Secondary characters

Stories require heroes and villains, but they also require everyone else in the world, or at least everyone else in the fictional world at hand. If Harry Potter comprised just some kid and some evil wizard, it wouldn't really stick in our minds all that well. But how many characters are there in Rowling's fictional universe? Or take Dickens: I love the Robert W. Buss painting "Dickens's Dream," with all those characters swirling around in his imagination. As Charlie Jane Anders writes: The master of "sprawling supporting cast," for my money, is Dickens. He probably created a few thousand people, out of thin air, over the course of his career, and many of them are so recognizable they've become words in the English language.

So how do authors create these secondary characters that make or break a story? Anders, a writer herself, tries to pin down 10 Secrets to Creating Unforgettable Supporting Characters. She nails it well. And even if you're not in the business of writing yourself, you'll enjoy applying it to books or movies you know. If you have favorite characters, no doubt more than a few of them are supporting actors. I mean, think Star Wars. Luke? Han? Meh. R2D2? C-3PO? Now you're talking!