You see, I believe that most stories have one—and only one—main character. I say most stories because there are some exceptions. For example, many romance stories involve two protagonists who make up the couple and the story is told equally from both characters’ perspectives. Regardless of whether there is one (or more than one) main character, the supporting characters still serve the same purpose: to support the journey of the protagonist(s).

One thing to keep in mind is that while supporting characters may not be the stars of your story’s show, they don’t know that. After all, no one wakes up in the morning and thinks: “Gee, I want to be a supporting character in someone else’s life today.” Every character believes they are the protagonist of their own life, which means they will behave according to their own motivations or desires. Yet, for the purpose of your specific story, the protagonist is the star and all other characters exist to support that character’s journey.

So, why do we need supporting characters, anyway? Why not just focus all of our attention on the protagonist? There are a few reasons why stories need supporting characters, but they all boil down to the way these characters support the development of the main character.

(1) They prevent the story from getting boring.

A story with no supporting characters could be extremely boring if not done well. In fact, even in a story where the character is alone for most of the time, it can help to have a supporting character. Consider the film Castaway, for example. Even though the protagonist is stranded on an island, he’s not completely alone. He has Wilson, the volleyball that he personifies and turns into a “friend.” Not only does Wilson help keep the protagonist from losing his mind, but he also serves as a supporting character of sorts and keeps the story interesting. 

(2) They have backstories and goals.

Supporting characters are characters in their own right. Fully fleshed out supporting characters bring with them a history and at least one goal, and these are different from those of the protagonist. These elements can lead to subplots that add depth and dimension to your story. When you explore where your supporting characters have come from (history) and where they want to go (goal), you can potentially uncover material for an interesting subplot. 

(3) They give us an alternate view of the protagonist.

When supporting characters interact with the protagonist, they give us a new perspective on that main character. Note that we do not necessarily need to experience the story from the supporting character’s point of view. Simply by bouncing the two characters off each other, we get a more objective view of the protagonist because we see them in relation to that supporting character. When characters interact, we see a side of the protagonist that we may not have seen otherwise.

(4) They give the protagonist the opportunity to grow.

Supporting characters bring their own set of motivations and these motivations are different from those of the protagonist. When a supporting character’s motivations are at odds with the protagonist’s, we get tension, which in turn keeps the story interesting. Supporting characters’ motivations will affect how they behave, which means that even when they are trying to help the protagonist, they might actually create conflict instead. This conflict gives the protagonist the opportunity to develop and grow as a character.

(5) They have specific roles in the story.

Different supporting characters play different roles in a story. The antagonist exists primarily to cause trouble for the protagonist, while allies are often used to raise the stakes or bring out a specific side of the protagonist’s personality. Advisor characters can sometimes provide much-needed information to the protagonist or fill in parts of the backstory. Some supporting characters don’t even need to appear on the page in order to have an impact on the story. The key to remember is that different types of supporting characters serve different functions and contribute to the story in different ways.

One question that a lot of writers wonder about is regarding the number of supporting characters. How many is too many? And when you have a large supporting cast, what should you do? The truth is, there is no hard and fast rule for how many characters you should have; it should be whatever number your story needs. The key is to consider the roles your characters play. If you have multiple characters that fill the same purpose, maybe you can fold them together into one composite character. Keep in mind that you can have one character serve multiple functions in your story, e.g. a mentor character who turns out to be the villain, or a BFF who eventually becomes the love interest.

In terms of managing a large supporting cast, there are techniques that authors use to help readers get a handle on who’s who. For example, some stories (like a family saga) might provide a family tree or other type of diagram so the reader understands who the characters are and how they are related to each other. Or in other cases, the author might list the characters along with their pictures so the reader gets a sense for who they are. An example of the latter would be Karen Hesse’s novel-in-poems Witness. The important thing is that readers understand who the characters are and how they relate to each other. After all, any moment when the reader is wondering, “who is this person?” is a moment when they get pulled out of the story. Ultimately, the goal is to keep the reader immersed in the story as much as possible.

Until next time, keep writing and keep being awesome!

P.S. For more info on Gabriela Pereira, the founder and instigator of DIY MFA, check out her profile page.

The post Writer Fuel: Supporting Characters – The Unsung Heroes of Storytelling appeared first on DIY MFA.

That’s the thing with parents in Young Adult literature—can’t live with them, can’t live without them. Teens are exploring their world for the first time, attempting to establish their own identity separate from their families of origin, so you will find almost all characters going on adventures independent of their parents.

If you are writing a young adult novel, it’s important to consider your characters’ parents on the front end, and develop them into three-dimensional, well rounded, fully fleshed out people to avoid stereotypes and cookie cutter plot devices.

