Because memoirists
can’t change what happened and who is involved in the particular memoir slice
of life story they are telling, it’s all about what they choose to show the
reader about the secondary characters in the memoir and what they choose to
leave out. And whatever the memoirist tells or shows needs to be explained
through the lens of the protagonist.
Secondary
characters grow and change within the story arc of the protagonist in fiction
or memoir. You don’t want just plot
puppets, characters used to move the story forward without any background or
desires of their own. All characters think they’re the hero of their own story
according to Lisa Cron in her Story Genius course.
But when you’re crafting a story, you want the protagonist driving the change
within the story, not the secondary characters.
In memoir,
the other characters are real life people. And the reason why they are in the
story is to amplify and support the protagonist’s transformational arc of
change. The reader needs to get a sense of what the secondary characters are
about and what their specific agendas are. They are real people with real
lives. The memoirist can’t change anything about their real lives or she’s
writing fiction—not memoir.
In my memoir
about attending college as a mother of five, my husband and our children play
an informative role in helping me and hindering me in my attempt at college. I
felt like a specimen under a microscope with not only my own family watching to
see how I handle college, but also my mother and siblings. I felt like everyone
was waiting for me to fail.
Like in many families,
my five children are all different. But as the protagonist in my memoir, I not
only need to distinguish each of my children for the reader, I also need to remember
to include only what matters about their lives to the story I am telling, my
journey through college, my understanding of what education is all about. When
I talk about distinguishing each child, I don’t mean what they look like. I’m
talking about their personalities, how they act, what’s important to them and
how that affects me the protagonist in the memoir.
For instance, my second
daughter Michelle is the family brainiac. Every family seems to have one! But
what does that mean to Victoria in the memoir story. It means that even at a
young age, Victoria relies on Michelle as a family [and later college
classwork] sounding board. But because Michelle is young and inexperienced in the
beginning of Victoria’s college journey, Michelle still wants Mom’s attention,
still needs to be individually noticed within the family.
Marie, the
oldest, is special needs. She consumes most of Victoria’s time and is the
impetus for Victoria to begin college. Marie can process only one thing at a
time. Victoria has trouble remembering this and frequently becomes frustrated.
My husband
Bill’s task in the memoir story is to be the voice of reason. He tries to get
Victoria to stop and listen to others, a very difficult job as Victoria’s
always short on time. He feels Victoria is consumed by her studies [true], thus
taking too much time away from family, increasing his workload, and denying him
“couple time.”
Bill’s job is
to counter what father had said to Victoria. Bill needs to change what is
ingrained in Victoria, that she’s not good enough for college/not smart enough
for college. He, along with other secondary characters, chips away at Victoria's misbelief that she’s inferior to those who attend or attended college. Victoria
can do whatever she sets her mind to—even if she needs to study/learn
differently or take longer to do so, like Marie.
My son
William, the middle child, is smart, but needs to be watched to be sure he does
all his assignments. He’s laid-back, not high-strung like Victoria. During
Victoria’s college years, he has a calming effect on her. But he, too, wants his time with Mom.
The family is
used to having Victoria’s time. She doesn’t mind. This is her life. But if Victoria
wants to succeed in college, things would need to change because she still
learns differently, like her daughter Marie, and needs to play catch-up with
the more traditional college student.
*Please feel free to
offer comments or ask questions about my secondary characters. This helps me to
move forward on my memoir.*
Whether it’s memoir or
fiction, each secondary character needs to have a specific personality, a
reason to be, that benefits the main storyline. As the writer, you include only
the facets of secondary characters’ lives that pertain to the story you are
telling.
Once again, I’d
like to thank Jennie Nash of Author Accelerator and Lisa Cron for helping me to understand
these concepts in my memoir.
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