Artwork for podcast The Editing Podcast
Fiction lingo: 5 character roles and their purpose
Genre and subject editing collection Episode 12910th July 2024 • The Editing Podcast • Louise Harnby (fiction editor) and Denise Cowle (non-fiction editor)
00:00:00 00:17:05

Share Episode

Shownotes

Find out about 5 core character roles within a novel, and how the purpose they serve ensures the story stays focused.

Listen to find out more about:

  • 5 key character roles in fiction
  • The character role hierarchy
  • Why protagonists aren't always heroes
  • Why antagonists aren't always villains
  • Why even minor characters should have a function
  • How understanding the hierarchy helps authors and editors give appropriate head-space to the appropriate characters

Sign up for alerts about our publications

Want to hone your editorial business skills? Our actionable guides and workbooks will help you plan and implement a programme for business growth and development.

Sign up for alerts and we'll let you know when our publications are live and how to order:

Support The Editing Podcast

Tip your hosts: Support Louise and Denise with a one-off tip of your choosing.

Join our Patreon community: Our patrons benefit from access to PDF transcripts for episodes featuring just Louise and Denise, and for some of our guest episodes.

Denise and Louise

Music credit

'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod

  • Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
  • Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Links

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube

More Episodes
129. Fiction lingo: 5 character roles and their purpose
00:17:05
127. Editing and proofreading ELT materials
00:52:39
120. The pros and cons of niche editing and proofreading
00:12:19
115. Worldbuilding in science fiction and fantasy: With Andy Hodges
00:39:01
96. 5 things you need to know about line editing crime fiction and thrillers
00:13:56
87. Academic developmental editing
00:22:36
75. Becoming a non-fiction editor: 4 things you need to know
00:28:52
74. Becoming a fiction editor: 4 things you need to know
00:25:22
27. Writing and editing for the web
00:58:18
37. Editing 'unearned writing'
00:28:30
43. Using conlangs (constructed languages) in fiction
00:30:23
51. Do you need a specialist editor?
00:13:57
53. Editing erotica and adult fiction. With Maya Berger
00:18:31
54. How to write a military story that sells. With Brunella Costagliola
00:33:52
55. Moving from traditional to indie publishing. With John A. Connell
00:35:50