Supporting Characters
Brief guidance for roles smaller than deuteragonist. Major supporting characters still get full files from references/character-template.md. Minor ones can be a paragraph in story.md ## Notes, or inside the Relationship Map or Family Trees sections of characters/_index.md. story reindex keeps any other ## section you add there too, moved after the generated sections, but the Notes in story.md are the easier place to find them.
Role Vocabulary
- Mentor — teaches or equips the protagonist, then gets out of the way (often dies or withdraws so the hero must stand alone)
- Foil — contrasts with the protagonist to highlight their traits and choices
- Confidant — someone the protagonist talks to honestly; reveals interiority
- Love interest — romantic stake in the protagonist's outcome; must want something independent of the romance
- Comic relief — releases tension; must have their own dignity, not just be a joke
- Threshold guardian — tests the protagonist's readiness before a new stage; the test teaches something the next act requires
Every Supporting Character Needs
- Their own goal. A want independent of the protagonist's plot — not just "help the hero." A goal that conflicts with the protagonist's, even slightly, makes them feel alive.
- 2–3 defining traits. One vivid, specific trait beats five vague ones. Make each trait visible in a single scene when the character first appears.
- An exit. Supporting characters should leave the story when their function is done. Lingering extras dilute tension.