I mean... *cough* no, I'm not talking about secondary characters either.
(also, I'm blogging in school. Blogger isn't blocked. Isn't that cool? It is. Trust me.)
So. Saturday (Laina) posted about secondary characters after I suggested it to her. So. Seeing as I'm different, and write differently, I thought I'd talk about secondary characters, too.
Because I freaking love secondary characters. Maybe a little too much. Though, in my WIP I'm currently revising, some of the characters lie in an area between being a main character and a secondary character because I have a large cast (it's an epic fantasy...casts tend to happen). Anyways, I often sometimes focus a lot on my secondary characters and stray away from the main plot when I do this.
It's important to know your secondary characters well and great ones can make the difference between an amazing story and a good one. But make sure they don't take the place of your main characters. Save their entire story for weird little extra shorts or novellas you write (Oh...I'm the only one that does that? Okay).
That being said, make sure you DO write about your secondary characters, or they won't be authentic. Because that's how I came to know mine and love them so much. I don't fuss over trying to characterize them because I try to write and think of them as naturally as I do my main characters. And whenever I get stuck or they seem boring, searching for different mannerisms or characteristics to give them is always helpful.
What's also a great way to characterize secondary characters is by making a lot about them the polar opposite of your protagonist. Not so much making them an antagonist, but just different. For instance, in the WIP I'm revising, my main character has a sister that's one of those muddled-on-the-line secondary characters. My MC's sister is flirty and quick, more violent and bit more eager about magic, while my MC is more reserved and scared of magic (as I said, fantasy XD) (and my classmate just looked over here and asked what I was doing. That was awkward). Anyways, I think making the characters contrast brings out the personalities in your characters more and it makes it a lot more fun to read.
Another good way to characterize your secondary characters is to base them more so on real people. I don't like to do that so much with my main characters, but I feel like secondary characters are more free reign to.
And that's that. Secondary characters are fun.
And so is stealing.
(just kidding. Follow the law)
