NEW YORK TIMES AND INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR

On Writing

Sep32025

Rolling Stone – Bodies in the Room: Writing Memorable Minor Characters

Here’s a hard truth: most minor characters in fiction are cardboard cutouts. Walk-ons. Bodies in the room. They often exist only to hand over a clue, get stabbed in an alley or die screaming at the beginning of Act One. They get their minute on stage, and then are heard no more, having come and gone without making much impact. More…

Posted by J.D. Barker

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