Short Story: Revenge of the Secondary Characters
Just when you thought it was safe to write that novel...
New writer alert! Dr. Neil Weiner has been published in four books and numerous literary magazines. He also writes the column AskDrNeil for the North Peninsula Review.
Chad, an aspiring author, sank into his easy chair and drifted into a reverie...
He found himself not in his apartment, but in a dusty courthouse at the center of a nameless small town. The kind of town with cracked sidewalks, sagging porches, and secrets whispered over pie at the diner.
Inside, four of his secondary characters were holding court.
“Chad, man. This whole book is a trite monstrosity.” Jay, the informant, said as he leaned on the prosecution table. “Amy, your golden-haired D.A., gets the verdict, the headlines, the man. Meanwhile, the rest of us get stuck with cliché dialogue and no backstories.”
Minerva, pale and wired, added. “I’ve OD’d six times in one book. That’s not a character arc, that’s malpractice. Instead of chasing cartels, you could’ve written me chasing a second chance.”
“Or a proper job,” added Preston Brightham III, lounging with disdain. “I sell luxury sedans to corn-fed cowboys. Brilliant. And Detective Rachel here. She’s a goddamn widow who lost her husband in a bust gone wrong. Yet you have her fetching coffee for that insipid Detective Adam.”
Rachel rose. “I buried my husband in this town. They buried the truth, too. You want noir, Chad? Start digging.”