[GENRE_CHARACTER] Rounded Secondary Characters
To make your minor characters more real, give them a life. *grin*
No, not full, major character development. I'm thinking more along the lines of a hobby or interest. It can add a dimension to your story, a depth that it otherwise might lack.
Take the Harry Potter series, for example. We have Professor Severus Snape, the Potions Master at Hogwarts. He teaches potions, seems to be passionate about the subject. We also know that he (apparently) does not like most of his students very much, at least in some respects, although he does seem to favor those students within his own House.
Professor Snape teaches at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is apparently possessed of a sarcastic wit and a logical, ordered mind (sans pointy ears and Vulcan blood). He also has a deep-rooted dislike of one Mr. Harry Potter, possibly because Harry so strongly resembles his father (an old school rival from his own days as a student at Hogwarts). In the first book, he serves as a red herring to draw our attention away from the real antagonist, in the second, we learn that he craves recognition for his accomplishments, in subsequent books we learn that he was a double agent and a spy, keeping track of the movements fo the antagonists for the protagonists, and possibly vice versa.
He also has a strong interest in the Dark Arts. He applies each year for the position of instructor for the Defense Aganist the Dark Arts or DaDA, position. So far, he has not won the position.
Some secondary characters are more well-rounded than others.
There are still two books yet to be released in the series: the Half Blood Prince (due for publication in July of 2005) and the final book (yet to be written). With each book, Professor Snape, who started in the first book as a minor character, has grown in importance within the plot. That's actually not bad for a non-major character.
Regards,
Elizabeth Anne Ensley.
(In the HP films, the character of Professor Snape is portrayed by Mr. Alan Rickman (Galaxy Quest, Truly Madly Deeply, Mesmer, Dogma, and Dark Harbor are just a few of his movies).
No, not full, major character development. I'm thinking more along the lines of a hobby or interest. It can add a dimension to your story, a depth that it otherwise might lack.
Take the Harry Potter series, for example. We have Professor Severus Snape, the Potions Master at Hogwarts. He teaches potions, seems to be passionate about the subject. We also know that he (apparently) does not like most of his students very much, at least in some respects, although he does seem to favor those students within his own House.
Professor Snape teaches at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is apparently possessed of a sarcastic wit and a logical, ordered mind (sans pointy ears and Vulcan blood). He also has a deep-rooted dislike of one Mr. Harry Potter, possibly because Harry so strongly resembles his father (an old school rival from his own days as a student at Hogwarts). In the first book, he serves as a red herring to draw our attention away from the real antagonist, in the second, we learn that he craves recognition for his accomplishments, in subsequent books we learn that he was a double agent and a spy, keeping track of the movements fo the antagonists for the protagonists, and possibly vice versa.
He also has a strong interest in the Dark Arts. He applies each year for the position of instructor for the Defense Aganist the Dark Arts or DaDA, position. So far, he has not won the position.
Some secondary characters are more well-rounded than others.
There are still two books yet to be released in the series: the Half Blood Prince (due for publication in July of 2005) and the final book (yet to be written). With each book, Professor Snape, who started in the first book as a minor character, has grown in importance within the plot. That's actually not bad for a non-major character.
Elizabeth Anne Ensley.
(In the HP films, the character of Professor Snape is portrayed by Mr. Alan Rickman (Galaxy Quest, Truly Madly Deeply, Mesmer, Dogma, and Dark Harbor are just a few of his movies).
posted by Liz | 9:34 AM
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