Welcome to the fifth in my series of mini tips videos and blogs all about side characters. There are just three days left until the launch of 8 Steps to Side Characters. Today’s mini tip is all about killing your darling. Specifically, the biggest mistake most writers make when trying to kill your side character. Now, you’ll understand how to kill your side characters properly.
One of my favorite parts of writing regardless of whether it’s nonfiction craft books or fictional stories is sprinkling humour in. But lots of writers are afraid of writing humour. I think that’s often because writers look at humour as a whole rather than breaking it down. Everyone has a sense of humour, even Mr. Serious-I-Never-Laugh. Humour is just reflected in different shades. That’s the same for your side characters. One fast way of differentiating your characters from each other is to consider adding a flavor of one the many different types of humour:
- Sarcasm
- Dry
- Pun/Dad jokes
- Self-deprecation /empowerment
- Toilet humour
- Dark humour
- Monty Python
- Slapstick —although this is very visual and a little harder in fiction
- Innuendos
If you’re still afraid even when you break it down into specifics, then try allowing your characters to be sharp rather than funny. Sharp wit, responses and comebacks make for a sprinkling of humour in any story.
If you’d like to learn about how to put humour into your side characters then you can by pre-ordering 8 Steps to Side Characters.
Pre-order the textbook here:
https://books2read.com/sidecharacters
Pre-order the workbook here:
Want to order signed copies of Side Characters, then use this link:
https://sachablack.co.uk/store
Submit your pre-order proof here to be in with a chance of winning a bundle of goodies and to get a sneak peek look at the first 25 pages: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe1IYhFhlu9vBSwell2J2tSwtIdxXMEYp-MVF-cvzixeNu22Q/viewform?usp=sf_link
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