Where it Started, Where We Are

When some of the first young adult novels came out in the 1960s, Julie Just from the New York Times said the parent narrative “fit in neatly with the classic narratives: its strongest stories were about orphans and lost boys of one kind or another.” In these novels, issues weren’t with parents but with other kids. 

But by the 70s and 80s, the narrative started to shift the conflict from friendships to what was happening at home. This is where the problem parent narrative entered the scene, and has never left. It’s not to say all parents should be problematic, because surely there are still supportive parents out there, but you do have to consider the role the parents will play because it’s a significant part of young adults lives…and of course, how to get rid of them so teens characters can go on their adventures.

Approaches to Developing Your Characters’ Parents

Active and supportive parents 

By all means, you can make the parents a positive force in your protagonist’s life. Or even if the protagonist’s parents aren’t the greatest, one of the side characters could have supportive parents. They can serve as mentors, confidants, or sources of guidance for the protagonist. 

This approach emphasizes a positive parent-child relationship and showcases the protagonist’s growth while navigating challenges. 

Here are a few examples of novels who took this approach:

• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: The protagonist, Starr, has parents who are actively involved in her life, providing support and guidance as she navigates the aftermath of witnessing a police shooting.
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling: Although Harry’s parents are deceased so you wouldn’t consider them active, their love and sacrifice play a significant role throughout the series, shaping Harry’s journey and providing emotional support.

Tips for crafting Active and Supportive Parents

• Show moments of emotional connection between the parents and your characters.
• Illustrate how the parents’ guidance and presence positively impact the protagonist’s journey.
• Use the parents’ wisdom or advice to provide insights and lessons for your characters’ growth.

Absent or Neglectful Parents

Absent or neglectful parents create a ton of opportunities for tension and conflict. This can lead the protagonist down the path of having to fend for themselves or seek support from alternative sources, such as friends, mentors, or other family members. It allows for a greater sense of independence and self-discovery as the protagonist overcomes obstacles. 

And the reality for a lot of kids is this is their lived experience, so experiencing a character overcoming this struggle can help them process their own life circumstances. 

Check out these novels for examples of this approach to parents:

• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas: The main character, Feyre, has a neglectful and unsupportive family. Her journey takes her into the magical Fae realm where she finds a new family and discovers her own strength.
• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell: The novel tells the story of two misfit teenagers, Eleanor and Park, who bond over music and comics. Eleanor comes from a troubled home with neglectful and abusive parents, which adds to the challenges they face in their relationship.

Tips for crafting Absent or Neglectful Parents

• Explore the protagonist’s emotions and reactions to their parents’ absence, such as feelings of abandonment or independence.
• Emphasize the impact of the absent or neglectful parents on the protagonist’s self-reliance and resilience.
• Showcase the protagonist seeking alternative sources of support and building relationships with other characters.

Overprotective or Controlling Parents 

This is basically the opposite of the parental figure we just explored. There are so many challenges characters can face when dealing with overprotective or controlling parents, and a tremendous amount of conflict can come from this. 

In some novels, this role of the parents actually creates the plot in the novel. Obstacles arise as the main character tries to assert her independence, make her own choices, or pursue her dreams. The positive side, it creates opportunities for the protagonist to develop resilience and assertiveness. 

Here are a couple novels that wrote this kind of parental figure well:

• Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon: This is a novel where the main character’s overprotective mom creates the plot for the whole novel. Olly has a rare disease, where she is allergic to basically the whole world, and her mother keeps her protected from it. But when the new boy next door catches Olly’s eye, she begins to push the boundaries of her mother’s rules thus setting the story into motion.
• We Were Liars by E. Lockhart: The story features a wealthy family known as the Sinclairs, and the main character, Cadence, has overprotective parents who try to control her life. Their actions and secrets play a significant role in the unfolding mystery.

Tips for Crafting Overprotective or Controlling Parents

• Highlight the tension and conflict arising from the overprotective or controlling behavior.
• Explore the internal struggle of the protagonist, torn between their desire for independence and their parents’ restrictions.
• Allow the protagonist to assert their autonomy and challenge their parents’ control throughout the story, creating opportunities for the protagonist to defy their parents’ expectations and find their own path.

Complex Parent-Child Relationships

No one is really all good or all bad, right? Creating nuanced parent-child relationships that blend positive and negative aspects might be the most realistic approach to developing parents in young adult novels. 

Showing the complexities of family dynamics, with parents who have their own flaws, conflicting expectations, or differing values from the protagonist can add depth and realism to the story. 

