A discussion of when to bring secondary characters into the story.

Fiction Craft: Secondary Characters

By

Robert Ferrier
(RobertLFerrier.aol.com)



Question: If you have secondary characters who appear in the later portion of a novel, should they be introduced only when they appear "on stage" in the story? I find that an early introduction puts all characters into view, but as I do nothing with two of these characters for half the novel, the reader must wonder what I'm up to. I find myself wasting words keeping these characters in the reader's eye until I'm ready to use them. (Paul Ryan: Paul.Ryan.dewrsb.gov.au)

Answer: Introduce secondary characters when they impact the story or help define major players. Readers expect a reason for any character's presence. If you plot well, major characters and others involved in the story will hold readers' attention. Never place characters in a story until you need them.

Question: When writing the first draft, should I get the story down, then go back and revise? What do other authors do? (Rita Wood: annietn34.hotmail.com)

Answer: Authors choose from two schools of thought: 1) write the first draft and then revise, or 2) revise as you go.

Stephen King maintains momentum by finishing the story first. Then he shelves the first draft and works on other projects for six weeks. After gaining distance and objectivity, he revises the manuscript. Many authors follow this approach. Plot holes, thin research, weak characterization and overwritten narrative stand out after the author has taken time away.

Other authors revise following each chapter by: 1) cutting and tightening narrative, 2) replacing passive verbs with active verbs, 3) building characterization and 4) reading every word aloud. If their voice trips over a phrase, they cut or restructure.

Try both methods and choose one that works for you.

Question: I'm a fiction writer based in South Africa. I would like to have my novel published in the United States. I've searched the Internet -- without success -- for U.S. publishers and literary agents seeking international fiction which would appeal to the American market. Also, I've failed to find agents who deal specifically with "humor fiction." (Job Wainaina: jobwaina.net2000ke.com)

Answer: Literary Market Place, an annual reference guide available in most libraries, provides names and addresses of U.S. publishers and literary agents, along with their needs in genre fiction. One caution: story and character -- not international authorship or locales -- drive sales.

As we begin another year, I look forward to answering your questions. Enjoy your writing!

Copyright 2002 Robert Ferrier