By Peg Brantley, Writer at Work, Stumbling Toward Publication
No name. Angry. Sitting alone. Handsome in a rugged kind of
way. Pretty much of no long-term consequence to my story, so I sent a secondary
character in after him.
Turns out he’s all kinds of strength. A complex guy with an incredible
history. A really, really long name (so he goes by a three-letter nickname).
More secrets than a politician.
And someone I couldn’t get out of my mind once I found him
sitting there. Someone who threatened to take over the story I’m one-third of
the way through. He’s a little like Jack Reacher, or Harry Bosche. Intriguing,
scary and adorable. Oh yeah, and he’s got that ruggedly handsome thing going
on.
This morning, another element to this man became apparent: there is a
battle he must wage, and one that would not have come to me had I not attended
a luncheon the other day to benefit the CU Depression Center. My deepest thanks and respect go to Marianne Franklin. If you want to learn more about the issues of youth suicide, check out the Shaka Franklin Foundation for Youth.
I can’t wait to finish the rough draft of the one I’m
writing so I can edit the one I’ve written so I can edit the one I’m writing so
I can write the next one.
Which will belong to this guy I met in a bar.
Which will belong to this guy I met in a bar.
Writers, have you ever had a major character come out of thin air? Readers, have you ever read a story that had a minor character in it you wished had a bigger role?