A couple examples of novels that did this well are:

• Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver: The main character, Samantha, experiences a time loop, reliving the last day of her life repeatedly. Her complex relationship with her parents, including their expectations and conflicts, contributes to the overall narrative and Samantha’s self-discovery.
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: The characters in this novel come from various backgrounds with complex relationships with their parents or parental figures. Kaz Brekker, for example, has a complicated history with his deceased parents, which shapes his actions and motivations.

Tips for Crafting Complex Parent-Child Relationships

• Unveil the layers of the relationship through meaningful dialogue, flashbacks, or shared experiences.
• Explore the conflicts, misunderstandings, or differing values that shape the complexity of the parent-child dynamic.
• Show instances where the protagonist learns from their parents or reevaluates their relationship as they grow and change.

Parental Absence Due to External Factors 

Sometimes parents might be absent, but it’s not because they don’t care or are neglectful. External circumstances could be forcing the parental absence, such as work commitments, illness, death, or other external factors. 

This can create a sense of longing or loss for the protagonist, leading them to seek understanding or fill the void in their lives. It also offers opportunities for personal growth, resilience, and the formation of unconventional support networks. 

Check out these novels that show this type of parental relationship:

• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi: In this West African-inspired fantasy, Zélie’s mother is absent due to being killed in a brutal raid. Her absence fuels Zélie’s desire for justice and sets her on a quest to restore magic to her world.
• The Clock Strikes by Dominique Richardson and Sorboni Banerjee: This is the fourth novel in my Everbeach series, and Elle’s father is absent but not because he doesn’t want to be there, but because he’s a truck driver and his work takes him on the road. This leaves Elle at the mercy of her soon-to-be-step mother Juniper, and she seeks guidance and comfort with her godmother, Titania. 

Tips for Crafting Parental Absence Due to External Factors

• Establish the reasons behind the parental absence, such as work, illness, or other circumstances.
• Depict the protagonist’s emotional response to the absence, capturing their longing, grief, or resilience.
• Introduce surrogate parental figures or unconventional support networks to fill the void left by the absent parents.

Whether the parents in your young adult novel will have a positive or negative impact (or even a mix of both) is yours to determine. Hopefully these ideas, examples, and tips will help you craft well-rounded, three dimensional parents for your young adult novel.

Dominique Richardson is the coauthor of The Everbeach Series—a young adult, romantic suspense series full of forbidden romance, deadly twists, and scandalous secrets that will keep you turning pages into the night. The fourth and final book in the series comes out June 6th. Check out the first book, Red as Blood, if you’re looking for your next bingeable read. Passionate about all things books and giving back to the community, she is also the Executive Director and cofounder of YA by the Bay, a nonprofit young adult reading and leadership festival, dedicated to inspiring teens to “be the author of your own life.” Raised between Jamaica and the United States, her biracial heritage finds a home in her books. She spends her free time passing on her love of unicorns to her twin boys, running in the Florida heat, and drinking all the coffee. She now lives in Tampa, Florida with her family.

She would love to connect with you! Find her online on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. If you’d like to stay in the know about her upcoming book releases, sign-up for her email list. To learn more about the YA by the Bay Young Adult Book Festival, check out the website.

The post Crafting the Parents in Your YA Novel appeared first on DIY MFA.

Have you signed up to be a DIY MFA Radio Insider yet? This is an exciting new monthly newsletter especially for our podcast listeners. Every month, you’ll get an email from our podcast producer with recaps of the most recent episodes, a curated Listening List of episodes on a particular theme, and other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! The theme for February is romance, and you can become an insider by signing up with your email at diymfa.com/insiders.

In this episode Ryan Dalton and I discuss:

• Why he wrote This Last Adventure as a middle grade story, as opposed to YA.
• How he created a sense of hope when his amorphous antagonist was undefeatable. 
• Writing group scenes and what to include and what to leave out to make each character distinct.

Plus, his #1 tip for writers.

About Ryan Dalton

Ryan Dalton spends his time thinking up stories when he’s not wearing a cape and fighting crime. He’s a singer, a voiceover artist, a pretty decent amateur chef, and a lover of all things geek. Ryan lives in an invisible spaceship that’s currently hovering over St. Louis, Missouri. Please don’t tell anyone he’s Batman–it’s a secret.

You can find him on his website or follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads.

This Last Adventure 

Archie’s grandpa has always been his hero. But after Grandpa is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the confident and adventurous man Archie’s known all his life starts disappearing. He’s not just losing his memory. He’s losing pieces of himself.

Archie desperately wants to slow the progression of Grandpa’s memory loss. Using Grandpa’s old journal entries as inspiration, he creates shared role-playing fantasies with epic quests for them to tackle together–helping Grandpa to live in the present while staying in touch with his fading memories.

