Elevate Your Supporting Characters

Class Description

Supporting characters are often relegated to the background, populating the story solely to shore up the main character. But your supporting characters have their own lives to live! They can be vibrant and interesting, compelling and surprising. They can have their own character arc too. Complex supporting characters can offer new insights into the protagonist and create a richer storyline.

In this generative and fun class, we will review the different types of supporting characters, as well as common character types. We’ll read published works that use these techniques successfully, including Emily Henry, Sally Rooney, Colson Whitehead, and Tayari Jones, and then put those techniques into practice with short, guided prompts.

Class objectives:

• Identify character types and the techniques used to create surprising and convincing characters.
• Learn how to create an arc for supporting characters that doesn’t overshadow the protagonist.
• Practice these techniques in your own writing.

Class Format

This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting!

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.