Writer Unleashed

#164: How To Give Each Character A Story Purpose


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Having a large cast of characters can overwhelm your readers, especially if the characters are introduced all at once, too many characters crowd a scene, their roles are too similar or just not clear.

Readers will struggle to keep track of who’s who, and who they should be paying attention to. This can hinder their engagement with your story.

So you want to carefully consider the necessity of each character.

Not every character needs the same amount of depth and range. But you want to make sure that every character, no matter how minor, contributes to the overall narrative in a meaningful way.

In this episode, I’m breaking down three types of characters you’ll likely have in your story: major characters, minor characters, and  functional characters. You'll learn how to give each of these characters a clear story purpose.

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Not sure how to structure your story? Start Here. This free 3-Act Worksheet gives you a clear framework so you know exactly what your beginning, middle, and end need to do — so you can stop guessing and start writing. Grab it free here.


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Writer UnleashedBy Nanci Panuccio

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