But there’s a limit to the power of the fantasies. And not all the memories recorded in the journal entries are happy. When Archie learns a painful secret about Grandpa’s past, he questions everything he thought he knew about his hero.

As Grandpa’s condition worsens, Archie has to come to terms with the reality of what he’s losing and decide what it truly means to live a life worth remembering.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 396

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 396: When Fantasy and Reality Intersect: Writing Contemporary Middle Grade Fiction – Interview with Ryan Dalton appeared first on DIY MFA.

Sacha is an author, rebel podcaster, and professional speaker. She has five obsessions; words, expensive shoes, conspiracy theories, self-improvement, and breaking the rules.

Sacha writes books about people with magical powers and other books about the art of writing.

When she’s not writing, she can be found laughing inappropriately loud, sniffing musty old books, fangirling about film and TV soundtracks, or thinking up new ways to break the rules.

She lives in Cambridgeshire, England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son.

In this episode Sacha Black and I discuss:

• The main types of supporting characters and what you should do with each type.
• Why you need to create contrast between your supporting characters and your protagonist.
• How to balance giving supporting characters depth without letting them take over the story.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Sacha Black

Sacha Black is an author, rebel podcaster, and professional speaker. She has five obsessions; words, expensive shoes, conspiracy theories, self-improvement, and breaking the rules.

Sacha writes books about people with magical powers and other books about the art of writing.

When she’s not writing, she can be found laughing inappropriately loud, sniffing musty old books, fangirling film and TV soundtracks, or thinking up new ways to break the rules.

She lives in Cambridgeshire, England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son.

You can find Sacha on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Patreon. You can also join her Facebook group.

8 Steps to Side Characters

Do your characters fail to bring your story to life? Are they flat, boring or have no depth? Is your story lacking a little cohesion or sparkle?

In 8 Steps to Side Characters, you’ll discover: 

• A step-by-step guide for creating side characters that bring your story alive
• The main types of side characters and what you should do with them
• The key to crafting character depth that hooks readers
• How to harness your character’s voice to deepen your reader’s experience
• Tips and tricks for using details to enhance characterization 
• Methods for killing characters that will help deepen plot, theme and story
• Dozens of ideas for creating conflict with your side characters 
• Tactics for differentiating characters and making them feel real to your reader 
• Character archetypes and functions
• The most common pitfalls and mistakes to avoid 

8 Steps to Side Characters is a comprehensive writing guide that will help you create the side characters your story needs. This book is packed with tips and tricks for polishing characters for writers at any level.   If you want to power up your characters, eliminate dull and lifeless archetypes, and perfect your characterization, this is the book for you. By the end of this book, you’ll know how to strengthen your characters to give your story, prose and plot the extra something special it needs to capture readers and fans for life.

If you like dark humor, learning through examples and want to create better side characters, then you’ll love Sacha Black’s guide to crafting supporting roles with intention, purpose, and power. Read 8 Steps to Side Characters today and start creating kick-ass stories.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 388

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 388: How to Craft Your Supporting Characters – Interview with Sacha Black appeared first on DIY MFA.

Rhys and I chatted about this light-hearted series moving into the dark times of the abdication and WWII, the origin of Darcy’s name, what she really thinks of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, and how she chooses from the large supporting cast when she is crafting a new installment.

About Rhys Bowen

Rhys Bowen is the New York Times bestselling author of more than forty novels, including The Venice Sketchbook, The Victory Garden, The Tuscan Child, and the World War II-based In Farleigh Field, the winner of the Left Coast Crime Award for Best Historical Mystery Novel and the Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel. Bowen’s work has won over twenty honors to date, including multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. Her books have been translated into many languages, and she has fans around the world. A transplanted Brit, Bowen divides her time between California and Arizona.

You can find Rhys on her website or follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

About God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen

Georgie is excited for her first Christmas as a married woman in her lovely new home. She suggests to her dashing husband, Darcy, that they have a little house party, but when Darcy receives a letter from his aunt Ermintrude, there is an abrupt change in plans. She has moved to a house on the edge of the Sandringham estate, near the royal family, and wants to invite Darcy and his new bride for Christmas. Aunt Ermintrude hints that the queen would like Georgie nearby. Georgie had not known that Aunt Ermintrude was a former lady-in-waiting and close confidante of her royal highness. The letter is therefore almost a royal request, so Georgie, Darcy, and their Christmas guests: Mummy, Grandad, Fig, and Binky all head to Sandringham.

