Comments on: Using Supporting Characters In Your Fiction http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/03/16/using-supporting-characters-in-your-fiction/ America's Mad Professor of Fiction Writing Mon, 21 May 2012 04:16:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.3 By: Bruce H. Johnson http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/03/16/using-supporting-characters-in-your-fiction/#comment-17736 Bruce H. Johnson Wed, 16 Mar 2011 23:49:27 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/03/16/using-supporting-characters-in-your-fiction/#comment-17736 Note in the example that Scarlett initiated the action, so the POV character is not simply wandering around waiting for things to happen to him. Poke a screwdriver in the TV and see what happens. Plenty of MRU on the backside. Your brother watching you will laugh his butt off -- MRU. Note in the example that Scarlett initiated the action, so the POV character is not simply wandering around waiting for things to happen to him.

Poke a screwdriver in the TV and see what happens. Plenty of MRU on the backside. Your brother watching you will laugh his butt off — MRU.

]]> By: Christophe Desmecht http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/03/16/using-supporting-characters-in-your-fiction/#comment-17743 Christophe Desmecht Thu, 17 Mar 2011 10:36:14 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/03/16/using-supporting-characters-in-your-fiction/#comment-17743 This is something I hadn't thought about before. But I have a question regarding the larger picture, where Scenes and Sequels alternate. In a Scene, I don't have a problem with my POV having a goal and conflicts, whether protagonist or antagonist. But it's the disaster that bothers me. If you want to end each Scene with a disaster for your POV, then your entire story has one big problem, and that's that its centered completely around this POV and you're not allowed to switch POV going from one scene to the next. Example: protagonist is being constantly sabotaged by an antagonist while trying to achieve his main goal. Scene with antagonist as POV: - goal: Lure protagonist into a trap - conflicts: it's not as easy as it seemed - disaster: it didn't work? As described in Writing the Perfect Scene, the disaster must be a disaster for the POV, but that can only mean that the trap luring didn't work. In my opinion, having the POV (antagonist) in this example actually achieve his goal, spells disaster for our protagonist, and from there on a Sequel can start with our protagonist in POV and facing the situation of being lured into a trap with a reaction. I propose this then: your POV in a Scene does not have to be the subject of this Disaster. In fact, there are probably other aspects of the Scene/Sequel that are open to some interpretation to fit the story. I would really like to hear your thoughts on this, Randy. This is something I hadn’t thought about before. But I have a question regarding the larger picture, where Scenes and Sequels alternate. In a Scene, I don’t have a problem with my POV having a goal and conflicts, whether protagonist or antagonist. But it’s the disaster that bothers me. If you want to end each Scene with a disaster for your POV, then your entire story has one big problem, and that’s that its centered completely around this POV and you’re not allowed to switch POV going from one scene to the next.

Example: protagonist is being constantly sabotaged by an antagonist while trying to achieve his main goal.
Scene with antagonist as POV:
- goal: Lure protagonist into a trap
- conflicts: it’s not as easy as it seemed
- disaster: it didn’t work?

As described in Writing the Perfect Scene, the disaster must be a disaster for the POV, but that can only mean that the trap luring didn’t work. In my opinion, having the POV (antagonist) in this example actually achieve his goal, spells disaster for our protagonist, and from there on a Sequel can start with our protagonist in POV and facing the situation of being lured into a trap with a reaction.

I propose this then: your POV in a Scene does not have to be the subject of this Disaster. In fact, there are probably other aspects of the Scene/Sequel that are open to some interpretation to fit the story.

I would really like to hear your thoughts on this, Randy.

]]> By: Janalyn Voigt http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/03/16/using-supporting-characters-in-your-fiction/#comment-17758 Janalyn Voigt Fri, 18 Mar 2011 07:08:55 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/03/16/using-supporting-characters-in-your-fiction/#comment-17758 Funny, I just used Rhett and Scarlett as examples in a post. You have a nice blog. I look forward to reading more of your posts. Funny, I just used Rhett and Scarlett as examples in a post.

You have a nice blog. I look forward to reading more of your posts.

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