Last week's goals
Write daily
Check! I was able to sit down and write some considerable words this week. I finished a chapter of Outlaw Born and it felt wonderful. Not for my poor MC Ben, he's having a rough time. Made me feel a smidge guilty writing him into it, but just a smidge.
Write one article
*Buzzer sounds* FAIL The article was started but... not completed.
Finish the book I’m reading
Ding ding ding! I finished the book I was reading, and started two more whoo hoo. I love falling into the pages of a great book.
This week hopefully will be another productive week with lots of words, reading time, and other accomplishments. I've got my daily get'er done lists all set to for the next two days so I'm already off to a decent start.
This week my primary focus is going to be completing another chapter and developing a bit more depth into the secondary characters riding with my outlaw. Even though, these guys and gals aren't major players I feel like it's important to get to know who they are as well.
Who and what your secondary character is can affect the major character. If a secondary character questions the hero it could possibly cause the hero to rethink his or her situation. A secondary's difference in opinion might change the hero's decision to act or how he or she takes action. But these characters can't just suddenly have such a strong opinion. It doesn't feel genuine or true to life to suddenly toss them into a scene with such powerful views when they're a complete stranger to the reader.
Having a fully fleshed out sidekick to your hero or heroine can add more dimension and reality to your story. NYPD Blue was a great example of this. (yeah I know it's a tv show vs. book characters but that's what I'm watching as I write tonight lol) Detectives Andy Sipowicz and John Kelly are the main characters in the first and second season, but the secondary characters in the squad around them impact their many of their work and personal decisions. Sometimes in a big way.
Secondary characters aren't just there to move things along, they can be tools to further the reality of your hero/heroine and novel world. Who knows maybe one of the secondary characters in your novel will be your next novel's hero.
How do you use those hero sidekicks? Have you ever started to like your sidekick better than your hero?
This week's goals
Write daily
Write one article
Get rid of at least one box or bag of clutter.
Have a great week and good luck with your own goals!
Visit other Round of Words in 80 Days blog hoppers! To find out more about ROW80 click HERE
I have never had that happen to one of my stories, but I have definitely felt that I would LOVE to see a side kick get their own story. Yay for hitting some goals and good luck on your next week.
ReplyDeleteThe clutter thing is the most powerful move I can make. When I dump it i instantly am more creative. Good luck with it all.
ReplyDeleteIn my debut novel, Fey Touched, one of the main characters has a sidekick/familiar who is a psychic dog. Sounds a bit weird, but I swear it works. Pixie is almost like another character now. And a lot of readers dig her. (And she's based on a real dog. The real one isn't psychic -- at least I don't think he is).
ReplyDeleteGood on your goals!
In the novel I'm currently revising, Chameleon's Dish, I needed an incidental character to discover my young MC.
ReplyDeleteHe began as a man, and ended up as Henry, the boy who becomes her love interest and companion...and whose life is changed by her presence in it.
You've made good progress. I hope it continues!
Thanks for the reminder about Secondary Characters. I like to utilize my secondary characters, but it's easy to forget that they need the proper attention to be included.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!! :-)