If you’re going to write short stories, it’s important to know what works. Whether you’ve hit the doldrums on a particular story or you’re not sure how to begin writing, the three character rule will add amazing drama to your fiction. Readers love drama; they love conflict; they want to see and feel something beautiful or intense or weird happening. Focus the power of your fiction by using the three character rule.
What is it?
Every story should have three characters that contribute to the drama of your story, and each character has his/her own role to play. The varying roles are as follows:
Central character. This one is clear. This character maintains the central viewpoint. Whether you’re writing in first or third person, no matter. This character has the most camera time. The conflict is theirs, and the reader should be rooting for them–even if s/he doesn’t want to. This character has the most to gain, and the most to lose.
Opponent character. For whatever reason, the central character is struggling with or against this character. S/he may be trying to get information from him, trying to control her behavior, trying to convince him of something… the possibilities are endless. Interestingly enough, the opponent character may or may not be aware of this conflict. As in life, s/he, simply by living, can be creating a serious disturbance in the central character’s force. Their very existence creates an obstacle that the central character must surmount.
Supportive character. This character plays a larger part in longer stories. In flash fiction, this character may simply enter the central character’s mind to communicate something essential to the reader. Whether s/he plays a large or small role, the supportive character helps the central character realize something important, either through the words they say or how they live. But in whatever manner, the supportive character pushes the central character (and the reader) into that a-ha moment of epiphany. They’re crucial to every short story.
If you’re having trouble with a particular story, look at who the central character is, and what he/she wants from the opposition. If this is clear, your story will be too. The three character rule is a simple way for you to understand this conflict, to increase the intensity in your writing, and to sharpen the drama in your fiction so that it resonates with amazing energy. Happy writing!
Jennifer Mills Kerr has been writing fiction and memoir for over eleven years. She aims to inspire, support, and connect with other writers online. Read her published work at her website, http://www.jennifermillskerr.com.
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