Writing Cool Short Stories textbook - Carol J. Amato, Author

Writing Cool Short StoriesCalling allcharacters!The protagonist is the character who is likeable and easy torelate to. This is the “viewpoint” character—the personthrough whose eyes we see the story unfold. Readers aredrawn to the protagonist because they can see a part of themselvesin the individual. Who wouldn’t want to be HarryPotter—or Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz?Now that the lead role has been chosen, there is great anticipationamong the rest of the characters to see who will landthe next role—the antagonist.The antagonist is the villain—the person the readers like toboo. And in the end, readers cheer when justice prevails andthe bad guy gets what is deserved.Secondary (minor) characters often have a personal connectionto the protagonist. They are usually friends or maybe a pet likea beloved dog, cat, or horse. These minor characters havemuch smaller roles but are important to the story, too. In ashort story, it’s best to limit the number of minor charactersto a maximum of four or five.“Limit the numberof minor charactersto just a few.”Next, it’s off to hair, makeup, andwardrobe.The writer chooses everythingfrom a character’s hair and eye color to personality quirks andflaws. After all, nobody is perfect no matter how smart, adorable,and funny one is. The authors also get to go shopping andpick out wardrobes and cool wheels, such as a skateboard orbike.After the writers have chosen who will play which roles, it’s onto writing the rest of the story.Quiet on the set! Action! Roll ‘em!6