Creating Unforgettable Characters, Part 4: Tertiary Characters 

So far, we’ve tackled shaping your main character and developing powerhouse secondary characters that help your MC along their journey.  Next comes those background characters—the hair stylist who knows everything about everyone, the delivery driver who leaves behind a clue, the newsboy on the corner who overhears things he shouldn’t, the Good Samaritan who stops to help, and the psychologist who drives Uber shifts to give free advice.

Like your primary and secondary characters, tertiary characters should be three-dimensional and serve a purpose. You may not need to develop them as completely as the others, but they need to earn their time on the page. To do that, you must argue for their appearance. If you can’t, you don’t need them.

If you missed the first three posts in this series be sure to click here for your free Character Bio worksheet! to create your characters and dig deep!

So, what’s a tertiary character?

In the background, tertiary characters may be in the story all along, or come out of the woodwork when they’re needed to provide a new conflict, new information, or a clue. They serve a brief role or purpose, oftentimes “one and done.” Your tertiary characters may have recurring roles that bump them up to secondary after a time, like crime reporter Nadine in JD Robb’s In Death series or Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter stories. They may pop in for a plot twist like Donnie Wahlberg in The Sixth Sense or take a bullet for the heroine like Logan Harper did in Kat Mizera’s Axel (I’m still crying over that one).

Another purpose of a supporting character is to force the MC to confront or reflect on something related to their dark moment, wound, or misbelief. Your primary character needs to move along their internal arc, and sometimes they need a nudge.

In her Writing Tips blog, author Valerie Willis uses Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves to explain: “Robin [Hood] approaches a tertiary character, a small boy who is shooting arrows at a target. Robin Hood (main) asks if the boy can shoot just as well while distracted. After failing, Lady Marian (secondary) poses the question if he is able to do so himself. The nice thing this does is imply that Robin is no different from a young boy through the interaction and failing of the third character while being guided and pushed by a secondary character’s perspective/influence. It is something you will see in great writing often, when your main characters find themselves observing a rounded tertiary character and using it to reflect thoughts, feelings, and more.”

Do you really have to develop them fully?

Yes and no. As stated, they do need to be developed enough to earn their spot in the plot. Keep in mind, your supporting characters can work their way up to MC given time, opportunity, and fandom. You can never tell who your audience will connect with. The television spinoffs A Different World, Frasier, Angel, Joey, and Joanie Loves Chachi are all examples supporting roles getting their stories told.

Always catalog your tertiary characters, whether you plan to use them again or not. Record their name, physical description, and anything about them that makes it to the publishing stage. Plans change, and if you do use or reference the character again, you’ll need that info for consistency purposes.

Who are your tertiary characters?

Take a look at those cast members you’ve created that fall into this category. Drop a comment and tell me about a favorite you’ve created. What role do they serve?