Georgie soon learns that the notorious Mrs. Simpson, mistress to the Prince of Wales, will also be in attendance. It is now crystal clear to Georgie that the Queen expects her to do a bit of spying. There is tension in the air from the get-go, and when Georgie pays a visit to the queen, she learns that there is more to her request than just some simple eavesdropping. There have been a couple of strange accidents at the estate recently. Two gentlemen of the royal household have died in mysterious circumstances and another has been shot by mistake during a hunt. Georgie begins to suspect that a member of the royal family is the real target but her investigation will put her new husband and love of her life, Darcy, in the crosshairs of a killer.

Interview with Rhys Bowen

Sara Farmer: How do you decide which members of the supporting cast will appear in each novel? Do you try to make sure each one gets a storyline regularly? 

Rhys Bowen: I try not to leave them out for too long. I know which members fans love to see in the story. Obviously Queenie, Granddad, and Mummy. Fig and Binky make occasional appearances, because she really is rather horrid. And Belinda has to have her moment, too. Since she featured in the last book, The Last Mrs. Summers, I felt I could leave her out of this one. It’s hard to get them all involved, but the Christmas house party worked well for that.

Sara: Is Darcy named for Mr. Darcy? 

Rhys: Of course. Every time I write him into a scene I see Colin Firth climbing out of that lake!

Sara: Do you have a particular one of Queen Victoria’s daughters in mind as Georgie’s grandmother? 

Rhys: I created a fictitious daughter as I didn’t want her to be bound by real history. However, there are shades of Princess Louise, who married a Scottish Duke of Argyll. (He was a commoner when they married, hence a real love story!) But since Queen Victoria had so many children I felt that I could invent another one. I never name her and only describe her as Queen Victoria’s least attractive daughter.

Sara: How long did it take you to write your first book? Do you have drawer novels? 

Rhys: You know, I’ve been writing since I was four. I wrote several angst-ridden novels in college that will never see the light of day, although I think I may still have them in an attic. After college, I went to work in BBC drama, wrote my first radio play that was accepted, and have been published ever since. In recent years, I have not had to write any book that didn’t already have a publishing home. 

Sara: How do you plan to handle the accession of Edward VIII and then George VI? Will Queen Mary still give Georgie missions? 

Rhys: Oh, yes. I have been looking forward to the drama surrounding Edward, Mrs. Simpson, the abdication. I’m sure Queen Mary will rely even more on Georgiana as she is devastated by the behavior of her oldest son.

Sara: How do you feel about the relationship between Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson? Do you have sympathy for them? Do you think that things worked out for the best for the country with his abdication and his brother’s accession to the throne? I’m surprised Georgie doesn’t have a tiny bit of sympathy for them, since she encountered royal roadblocks to being with her true love. 

Rhys: I have little sympathy, I’m afraid. Wallis was a manipulative, ambitious woman who really believed that she could be queen. She dominated and bullied Edward. He was infatuated with her, but I’m not sure that she ever loved him. She had married up the social scale twice before she met him. 

I’m afraid he was always a weak character. A stronger one would have done his royal duty. He could always have married suitably and then kept her as a mistress. That was considered normal! But it was an absolute blessing for the future of England that he abdicated. They were both enamored of Hitler, went to visit him the moment he abdicated. They would certainly have handed over England to become a puppet state with a puppet king. Hitler had this in mind and that was why Edward was shipped off to the Bahamas, where America could keep an eye on him.

Winston Churchill once said, “We should erect a statue to Mrs. Simpson. Without her we’d have been slaves of Germany.”

Sara: WWII is fast approaching Georgie’s world. Do you plan to continue the series into those years? 

Rhys: I’m really hoping to take it to the war years. Mummy stranded in Nazi Germany? Darcy sent on dangerous missions? Of course, it will be a challenge. This is essentially a light-hearted series. I know we have serious topics lurking in the background, but I’ll be walking a fine line when it comes to the horrors that war brings.

Sara Farmer lives in Austin, TX, with her husband, three kids, and two cats. When she’s not chasing kids and cats, she reads and writes mysteries. You can find her at www.kittymomma.com and on Twitter @avonlea79.

The post Interview with Rhys Bowen appeared first on DIY MFA.

Leslie was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She graduated with a bachelor’s in communications from UCLA and went on to write television comedies for Gerald McRaney, Burt Reynolds, Roseanne Barr, Norm McDonald, Drew Carey, and Ralph Macchio, as well as The Wild Thornberrys and Sweet Valley High. She later earned a master’s degree in nutrition and ran her own business for ten years.

