With every book I read, I find myself drawn to certain characters, characters who are an integral part of the story even though they are considered by many to be minor characters.
Would the great Cervantes have introduced Sancho Panza if he didn’t think him an integral part of the story? Possibly not.
Similarly, would JK Rowling have introduced Severus Snape if she didn’t think him important enough to drive the whole plot forward? Again possibly not.
Creating memorable characters, whether they be main characters or minor characters is a skill common to many great writers, who often make their characters more appealing to the reader by making them seem more human.
Giving them weaknesses, strengths, and flaws makes them real and subsequently more relatable to the reader, so much so that the reader engages with them fully.
I have tried, with all of my own characters, to create in them some sort of relatability that will endear them to my readers. Some I’ve had moderate success with and others not so much.
Still, I’m no Cervantes, or JK Rowling, I’m relatively new to the writing gig and my characters are very much in their infancy, I need to develop them further if they are to transcend into adolescence.
That said, I feel that I need to focus more on my own skills as a writer before I can even begin to address any issues with my characters.
Shaun McBride
Comments