Novel Kicks Writing Room: Side Characters

Published July 8, 2026 | By Laura

Hello and welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.

Side characters are sometimes a bit forgotten when we’re writing a story.

The main protagonist is obviously important, but today, those supporting characters are getting a bit of love.

First, pick a setting from the following (if you want to make it more interesting, pick one at random. Here’s a link to a random number generator.) –

. An abandoned hotel on a cliff edge

. A hospital at night

. A busy carnival/fair/theme park

. A forest

. A small town

Next, pick a genre –

. Historical Fiction

. Fantasy

. Contemporary

. Sci-Fi

. Cozy crime

. Crime/Thriller

. Romance

Pick a scenario from the following –

. Interrupting a robbery

. A family wedding

. Living with a secret that involves magic

. First day in a new school/job

. A mystery at the seaside

Now create four characters. Write approx. 50 words describing each. For example, female, 40, lawyer, blonde hair etc.

Now write a piece that showcases conflict between two of the characters you’ve created using the parameters you’ve created above.

Have fun.

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Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.

Novel Kicks Writing Room: Side Characters

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