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#HistFicThursdays - Transforming a Room into Yesteryear

There are so many things we have today which were almost beyond imagination in the past. This has been particularly brought home to me this week as I'm making a few trips to our county town (more than 100 miles away), and because we lost the internet which brings home just home much we use it! Technology certainly has its benefits! In fact, looking around the room (and this is a comparatively old-fashioned room) as I'm writing this, there are so many things we take for granted which would simply not have existed even a couple of hundred years ago. You can, of course, discount anything which uses electricity and, more interestingly, all of the paperback books - of which there are hundreds - and none of the MDF bookcases either. There would have been no photographs, although there may well have been paintings and sketches of the people in them. But it's not just about taking away what is here now. It's also about what we have lost since then. Rooms needed lighting, and th...
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#MGMonday Characters: The Friend

I'm sorry this blog is later than usual! Truth is, I'm on holiday at the moment and a little tired and sore with all the walking and gardening. Not that I would change a thing - it's been a wonderful few days!

Today, in our Character series, I'll be looking at what makes a good Friend character. The poor Friend never gets a great deal out of the story and I'm afraid this blog is going to be shorter than normal, so I feel like I'm adding to the Friend's misery. Sorry!



What do I mean by a Friend character?

To explain what I mean, it's handy to think in terms of the Oscars. The 'Best Actor/Actress' category would go to the person playing the main character, of course. The 'Best Supporting Actor/Actress' category would go the person playing either the villain or the friend. It's a basic explanation, but it's a start. We've already talked about the villain (here) so let's focus on the Friend.

Dos and Don'ts

Do allow Friend to have their own personality. Don't let them just be a carbon copy of the main character.

Do give Friend their moment in the limelight. Don't let the hero hog all the achievements. (We can learn a lot about the main character by how they react to their Friend at these moments so this tip is more than just feeling sorry for the supporting character.)

Do allow arguments between the main character and Friend. Don't be conned into thinking that your characters' friendships should always be cute and sunny! Again, it's good to see how character react in these situations.

And finally...

Do accept that readers will prefer the Friend to the main character. Don't get upset by the inevitable!


I'm sorry it's a shorter blog than usual, but I wanted to make sure I put something together for Middle Grade Monday! Next week, I'll be writing about Middle Grade Fantasy.

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