Morning everyone, I hope you are staying warm. We had snow but more importantly we have really cold weather and for some reason our internet doesn’t like that. So I will elaborate less today than usual just so I can get the task out.
Luckily, it isn’t a task that needs a lot of explanation.
On Friday we made a list of characters. It will come in handy as we move forward. Today is actually an expansion of that list. We are going to add something I like to think of as off screen characters. These are people who aren’t going to appear in your story directly, by have some influence or may be mentioned. They can be influential family members who have long since passed. They can be rulers who made laws that are currently affecting the characters in your story. It can be the name of the person featured in the statue in the town square or a personal mentor your intrepid hero knew at school. They may not feature, but something they said might crop up in conversation or as inspiration at a low point in your hero’s journey. They can also be a source of angst. But I find it best to make a list so I am not reaching for these names when I am actually writing. The list expands as I work, but again, the list means that I am not repeating things and I am spelling the names the same all the way through.
So today’s Task: write a list of all the off screen characters who may influence your story and any little bits you can think of for them, whether it is what they did, how they are influential or the saying they always used that will crop up later. Don’t forget to leave room for expansion.
For Bob an couple of examples could be…
James
- Bob’s Wife Sarah’s great grandfather who started the family business
- Favorite phrase (often repeated by Henry) A job well done is a well done job.
- Henry tends to quote it when he is messing up Bob’s hard work.
Jason Mossberry
- In charge of the local clean up crews when Bob was a child
- Gave talks to the children during the process
- Inspired Bob to become a Marine Biologist
There would be more of course, everyone has a multitude of influences both large and small but they would also fit the same pattern. Name them or give them a descripting notation if you don’t know their name (The guard who let Bob into the science center after hours, for example), and then add why they are important. Don’t get too bogged down in the details. In most cases their appearance isn’t going to matter (unless that is part of why they are being mentioned – as in…I once knew a man with a nose so steeply slopped it looked like he was slicing air every time he took a breath.)
And there I will leave you. Until tomorrow and a fresh new task. See you then.
Ten til Midnight 