Writing Coach in a Box: Card Eleven

One thing about this box, is that these cards aren’t all big extensive concepts that I can turn into an entire card. Either that or the topics have either been extensively covered, or they’re inconsequential to my story.

Card Nine covers the heirarchy of needs, and needs are important to the core of your character. And this card also talks about how the needs may not all work to the same end, and some may even contradict each other. But I have written five or so card posts about Charlie’s wants and needs.

Card Ten covers the different social statuses and how they could affect your character. While this is important, I don’t think it really works here with a camp slasher romance.

Card Eleven is an exciting card for me as it follows building up good supporting characters. Good supporting characters compliment good main characters, and each supporting character deserves the same amount of care and detail that you would put into the main.

The card lists five ways to animate the supporting cast.

• Give the reader sensory cues to remember them by. – The way they look, their distinct mannerisms, the way they talk, their scents, anything that has to do with the senses. This one is extra necessary for furry writing as it adds some extra realism when dealing anthro characters/characteristics. Every tail wag, ear tug, claw tap.
• Each supporting character is the lead in their own stories. – I said this earlier sort of. While they’re not going to be the main focus, they should always have something distinct drives them in their own direction. They’re not meant to be a means to the end of the main characters.
• Turn friends to enemies (or enemies to friends. Or both). – Betrayal, redemption arcs. People love seeing these elements play out in fiction. And these are more than prevelent in horror movies. Of course, the killers/demonic entities switching sides doesn’t happen normally, but it always could happen. But this could also just happen outside of the initial bloodfest that is the slasher movie. Whether it be the token asshole character going back to save the others, or the best friend/lover pushing another into the line of danger to save themselves. There’s a lot that can be done with a good turn.
• Do terrible things to them. – So. This is what the card says. This was the specific phrasing. And I just want to point out, I do not think that this card was written with the horror genre in mind? Not Exactly? But this card covers general bad things like a break up, painful injuries, any general bits of every day suffering. Like not being scheduled hours at your only job.
• Give them an arc. – Your main characters have their own stories. Your side characters should have one too. Every character should have a destination, and it doesn’t always have to do with the general plot.

I love these five methods and I love making characters. With the context of this post, it could be cool to share just some of the supporting cast for this project. (Just because I am in the planning stages, doesn’t mean I don’t have a lot of information gathered.)

• Head Counselor Mike – Michael Gable – 47/M/Sambar Deer
  He’s everything you’d expect from everyone’s favorite Head Counselor. Loves the outdoors and working out. Loves being around people and working with his counselors to build a safe environment for kids. He’s bisexual with a wife he absolutely adores. He is very into rap/K-Pop sounding music. He likes listen to a lot of music by the furry equivalent of Katseyes, Megan Thee Stallion, TWICE, or other music like that. He does this mostly when he’s working on fixing up the camp or cleaning.
• Carol Ann Gable – 45/F/American Alligator
  Carol Ann is the camp owner and Mike’s wife. She’s absolutely smitten with her very attentive and adoring husband. While Mike works mostly on campsite maintenance and other more front-facing camp manager tasks, Carol Ann works more behind the scenes, like orders and finances, lifeguarding and safety regulating. Things like that.
• Sydney Campbell – 25/F/Beveren Rabbit
  Syd is a new counselor to Sapphire Springs, and one of Charlie’s first friends at the camp. She works in the craft hut along with Charlie, where they really get along and bond during the first two weeks of camp. She’s also one of my planned possible love interests for Charlie. She spends her spare time reading mystery novels in her downtime, and likes loaning out her mini-library to her fellow counselors.
• Kyler Riley – 27/M/Lynx
  Kyler is a veteran of Sapphire Springs, having been attending the camp as a counselor and as a camper for about fifteen years. He’s the true embodiement of camp spirit, being very good with the campers and his fellow counselors. He’s the archery instructor. He’s really skilled at using a long bow. He’s also a real himbo. Handsome, muscular, goofy, and really sweet. He seems to gravitate towards Charlie in a playful and teasing way that kind of annoys Charlie.
• Chauncey Field – 26/M/Cheetah
  Another veteran of Sapphire Springs. Chauncey is a certified lifeguard, but he is also the canoeing/diving instructor. I haven’t decided which one I like him more as. Biggest thing about him is that he is kind of a big joke among the other counselors. A bit of a campsite clown. He takes his job seriously, but not himself and it causes other people to do the same. He’s a good sport about it most of the time, playing into it. But this summer, he has his eyes on asking out a really handsome guy who’s only been around for about a year.
• Adam Loomis – 27/M/Coywolf
  Adam is newer to the Sapphire Springs family, having just joined up the summer prior. He’s a big outdoorsy guy, with lots of knowledge of nature and things like that. He spends a lot of time outside, whether reading or just sitting down by the dock. He is a bit of a writer, sometimes brainstorming freeform poetry. He ends up being the head counselor of the cabin Charlie stays in, which leads to them forming a quick friendship. He’s more of a listener than a talker.
• Abner Witherspoon – 31/Enby/Eagle
  Abner, affectionately dubbed “Spoon” by their fellow counselors and campers, is another lifeguard at Sapphire Springs. They mainly stay on the dock, watching the waterslide and dock area. They’ve got a loud voice and puts it to good use, because kids always run on the dock no matter how many times Abner warns them. It’s the same reason they carries a med kit by their lifeguard chair. They are a bit skittish too, and sometimes thinks life can reflect the type of fiction he reads, and he’s very much a mystery nut. They would be a huge fan of Conan Doyle, Franklyn W. Dixon, and Carolyn Keene. Reads into things a bit much, to the point where some doubt them. They’ve been at Sapphire Springs since Shannon’s first year, so they know each other pretty well.
• Becky Miller – 23/F/Beagle
  She’s been friends with the twins since they were in preschool and is currently Shannon’s girlfriend of six years. She’s been doing Sapphire Springs for only three years though. She joined up as an archery instructor working under Kyler. She absolutely adores Charlie, considering him her best friend, which annoys Shannon a little bit. This summer she, like Shannon, wants to help Charlie get over his ex. This, of course, involves talking him up to every counselor as “freshly single.” Charlie finds it both terrifying and amusing all at once. She is very opinionated about certain other counselors and is not afraid to let them know how she feels about them. She has a playful rivalry with Shannon’s boyfriend Daniel where they try to one up each other despite sharing a girlfriend.
• Daniel Fitzgerald – 22/M/Otter
  Daniel is Shannon’s boyfriend. They’ve dated for two years prior to the beginning of the story, and they only really know each other through the camp, as their relationship is long distance. Charlie has only met him twice and likes him well enough. Daniel is a showoff. He loves doing wild and possibly dangerous things if it means he can impress people. He has a lot of daredevil stories from when he was a kid, though he definitely exaggerates them. He works in the camp’s kitchen, helping make the food that everyone eats. And he’s pretty decent at it, as his family runs a pastry shop back in his home state.

And that is all of the characters I currently have. I am going to make more for sure, each with varying impact when it comes to the actual story. What do you think so far?

Thanks for reading. Most of these cards are honestly really cool to work through in my own way. Can’t wait for the next one.