connect with on a personal level.

Examples of internal conflict:

  • A young woman torn between loyalty to her family and pursuing her dreams.
  • A detective haunted by guilt over a past mistake that affects their current case.
  • A hero questioning their ability to live up to the expectations of others.

What is External Conflict?

External conflict arises from outside forces that challenge your character. It can be another character, society, nature, or even a ticking clock. External conflict drives the plot and forces your character to act.

Examples of external conflict:

  • A group of survivors trying to escape a zombie apocalypse.
  • A lawyer fighting a corrupt system to save an innocent client.
  • A family stranded in a snowstorm, battling the elements to survive.

The Power of Combining Conflicts

The most memorable stories blend internal and external conflicts seamlessly. When your protagonist’s internal struggle impacts how they handle external challenges, it creates a rich, layered narrative.

For example:

  • A firefighter afraid of heights must confront this fear to save someone from a burning building. The external conflict (the rescue) mirrors the internal conflict (overcoming fear), creating a compelling arc.

Practical Steps to Develop Dynamic Characters

  1. Start with a Core Conflict: Decide on the primary internal and external conflicts for your protagonist. Ensure they’re interconnected.
  2. Explore Their Past: What experiences or traumas shaped your character’s internal struggles? Use these to inform their decisions.
  3. Build Tension: Show how external pressures exacerbate internal struggles. Let readers see your character’s growth as they face these challenges.
  4. Allow Imperfection: Flaws make characters relatable. Let them make mistakes and learn from them.

Edge Coaching Tip:

When crafting internal conflict, use subtext and subtlety. Show, don’t tell. For example, instead of stating, “John was afraid of failing,” show his hesitation, fidgeting, or avoidance when faced with a challenging task.

Your Challenge This Week:

Write a scene where your protagonist’s internal conflict directly impacts how they respond to an external challenge. Experiment with subtext to reveal their inner turmoil.

Next Tuesday, we’ll delve into how secondary characters can amplify your protagonist’s journey and reinforce the story’s themes.

Happy writing!

– Your StoryCoach

Use the Contact form to schedule a phone call or a Zoom meeting to discuss any aspect of your first novel. The first thirty-minute appointment is FREE.

The Foundation of Every Great Story: A Strong Story Core

Welcome to Writer's Edge, your weekly resource for mastering the art and craft of storytelling. Every Tuesday, I'll share insights drawn from my experience as a Fictionary Certified StoryCoach Editor, blending the best elements of Edge Coach, First Edge, and Craft Edge. Whether you're staring at a blank page, wrestling with revisions, or fine-tuning your final draft, you'll find actionable advice, proven techniques, and encouragement tailored to your stage of the writing journey. Let Writer's Edge sharpen your skills, spark your creativity, and guide you toward building stories that captivate readers.

The Foundation of Every Great Story: A Strong Story Core

Every great novel begins with a solid foundation—a Story Core that holds the entire narrative together. Whether you’re a discovery writer (pantser), a meticulous planner (plotter), or something in between, identifying your Story Core early can save you hours of revision and keep your narrative on track.

What is a Story Core?

At its heart, the Story Core is the central driving force of your novel. It’s made up of three key elements:

  1. Protagonist’s Goal: What does your protagonist want more than anything?
  2. Conflict: What stands in the way of achieving that goal?
  3. Stakes: What happens if the protagonist fails?

Without these elements working in harmony, even the most beautifully written prose can fall flat.

Why Your Story Core Matters

A strong Story Core:

  • Provides focus and direction for your narrative.
  • Keeps your characters’ motivations clear and believable.
  • Gives readers a reason to invest emotionally in the story.

Practical Steps to Identify Your Story Core

  1. Ask the Big Questions:
    • What does my protagonist want?
    • Why can’t they have it?
    • What happens if they don’t succeed?
  2. Refine Your Answers: Be specific. “Save the world” is vague. “Stop the reactor before it melts down and destroys the city” is clear and immediate.
  3. Write It Down: Create a one-sentence summary of your Story Core. Example: A timid librarian must confront her fear of public speaking to save her town’s historic library from demolition.

Edge Coaching Tip:

If you’re struggling to clarify your Story Core, step away from the plot for a moment. Focus on your protagonist—what do they fear, love, or regret the most? Often, your Story Core is buried in their deepest desire or most haunting fear.

Your Challenge This Week:

Write a one-sentence Story Core for your current project. Share it in the comments or keep it as your guiding light for this stage of your draft.

Next Tuesday, we’ll dive into how to align your plot points with your Story Core to create a compelling narrative arc.

Happy writing!

– Your StoryCoach

Use the Contact form to schedule a phone call or a Zoom meeting to discuss any aspect of your first novel. The first thirty-minute appointment is FREE.