Skip to main content

Through The "Window" Characters

Morning All,

Apparently my left eye and left nostril don't like dust/dirt because even though I did all that yesterday they are both still giving me trouble. For anyone who was wondering, no, allergies are NOT fun. I hate allergies. I also hate sneezing, but I digress.

Todd Stone calls the friend, or supporting characters, "window characters" because they give us a glimpse into the inside of the main character(s) personality--perhaps not something that the character reveals on his or her own.

These "window" characters are sometimes sidekicks, friends, colleagues, you name it.

Think about it. You have these types of characters in your own life. Maybe it's your spouse...the one who says "You know, you ALWAYS say that." or "You are such a computer addict." And you think "No I don't." then when reviewing yourself, you find out, that yes, in fact, you do.

Now whether or not your supporting characters bring up some incredible "Oh my gosh!" revelation in your main character(s) lives/personalities is completely up to you and how you write the story. Maybe they're simply there to act as a voice of reason or wisdom. Or maybe they're there to offer a sense of stability if the character(s)' life is being turned upside down.

Look at Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet. Benevolio is Romeo's best friend (along with Mercutio) and the two of them hang out and encourage him. How about Juliet's Nurse? She's Juliet's closest confidant. (And you have to love the Meagan Follows version with how the actress who played the Nurse says "Scurvy knave!"; Follows plays Juliet and she does a very good job).

Maybe you take a look at Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol each of the 3 ghosts reveals something about Scrooge, either how he became such a miser or parts of him that showed he had the capacity to love.

Have you seen the musical, 1776? Abagail Adams reveals truths about John Adams characters in their duets and "talks" (representing them writing back and forth to each other as they did during the time he was away...they were incredibly close--even history books say so--and relied on each other for support, encouragement and advice). J. Adams was a firecracker, but his wife was one in her own right, as well.

Whatever you do, whether the supporting cast is revealing things about your main character(s) or offering them any help they need, they can be just as important to your story's plot as the main characters themselves.

Have A Fun Friday!

Comments

Joshua McCune said…
There's that quote about measuring/judging someone by his friends. Very true. Happy Friday.
Bethany said…
Bane,

Thanks, happy Friday to you too!
Unknown said…
I agree that friends play a big role in life as well as in great stories. Harry Potter, The Narnia Series, I could go on and on... I'm lucky to have great friends personally as well as in my book. Without the support of others great things can't happen.
Bethany said…
J.J.--

Yep. :-)

Popular posts from this blog

Get Thee A Nom De Plume!

Good Evening One & All, Shakespeare wrote in Romeo & Juliet, "What's in a name?...A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Disney talked about names in Aladdin in the lyrics, "Better get a nom de plume ." (the song, "One Jump"). So, for a writer, what does a nom de plume (or, pen name) say about the author? It could be a different spelling of the author's name, it could be a name that has a significance. They could keep their first name, but change the last, or change both. A pen name is also the name a writer will write under for his or her books. The name that his or her readers will recognize them. The name on the autographs and the one where people will say, "Oh yes, that's so and so, they wrote..." Some authors write under their own names. Others, for a variety of reasons, choose a pen name. What about you? Are you considering a pen name? What have you looked at when thinking of your nom de plume ? For myself, I&

Gregori Celebrates My Birthday

Happy Tuesday All, ****CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED**** In honor of my birthday (that was on Oct. 15th) I am doing TWO give aways! The FIRST one is TODAY!  Today's give away is a copy of Kerrelyn Sparks' Sexiest Vampire Alive . Kerrelyn, being the awesome person that she is, has agreed to give a signed copy of the novel to ONE lucky commenter on my blog. Here's how it's going to work and please read all instructions CAREFULLY. ONE entry PER person : If you choose to email in your entry: Email to this email ONLY .  Your email should state who your favorite vampire is. And no, it does NOT have to be one of Kerrelyn Sparks' characters, but that would be really cool if you DID mention one of hers. If you choose to enter by commenting on my blog: Leave your FIRST name, email address, and what vampire is your favorite. It can be ANY vampire--but like I said, it would be really cool if you mention a Kerrelyn Sparks' vampire. You don't know Kerrelyn Spa

Fangs and Mistletoe

Happy Wednesday All, Congratulations to Sarah K. who won the Tess St. John giveaway. Please confirm receipt of the email I sent you to claim your prize! ****KERRELYN SPARKS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED . Thank you to all who particpated. A special thank you to Kerrelyn Sparks for providing the prize.**** Merrily the December Days Blog Giveaway keeps going! ***THIS GIVEAWAY IS OFFICIALLY CLOSED. It was closed on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 10:30 p.m. Central Time per the giveaway details. I am no longer accepting entries to this giveaway*** If you haven't had the fun of reading a Kerrelyn Sparks paranormal romance, then you're in for a treat. Kerrelyn is offering to one lucky winner a signed copy of her fun and fangtastic novel, All I Want For Christmas Is A Vampire: Toni's friend is in the hospital going on about vampires. Toni will prove her right. But can she resist Ian's charm, in spite of his fangs? As always, the book is full of Kerrelyn's wit, ro