Most recently, Leslie has written personal essays for online magazines such as Huffington Post, Maria Shriver, and SheKnows. She loves dogs and in addition to having two adorable Labradors, she volunteers at the Burbank Animal Shelter in Burbank, California. Leslie lives in Los Angeles and has two sons, and a husband she’s been with since college. After Happily Ever After is her debut novel and it is out now.

In this episode Leslie and I discuss:

• How she captured family dynamics by writing about three different generations.
• The ways her past as a sitcom writer helped her create a strong supporting cast.
• Why she chose to write about after the typical “happily ever after” ending.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About the Leslie A. Rasmussen

Leslie A. Rasmussen was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She graduated with a bachelor’s in communications from UCLA and went on to write television comedies for Gerald McRaney, Burt Reynolds, Roseanne Barr, Norm McDonald, Drew Carey, and Ralph Macchio, as well as The Wild Thornberrys and Sweet Valley High. Later, she earned a master’s degree in nutrition and ran her own business for ten years.

Most recently, Leslie has written personal essays for online magazines such as Huffington Post, Maria Shriver, and SheKnows. She loves dogs and besides having two adorable Labradors, she volunteers at the Burbank Animal Shelter in Burbank, California. Leslie lives in Los Angeles and has two sons, and a husband she’s been with since college. After Happily Ever After  is her debut novel.

You can find Leslie A. Rasmussen on her website, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, or check out her book After Happily Ever After on Facebook.

After Happily Ever After

Maggie Dolin is forty-five and isn’t dealing with getting older very well. Seventeen years ago, she gave up her job in publishing to raise her daughter, Gia―but now her only child is about to leave for college, and Maggie isn’t sure what her new purpose will be.

She’s been the caretaker and nurturer for so long that she can’t even remember the last time someone took care of her. She wishes Jim, her husband of nineteen years, would take that role on―but he’s been distracted and disconnected, and she’s convinced he’s hiding something from her.

Her self-involved, judgmental mother and resentful brother, meanwhile, are certainly no help, and her father―the only person in her life who’s always been there for her and asked nothing in return―is dealing with increasingly serious health issues, leaving Maggie without her rock.

As all these stressors pile on, a chance meeting with a younger man causes Maggie to act in a way that is completely out of character for her. As she gets deeper in, she’s forced to make some big decisions about what she wants and deserves―decisions that could change her life forever.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 362

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 362: A Deep Dive into the Supporting Cast – Interview with Leslie A. Rasmussen appeared first on DIY MFA.

Today I have the absolute pleasure of hosting New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Heather Graham on the show!

A theater arts major at the University of South Florida, Heather began her career with several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals and bartending. After the birth of her third child, she decided to stay home and that’s when she began to write.

Since then, she has written over two hundred novels and novellas including category, suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, sci-fi, young adult, and Christmas family fare.

She has been published in twenty-five languages with about 60 million books in print and has been honored with just about every major writing award under the sun, including the  prestigious Thriller Master Award, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award from Romance Writers of America.

Heather has also been featured in several media outlets including People and USA Today, as well as on newscasts such as Today and Entertainment Tonight.

Her newest book, A Lethal Legacy, is a chilling thriller which I read cover-to-cover because I could not put it down!

So listen in as Heather and I chat about this amazing book, and how to craft a fictitious setting that feels real.

In this episode Heather and I discuss:

• Building your world’s lore and mythology.
• How to use your setting to create impending peril and suspense in your plot.
• Why you need to make your readers care about the supporting cast.
• Crafting your villain’s motivations so they ring true for readers.
• Using alternating point of view characters to give a broader view of your story.

Plus, Heather’s #1 tip for writers.

About Heather Graham

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Heather Graham, majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write.

Her first book was with Dell, and since then, she has written over two hundred novels and novellas including category, suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, sci-fi, young adult, and Christmas family fare. She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty-five languages. She has written over 200 novels and has 60 million books in print.

Heather has been honored with awards from booksellers and writers’ organizations for excellence in her work. She is proud to be a recipient of the Silver Bullet from Thriller Writers and was awarded the prestigious Thriller Master Award in 2016. She is also a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from Romance Writers of America.

Heather has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, Mystery Book Club, People and USA Today. She has also appeared on many newscasts including Today, Entertainment Tonight and local television.

To connect with Heather check out her website at www.theoriginalheathergraham.com.

A Lethal Legacy

Treasure or treachery?

Douglas Island sits off the coast of New York State, its imposing cliffs warning away visitors. Still, Finn Douglas has big plans for his inheritance and the rambling manor house that dominates the landscape. He has a vision to turn the island into a resort getaway for overworked city dwellers. But when the broken body of his business partner is found at the base of the rocky escarpment, he fears it wasn’t an accident.

