Comments on: Writing Excuses Episode 33: Side Characters

By: Spudd86

Spudd86 — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 05:35:28 +0000

Dan, I rather enjoyed A Night of Blacker Darkness, I’d like it if you wrote more stuff like this.

I Am Not A Serial Killer is good, but it’s not really my cup of tea. I bought Mr Monster but I have yet to get through it… mostly because I don’t really like the genre (still good writing though), and it didn’t grab me as tightly as the first one (I’m not sure why).

By: Mark VanTassel

Mark VanTassel — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:22:01 +0000

I should have realized this two years ago, but: The writing prompt for this episode is to write ‘A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.’

By: Michael Greene

Michael Greene — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:04:54 +0000

I love comparing your advice and observations to other forms of fiction then writing, and I found one such comparison in Final Fantasy 12. The sky pirate Balthier spends much of his time in cut-scenes referring to himself as the leading man, even though he is a side character. Its your advice to make the extras think they are the leading man/lady taken to an extreme.

By: Mads

Mads — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:51:26 +0000

You guys are fantastic. Not only do you give me great advice for my writing, I get to read samples of your work that are about vampires, Mary Shelley, a questionably sane John Keats, etc. Posting that literary work of genius (alright, maybe just amusement) is something I just adore! Thanks!

By: AJWM

AJWM — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:41:28 +0000

For an excellent example of taking a side character and making him a main character, see the just-out JUGGLER OF WORLDS by Larry Niven and Ed Lerner. Sigmund Ausfaller has minor appearances in Niven’s short stories “Neutron Star” and “The Borderland of Sol” (incidentally, both were Hugo winners), and is referenced in FLEET OF WORLDS. In JUGGLER, he’s one of the main characters. (And we get to see bits of the above stories from his POV).

I read it just after hearing this podcast, a great example of synchronicity.

Cheers,
– Alastair

By: Michael B.

Michael B. — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 06:37:24 +0000

Gauntlet joke? I don’t remember that one?

By: J.A. Clemens

J.A. Clemens — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:56:52 +0000

Dan,

Given your interest in Keats and Mary Shelley, have you read The Stress of Her Regard by Tim Powers? It’s phenomenal!

J.A. Clemens

By: WEKM

WEKM — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:57:07 +0000

Perfect! I hope that it distracted Brandon for the whole panel.
Mwah Ha ha HAAAAA!

By: S.M.

S.M. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:30:01 +0000

Hopefully bacon pizza? Even if only out of respect for the donation.
(We all know bacon is the best topping anyway)

By: Dan Wells

Dan Wells — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:24:23 +0000

btw, WEKM, I did indeed get your bacon money. I used it to purchase a pizza, and had it delivered to me in the middle of a panel Brandon was on at WorldCon.