For our last writing challenge we talked about frenemies. Another favourite secondary character in romance is the hero’s best friend. And, no, we don’t mean this kind.
The best friend can be a foil for the hero, highlighting his “hero” qualities by showing his somewhat more “regular” friend. Or he can be a sounding board for the hero, offering an outsider’s view of the romance in the commonly employed, “Dude, what the heck are you doing, she’s great” scene, for example. Usually he’s a combination of these things.
But if your best friend character isn’t fully fleshed out, it will be obvious to your readers that he’s merely a plot device, and your scene will feel flat and contrived.
photo: Grinder Coffee Instagram
Your challenge this week? Write a short 3-5 paragraph scene that tells us something about your hero by showing us the second most important person in his life: his best friend. The only requirement? One of your characters has to reveal a secret.
Your scene can be funny or serious, about the romance or not. As long as both characters are vivid and three-dimensional.
Ready? Post your scene in the comments any time between now and Sunday, September 30, 2018, and we’ll check back with you on Monday!