Special Agent Craig Frasier agrees to help his cousin Finn by investigating and, with psychologist Kieran Finnegan at his side, heads to the island. As Craig and Kieran delve into the history of the Douglas estate, they discover that the property comes complete with strange lore and a blood-soaked past. Something evil seems to be lurking in the caverns that run beneath the stony ground. Is there something on the island that someone is willing to kill to protect?

Kieran and Craig take on a dangerous search for the truth, where one false step could send them plummeting to their deaths, and one wrong turn could bring them face-to-face with a killer.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 243

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 243: Crafting Rich Settings — Interview with Heather Graham appeared first on DIY MFA.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with New York Times and USA Today bestselling author B.J. Daniels!

After a career as an award-winning newspaper journalist, B.J. wrote and sold over 37 short stories before she finally wrote her first book, Odd Man Out, which went on to be nominated for Best First Book and Best Intrigue for 1995 in the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards.

Since then she has sold more than 40 short stories and over 100 books, and has won numerous awards including a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award in 2002 with her novel Premeditated Marriage, and a Career Achievement Award for Series Romantic Suspense in 2002 from the Romantic Times.

Her latest novel, Stroke of Luck, kicks off her newest romantic suspense series, Sterling’s Ranch.

So listen in as B.J. and I chat about this awesome book and how to weave together the suspense of mystery with the tension of romance into one amazing story.

In this episode B.J. and I discuss:

• Using a compressed space to amplify the tension between your characters.
• How to craft the “fool” supporting character archetype the right way.
• Happily ever after, making the inevitable romance ending surprising every time.
• Bringing a unique world to life through the eyes of your characters.
• How to write a series for new readers and loyal fans at the same time.

Plus, B.J.’s #1 tip for writers.

About B.J. Daniels

B.J. Daniels is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of numerous romance novels and novellas.

After a career as an award-winning newspaper journalist, she wrote and sold over 37 short stories before she finally wrote her first book, Odd man Out, and sold it to Harlequin Intrigue. This book went on to be nominated for Best First Book and Best Intrigue for 1995 in the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards.

Since then she has sold more than 40 short stories and over 100 books, writing for both Harlequin Intrigue and HQN, and has won numerous awards including a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award in 2002 with her novel Premeditated Marriage, and a Career Achievement Award for Series Romantic Suspense in 2002 from the Romantic Times.

She lives in Montana with her husband, Parker and three springer spaniels. When she isn’t writing, she quilts, boats, snowboards, waterskis, camps, plays tennis and, of course, reads.

To connect with B.J. check out her website at www.bjdaniels.com.

Stroke of Luck

The Sterling Ranch’s season opening isn’t going so smoothly. With the ranch’s lodge full of guests and a Montana blizzard threatening, Will Sterling needs help—and he needs it fast. So when his childhood friend Poppy Carmichael agrees to lend a hand, he’s grateful for a second chance…and more enticed by the woman she’s become than he cares to admit.

For Poppy, it was supposed to be a retreat full of horse rides and hoedowns—with a side of showing Will what he’s been missing all these years. But as the snow deepens outside, the guests’ suspicion and mistrust turn sinister inside, catching Will and Poppy in the crosshairs.

Weathering the storm in each other’s arms is all too easy for Will and Poppy, but will a confrontation with a killer mean their reunion is short-lived?

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author B.J. Daniels starts her Sterling’s Ranch series off with a bang in this suspenseful story of romance and revenge.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 240

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 240: The Intricate Design of Romantic Suspense — Interview with B.J. Daniels appeared first on DIY MFA.

Today I am so excited to have Laurie Petrou on the show!

Laurie is an author, maker, educator, tea drinker, and avid reader… so basically she’s my kind of people. She is an Associate Professor at Ryerson’s RTA School of Media, where she is also the Director of the Masters of Media Production program, and has given TEDx talks in the past.

Laurie’s first novel (second book), Sister of Mine, won the International Half the World Global Literati Award. This novel is a fascinating thriller about two sisters bound together by a series of secrets.

Listen in as Laurie and I chat about this awesome book, how to craft gripping suspense, and how to always keep yourself writing.

In this episode Laurie and I discuss:

• The unreliable narrator and how to do it right.
• Using supporting characters to throw a wrench into your protagonist’s world.
• Techniques to breathe life into your setting.
• Pacing a thriller over several decades.
• How to handle the waiting periods in between writing and publishing.

Plus, Laurie’s #1 tip for writers.

