Saturday Snippet: Secondary Characters

The theme for this week is secondary characters.

Secondary characters add another dimension to a story: comic relief, danger and sometimes the plot hinges on a secondary character.

That's the case with "Sorry Charlie" an M/M story in the "Friction" anthology coming out in print by Total-E-Bound Monday December 7, 2009.

In "Sorry Charlie" Charlie's dad wants to make up after a 17-year family feud.

He's overjoyed, excited, and nervous as hell that his father is finally accepting his sexual orientation and speaking to him after a 17-year family feud but Charlie can't understand why his long-term partner Jonathan is acting jealous and clingy, when he should be happy for him or at least supportive.

Jon's afraid Charlie's family will hurt him again and he doesn't know if he can mend Charlie's heart if it shatters a second time or stand by and watch while Charlie sets himself up for more heartbreak.

Charlie's father is the catalyst for the story. Before Charlie's father came back into the picture, there was no conflict, thus no story.

Another secondary character in this story is Adam. Adam's a fun character. He's Charlie's and Jon's friend and provides the comic relief. In the act of trying to make Jon feel better, he causes more complications in an already complicated, emotional situation. The story wouldn't be the same without Charlie's father or Adam.




Excerpt From: Sorry Charlie

Search your feelings. You know I’m your father. The words rang in Charlie Lang’s head. For the past seventeen years, he’d wished anyone but Asa Charles Lang was his dad, even Darth Vader. His father made Vader look like a pussycat. At least, he’d wanted Luke once he’d found out about him.

Asa had been there at the moment of Charlie’s birth. He’d raised him ‘til he was seven when Charlie’s parents split. That’s when Asa had stolen off in the night to escape his debts, and according to Charlie’s mother, Gail, all his responsibilities to them. He’d found a new wife, made new kids, and only saw Charlie every few years for a measly day or two at a time.

Still, it hadn’t been too bad ‘til Charlie had come out of the closet at age twenty-two and announced he was gay. Then Asa, his stepmom, Sharon, and his half-siblings had disowned him. They’d declared him dead to them.

The thought of running into them on the street had his partner, Jonathan, freaking out.

Now Sharon and a half-brother were dead and buried, and his other sibs had moved away, leaving Asa alone. Now, he was ready to forgive Charlie and rebuild their relationship.

Charlie rubbed the half-day’s growth of beard on his chin and shook his head. This was a good thing. Right?

“I can’t do this with you right now,” he told Jonathan. “I have to meet my dad.” Charlie stood tall and didn’t allow himself to flinch—not outwardly anyway. He also didn’t let Jonathan’s pretty-boy looks or his pout sway him from today’s outing.

Jonathan glared and scrunched his nose. He threw down his towel like a gauntlet, leaving him naked. “When will you have time for me? This man abandoned you for seventeen years, trashed you to everyone you knew and made our lives hell. And now, you run every time he calls. I don’t get it. Explain it to me.”

"Sorry Charlie" in the "Friction" anthology is available in e-book now and print Monday Dec. 7, 2009 at Total-E-Bound.

To read more Snippet Saturday excerpts about secondary characters follow the links below:


Shelli Stevens
Leah Braemel
Anya Bast
Mandy Roth
Victoria Janssen
Sasha White

Vivian Arend
Ashley Ladd
Jaci Burton
Taige Crenshaw
Shelley Munro
TJ Michaels
Juliana Stone
Eliza Gayle
McKenna Jeffries
Moira Rogers 

Jody Wallace

Kelly Maher
Lauren Dane
Ashley Ladd


Recent posts you might like to read:

When Do You Write?

Nanowrimo Thoughts 

To Nano Or Not To Nano - That Is The Question

Why You Should Consider Library Booksignings

Make Sure Pretentious Words Don't Turn Off Your Readers

Are You Writing Me Into Your Book?

Dont Give Up Too Early

Must Write Must Write Must Write!!!