Michael A. Kahn

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Michael A. Kahn

Author and Trial Attorney

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In Praise of Cage-Free Characters

By Michael KahnPosted on March 15, 20151 Comment1min read1253 views

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246383_original[1]The good folks at the Writers & Authors blog asked for some of my thoughts and advice on writing. Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate the joys of what I call the cage-free characters. Think of them as the fictional version of free-range chickens.

kramer-seinfeld5[1]For readers, the cage-free character is the minor character who suddenly appears to have taken control of the novel or play, morphing from a bit player into a major figure. My favorite cage-free character is Falstaff in Shakespeare’s Henry IV parts 1 and 2. But there are plenty of others. For fans of sit-coms, a great example is Kramer of Seinfeld. As for literature, the Hall of Fame of cage-free characters most surely includes Sancho Panza of Don Quixote. And for all you supplicants in the Church of Breaking Bad, that marvelous free-range character named Saul Goodman has not merely broken out of his cage but is now the star of his own show.

Andantes,+Serie++El+Qijote+y+sancho+Panza,+Óleo+sobre+lienzo,+Jesus+Helguera[1]For authors, the cage-free character is like a gift from the gods, to be treasured and enjoyed and spoiled, as I explain in my Writers & Authors blog post, which you can read here.

 

Breaking BadDon QuixoteFalstaffKramerSancho PanzaSaul GoodmanSeinfeld
Michael Kahn
Michael Kahn is a trial lawyer by day and a writer by night. He is the award-winning author of 11 Rachel Gold novels and 3 standalone novels, including his most recent one, PLAYED!, and several short stories. His latest Rachel Gold novel, BAD TRUST, is the 11th in that series.
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Michael A. Kahn

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