![]() Clones Show-Don’t-Tell the Plot AlternativesĪs Ms. Cron explains, “we learn from watching and discussing how others–whether friends, family, or foe–struggled with the banana peels that life blithely tossed in their path. But in the hands of a skillful storyteller, they are the invisible ink that helps illuminate the story’s point.” To the untrained eye, clone characters appear to be nothing more than secondary characters populating the story’s world. “A clone in story terms is a tool for showing, not telling. Why should you develop your secondary characters into clones?īecause, as Gary Provost says, this “is usually one of the main means of demonstrating or showing (rather than telling) … theme without the need for some kind of editorial comment.” This is a simple use of clones, and one of the most obvious to see.” Sounds like work. It is the failure of the first two pigs that allows us to measure the success of the last pig. ![]() Mr. McDonald says, “Two of the Three Little Pigs are clones. The subplot is used to contrast how the hero and a second character deal with the same problem in slightly different ways” and with a different result. “Symbol characters symbolize something important to the hero,” says Victoria Lynn Schmidt.Īnd John Truby says, “The subplot character has a very precise function in a story, and … it involves the comparative method. ![]() Thus they either serve as a cautionary tale or a validation or provide a fresh perspective.” Mirror characters are “secondary characters in a situation similar to the one the protagonist finds himself in.” They change “the way the protagonist sees the situation–because mirroring subplots reveal alternate ways in which the story question could be resolved. Mirroring subplots “often whisper: This is what you’re wishing for are you sure it’s what you really want?” says Lisa Cron. They become mirrors of or foils for each other.” “All characters are some combination of same, different, or same and different. “Almost all supporting characters face a choice that is a variation of the protagonist’s dilemma,” says Jim Mercurio. Through clones, a character and the audience can “see what might happen if the character doesn’t change her ways.” “Clones are characters in your story that represent what could, should, or might happen to the protagonist if he or she takes a particular path,” says Brian McDonald. And they often drive a subplot (which we may look at in more detail when we get to plot). Characters who serve this function are often referred to asįoils, mirror characters, reflection characters, symbols, or even clones. ![]() ![]() One way of showing theme and thematic premise is through comparing and contrasting the main character’s thematic traits with those of supporting characters. ![]()
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