About Laurie Petrou

Laurie Petrou is an author, maker, educator, tea drinker and avid reader. She received her PhD in a joint degree from York and Ryerson Universities. She is an Associate Professor at Ryerson’s RTA School of Media, where she is also the Director of the Masters of Media Production program.

Laurie loves teaching, and has been the lucky recipient of the Dean’s Teaching Award for the Faculty of Communication and Design, and recently did the convocation address. She does TEDx talks on things like gender or rejection, and makes little digital projects.

In her writing career, Laurie is represented by Martha Magor Webb at Cooke McDermid. Her first novel (second book), Sister of Mine, won the International Half the World Global Literati Award, and is now available from HarperCollins Canada and Crooked Lane Books in the United States.

To connect with Laurie check out her website at www.lauriepetrou.com.

Sister of Mine

Penny and Hattie are sisters in a small town, bound tight to the point of knots. They share a secret they cannot escape, even while it pulls them apart. One night, a match is lit, and Penny’s terrible husband is killed—a marriage going up in flames, and offering the potential of a new life.

The sisters retreat into their family home—a house of secrets and memories—and try to live in the shadow of what they put in motion. But Penny’s husband is not the only thing they are hiding from the outside world and from each other. Under a cloud of long-held resentments, sibling rivalry, and debts unpaid, the bonds of sisterhood begin to crack. How long will Penny and Hattie demand the unthinkable of each other? How often will they say, “You owe me,” and when will it ever be enough?

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 220

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 220: Just Keep Writing and Other Motivational Mantras — Interview with Laurie Petrou appeared first on DIY MFA.

Before we begin, here’s a quick note about supporting characters.

They are not secondary characters. They are not side characters. Supporting characters do just what it says in their name: they support the development of the protagonist and of the plot. Any character who is not the protagonist exists in this particular story to support the journey of the main character.

This is not to say that your supporting characters can’t be fleshed out and interesting. They all have backstories and motivations. And no character is ever purely good or evil; there are always shades of grey. Your supporting cast needs to be as developed and interesting as your protagonist.

After all, no character wakes up in the morning and thinks, “Gee, I think I’ll be a side character in someone else’s story today.” Every character is the protagonist of his own life. It just so happens that this particular story happens to belong to the protagonist so all other characters fall into a supporting role.

So, eradicate the terms “side character” and “secondary character” from your vocabulary and treat your supporting cast like literary gold.

Are we on the same page? Awesome.

Now, let’s get started.

And now let’s talk about the 5 supporting character archetypes. Not all of these characters will appear in every story you write, and there are many more than just these 5 archetypes I’ll mention here. I just happen to think these are the 5 most essential ones.

The Villain

Villains are awesome. Villains give us someone we love to hate and make us root for the protagonist to win even harder. It’s important to note that not every antagonist in a story is a villain. The antagonist can be a powerful storm, a network of computers, or dinosaurs going on a rampage. Not every story has, or needs, a villain. When you have an amorphous non-human antagonist, a day-to-day villain can give that antagonist a face.

The BFF/Sidekick

The BFF is the character who is always at the side of the protagonist, always egging him on, pushing him forward. She has qualities that the protagonist lacks, but that equally he needs to accomplish his goal.

The Love Interest

There are a so many different types of love interest you can include in your story! A few examples:

• The Boy Next Door (or Girl Next Door)
• Forbidden Love (Star-crossed Lovers)
• The Love-Hate Relationship

It’s important to note that, except in the Romance genre, the love story usually is secondary to the plot. It can help support the main plot, but in most cases it’s not central to the story.

The Mentor

The Mentor can be a very useful tool to convey information to the reader by teaching the protagonist somthing. However, a major pitfall of the mentor character is that she can info-dump, explaining everything that the protagonist (or the reader) is confused about in one fell swoop instead of revealing it in the course of the plot.

The Fool

The only purpose of the Fool (but what an important purpose) is to say the things that the protagonist doesn’t want to hear but really needs to know. The Fool dates back to the days of Shakespeare (though I would argue that you see elements of the Fool in the plays of Ancient Greece). This also happens to be my favorite supporting character archetype and can be a lot of fun to write.

Take-Home Message: All characters–including your supporting cast–need to have depth and dimension.

No character wakes up and says:
“Gee, I think I’ll be a side character in someone else’s story today.”
Tweet this.

For more information on character archetypes, you can check out DIY MFA Radio Episode 5 where I talk about the two main archetypes for protagonists. Thanks for listening! If you think of other essential supporting character archetypes, make sure to leave a comment and share it with the DIY MFA community.

Link to Episode 34

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, leave a review, and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available. Also, if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please share!

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome.

The post Episode 34: Archetypes for Supporting Characters appeared first on DIY MFA.