DO YOUR SIDE CHARACTERS FADE IN THE READERS' MINDS? IWSG Post

 

 

A former TV executive says why She Hulk appears bland and Ally McBeal seemed vibrant is 

the latter's side characters "popped" with life while She Hulk's seem one dimensional and fade away in the background.

Is that true?

Maybe? I am not a former TV executive, but it made me wonder how vibrant my side characters are.

How vibrant are yours?

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to find out:

WHAT'S THEIR BACKSTORY?

Present scenes that give them access to speak from their hearts and share their life’s journeys, dreams, and goals.

WHAT MAKES THEM SMILE?

Nothing reveals the personalities of your side characters more than what makes them smile or laugh.

WHAT EVENT INFLUENCED THEM THE MOST?

 Was it political, health-related, or romantic? How did she/he rebound from it? Or did she/he never recover?

WHAT ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTS THEM?

It will only take a small scene of outrage in their actions or sobs in their throats that will etch their nature in your readers'  mind and delineate them from one another.

WHAT IS THE DISTINCTIVE PATTERN TO THEIR LIVES?

It is fascinating to see how subtly good authors weave the actions of their side characters in the lives of the others. Many of the crises in great books derive from the clashing patterns of the side characters.

Oh, when I was homeless for 7 months after hurricanes Laura and Delta, this is how I listened to books.