Developing Supporting Characters

So, I’m starting my second novel and developing the supporting characters. I’m also about to take my third Linnea Sinclair month-long class, which will be on secondary characters. So excited! I highly recommend signing up now for it. It’s only $30.00. She is an AMAZING teacher (and writer). So, I will have a lot more insights into this at the end of this month (but you have to take her class for those). But for now, here’s where I’m starting from.

Use Supporting Characters to Create Conflict and Add Dimension

The best analysis I’ve seen so far on developing your supporting characters is Billy Mernit’s analysis of the TOOTSIE characters in his book, Writing the Romantic Comedy. And if you are writing a romantic comedy or love watching romantic comedies, I HIGHLY recommend reading his book. He has an amazing pictorial representation of the characters.

“[T]he supporting characters are all in some way reflections of Michael [Michael is the name of the character who becomes Tootsie] and thus force him to confront his issues.”

Writing the Romantic Comedy, by Billy Mernit (2000) at p. 76.

So, as an example, in my current WIP, if my protagonist is going to be emotionally reserved, then another character has to be very emotional. Supporting characters should conflict and bring out different traits in the MC. Here’s an initial circle representation, based on Mernit’s picture for Tootsie.

(To be honest, I keep going back and forth on whether she will be emotionally reserved. Emotional might be more fun.) In my first not-yet-published novel, Partner Pursuit, Audrey is a workaholic, while Jake, the love interest, is trying to live life to the fullest.

Add a Friend

Unless the person is a lonely introvert, then I suggest adding a friend. I always wonder about characters who don’t seem to have any friends. Also, this gives your protagonist someone to confide in. And then the buddy can give advice. As Billy Mernit says, “Buddies move the story forward.” (at p. 68). For example, in OVERBOARD (2018), it is Eva Longoria, the best friend, who suggests to Anna Faris that she should pretend she is his wife and he can work to pay off what he owes her.

Assign “Tags” to Supporting Characters

If you have a lot of supporting characters, and I’m reading late at night, tired, I might get lost and confuse them unless you give them a “tag” or dominant impression so that I remember who this character is. Here’s what writing guru Dwight Swain advises:

“A tag is a label. You hang tags on story people so that your reader can tell one character from another. An impression, dominant or otherwise, is created by the tags a character bears.”

Techniques of the Selling Writer, Dwight V. Swain, at p. 226.

This is something I also need to improve in my writing.

Let’s Talk

Who are some of your favorite supporting characters? Why? What advice do you give about supporting characters?

And let’s talk about the topic on everyone’s minds: I am trying to stock up for the coronavirus, but it’s practically impossible. The food seems to be eaten as soon as it comes in. It’s like the opposite of doing laundry–I empty the hamper and do the laundry and yet, it’s full again of dirty clothes. Here, I load up the refrigerator and the cabinets, and yet they’re empty. The only thing I can safely say is that we seem to have enough toilet paper. Hurray for that.

Wishing everyone a great weekend. Keep washing your hands.