Stories require heroes and villains, but they also require everyone else in the world, or at least everyone else in the fictional world at hand. If Harry Potter comprised just some kid and some evil wizard, it wouldn't really stick in our minds all that well. But how many characters are there in Rowling's fictional universe? Or take Dickens: I love the Robert W. Buss painting "Dickens's Dream," with all those characters swirling around in his imagination. As Charlie Jane Anders writes: The master of "sprawling supporting cast," for my money, is Dickens. He probably created a few thousand people, out of thin air, over the course of his career, and many of them are so recognizable they've become words in the English language. So how do authors create these secondary characters that make or break a story? Anders, a writer herself, tries to pin down 10 Secrets to Creating Unforgettable Supporting Characters. She nails it well. And even if you're not in the business of writing yourself, you'll enjoy applying it to books or movies you know. If you have favorite characters, no doubt more than a few of them are supporting actors. I mean, think Star Wars. Luke? Han? Meh. R2D2? C-3PO? Now you're talking!
1 comment:
Hi - I am delighted you like Buss's painting. It is an extraordinary piece of work, and I think is even more powerful because it was unfinished at the time of Buss's death - it makes the characters seem as though they are coming into existence.
You might be interested in taking a look at my forthcoming novel Death and Mr Pickwick, which will be published in May by Random House (in the UK) and in June by Farrar, Straus & Giroux (in the USA). The novel tells the story behind the creation of The Pickwick Papers, and Buss appears as an important character. Indeed, towards the end, I show him at work on Dickens's Dream. You can find out more at: www.deathandmrpickwick.com Best wishes Stephen Jarvis
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