logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2024
17m 5s

Fiction lingo: 5 character roles and the...

LOUISE HARNBY (FICTION EDITOR) AND DENISE COWLE (NON-FICTION EDITOR)
About this episode

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/

Up next
Aug 5
Should you make changes to your editing business?
Denise and Louise discuss why your editorial business offering might be ripe for some changes.Listen to find out more aboutSignals that it’s time to make changesWhat change looks likeHow to make change strategicallyResourceIs Your Website AI-Friendly? The 8-Point Checklist for Ke ... Show More
14m 47s
Jul 16
15 types of materials that academic editors work on
Explore a selection of the different types of materials you might consider working on if you’re an academic editor.Listen to find out more aboutBooks and monographsConference materials Grant proposalsJournal articlesPeer review reportsReference listsResearch reportsReview article ... Show More
14m 22s
Jun 24
What are editorial reports, and should you write them?
Learn about editorial reports, and whether you should provide them to clients. Listen to find out more aboutWhat an editorial report isWhy not all clients need editorial reportsWhat to include in an editorial reportHow long editorial reports take to writeWhy editors should create ... Show More
13m 14s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
Magazine | How To Write Authentic and Diverse Characters
Have you ever wondered what makes some characters leap off the page while others fall flat? In this episode, we explore the art of creating authentic and diverse characters that resonate with readers. From building layered personalities to writing dialogue that truly fits, we’ll ... Show More
5m 1s
Sep 2023
18.36: The Soggy Middle Pays the Rent (or, "Stand Alone With Series Potential")
How do you write the middle of a book? How do you end your book? How do you know what to write next? This week, our hosts —who all work as a writers and publishers (and are sometimes teachers and puppeteers and many other things)— talk through how they have written the middle of ... Show More
26m 30s
Jun 2021
"Host" Screenwriter Gemma Hurley on Writing a Hit Movie
Today, Giles Alderson and his co-host Andrew Rodger welcome screenwriter Gemma Hurley to the podcast. She is one of the writers on the upcoming show The Rising and the co-writer of the amazing streaming horror hit Host, which took the internet by storm in 2020. Gem dives deep int ... Show More
56m 42s
Aug 3
S23 Ep5: NoSleep Podcast S23E05
It's Episode 05 of Season 23. Tune in to WNSP for tales about sinister senses. "The Last Time I Played Hide and Seek" written by Connor Isaac (Story starts around 00:05:45) TRIGGER WARNING! Produced by: Claudius Moore Cast: Narrator - Matthew Bradford, George - Allonté Barakat, N ... Show More
1h 17m
Oct 2020
Julie Delpy: Actor, Screenwriter & Director on filmmaking, acting and her latest feature 'My Zoe'
Giles and Robbie are humbled to sit down and chat with the incredible tour de force that is Julie Delpy. Whilst many of us may know and love her from Richard Linklater’s the 'Before' series or her work with Kieslowski on the Three Colours trilogy, we also know her prolific direct ... Show More
59m 2s
Dec 2020
Upending the Rom-Com Genre with Filmmakers Kimberley and Amy Datnow on their feature Daddy Issues
Giles and regular co-host Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar chat to sister filmmakers Kimberley Datnow and Amy Datnow to discuss their quirky, playful romantic comedy Daddy Issues. Kim and Amy share how they both found themselves in the industry from different perspectives, how they decided ... Show More
1h 22m
Jul 2023
Caitlin Moran, egg & dill salad with smoked mackerel and an Albariño
Nick and Angela welcome a bestselling author and journalist to DISH HQ. Caitlin Moran grew up in Wolverhampton in a family of eight kids and spent most of her time reading books at the local library instead of attending school. Unsurprisingly, Caitlin had written her first novel ... Show More
40m 46s
Jul 13
S23 Ep2: NoSleep Podcast S23E02
It's Episode 02 of Season 23. Tune in to WNSP for tales about things that live on and on. "The Gray House" written by G Rene Colls (Story starts around 00:04:45) Produced by: Jeff Clement Cast: Narrator - Jeff Clement, Jay - Matthew Bradford, Beast - Graham Rowat "The Cupcake Sta ... Show More
1h 27m
Mar 2025
ADOLESCENCE: Creating the new Netflix One-Take hit series with actors Stephen Graham & Erin Doherty, director Philip Barantini & writer Jack Thorne
On today’s episode, our primo host Dom Lenoir sits down with the team behind Netflix’s latest hit, Adolescence – a groundbreaking mini-series where every episode is shot in a single take. It’s an incredible achievement from the entire cast and crew, and we couldn’t wait to find o ... Show More
1h 20m
Jul 27
S23 Ep4: NoSleep Podcast S23E04
It's Episode 04 of Season 23. Tune in for tales about childish chills. "We found an old refrigerator and my friend won't stop pretending to be stuck inside" written by Quincy Lee(Story starts around 00:04:40) Produced by: Jeff Clement Cast: Narrator - Jeff Clement, Zazz - Atticus ... Show More
1h 17m