https://chat.openai.com/ provided six suggestions for the middle of a novel. One will look at today is # 4.
#4. “Secondary characters: Introduce secondary characters who are related to Jackson and Jane, or new characters who will play a role in the story. These characters can add depth to the story and provide different perspectives on the main characters’ situations.”
We already have one secondary character, Jane’s ex. Since it is both Jackson’s and Jane’s hometown, we will have the choice of many people. We just have to be careful not to add too many people. We can have a female character who dated Jackson and knew both Jane and her ex. That single character should be able to provide all the back stories we need. We need buddies for both Jackson and Jane. They can provide intimate details others might not.
These are the secondary characters I can immediately see the story calls for. Perhaps, you can think of more. Just remember not to overload the reader with all sorts of characters.
