Allies and Antagonists, with Jacqueline Sheehan
Where would Harry Potter be without Voldemort and Hermione? Or Scout without Dill and Boo Radley? The role of secondary characters is not just to populate your story, but to drive it forward. The people close to your protagonist can be antagonists—characters who create conflict for your main character—or they can be allies, who assist the main character’s journey. If your antagonists and allies aren’t fully realized, your story will undoubtedly feel flat. A finely drawn secondary character is one who is neither wholly evil or completely good—one whose desires and foibles intersect meaningfully with your protagonist’s. Spend the morning with best-selling author, Jacqueline Sheehan, sharpening the conflict in your story through that crucial, mysterious energy between characters.
Saturday, June 27, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ($75)
Jacqueline Sheehan, PhD is the New York Times bestselling author of The Comet’s Tale, Lost & Found, Now & Then, Picture This, The Center of the World, and The Tiger in the House. She writes NPR commentaries, travel articles, and essays including the New York Times column, “Modern Love.” She edited the anthology, Women Writing in Prison. Jacqueline teaches workshops at Grub Street in Boston and around the world. Find out more at http://www.jacquelinesheehan.com/
