The Supporting Cast

Most of my all-time favorite characters are not protagonists but quirky or mysterious side characters that only appear briefly. They manage to completely steal my heart within the space of a scene or two (they also have an irritating habit of dying and leaving me devastated...yes, I'm talking to you, Stephen King!).

Even though they don't get the screen...er...page time that the lead character gets, the supporting cast is actually more challenging to write. I tend to create my heroes from the inside-out (letting their emotional/inner lives dictate their physicality), but for "lesser" characters I often begin with a single, defining trait. This could be a physical attribute (i.e. a hooked nose or wild red hair), a distinctive speech pattern (not necessarily a Yoda-esque reworking of the English language, but a catchphrase or unique word choice that sets the person apart), or an interesting quirk/tic -- something that gives me an immediate, memorable impression of that character. Eventually, you as the writer need to know just as much about your supporting characters as you know about your protagonists, but when the story only allows for a quick snapshot, it is important that the reader has something that sticks out in his/her mind.

The outside-in approach to character allows for a lot of fun. It challenges you to climb out of the box and take off running. You can be as wild and crazy as you want. Take risks! The traits you come up with will unfailingly give you insight into the person underneath. They raise questions and make you hungry to dig deeper.

Tip for dealing with obnoxious side characters that show up unannounced:
Let them do whatever they want. They may completely destroy the outline you spent all day slaving over, but I guarantee you it'll be a thousand times better than what you came up with. Also, they won't shut up until you do what they say.