Behind the Scene with Secondary Characters
Creating characters for our books is extremely important, immeasurably valuable. Without the right character creations, a book will be boring and unnoticed by many. That's why authors must work diligently to create characters with vivid and correct personalities to suit their various duties in our books.
Let's talk about a few secondary characters—those creatures who support the protaganist(s) and antagonist(s). In my newest book: Catch Me If You Can, Book one of the Nursery Rhyme series, I have two I want to use as examples.
I love creating secondary characters in books. They seem to add a touch of spice to the whole story. For instance:
- Take Jimbo: He's a Native American of the tribe of Blackfoot, intuitive, kind, knowledgeable of the area and of reading trail signs plus a good nature endears him to readers. I didn't make him weird or unworldly, but with an innate personality that knows his own mind and isn't threatened
by anyone.
How does that affect the readers? They love him: his deep understanding of people, their troubled hearts, their spirituality, their hurt—all of that resonates with them. It makes him a very empathetic individual, one that readers can connect with.
And then there's Boet (pronounced Boot): A little background here: when I first wrote Catch Me If You Can, Tara Layne (the protagonist) had a pet mouse given to her by her two brothers as a joke. BUT...when an editor suggested I use a different kind of pet, I went on the hunt for the perfect pet. Once I'd decided on a cat as Tara's pet, I did a lot of research and came across an article about Savannah cats. I was impressed, not only by their behavior and attitudes but that this cat was the perfect pet for her.
And what is the response to Boet from readers? Well, he's one of their favorites. His antics, intelligence, and overall personality win them over.
Because they're not restricted in behaving in a way that leads to results. They can be as quirky or hateful as you portray them, and people will still love them because of that distinct difference.
Think about it. Who doesn't love a cat who leaves perfectly good clues for their detective and then nonchalantly walks away? He's done his job, now it's up to this person to do his. And all the time, he's gaining the attention of readers who wish he belonged to them. As is his right.
Smart cat! Fascinating characters!
