There is nothing more endearing than a great supporting
character. I think of the movie Sahara
where Matthew McConaughey’s (Dirk) humorous side-kick Steve Zahn (Al) added so much to the story, you loved him almost
as much as you did the lead. We all
recognize Scotland Yard Inspector, Holmes and his incredible sidekick
Watson.
Supporting characters
are the sounding board, the foil, the spark that allows the leading character to
share information with the reader. Don’t
you just hate it when characters talk to themselves? What a cheesy way to explain what’s happening
in a scene or to express internal conflict.
Supporting characters
create balance and sometimes unbalance in a story. A good use for a sidekick is the friend or co-worker who doesn’t
let the main character(s) got too full of himself, or go over the edge and
murder the man who killed his wife. The
counterbalance supporting character, like a wife or child, will show the
hardened policeman in a different light.
I’ve heard it say, ‘sidekicks are the yin to the protagonists’
yang.’ That works for me and reminds me
the main character(s) need someone to bounce their concerns off, to give comic
relief, or to be that one person that will make your story believable. When creating sidekicks just think opposites
and you’ll be right on track.
You can also choose sidekicks that are annoying, tormenting, and
generally a pain in the butt. What kind
of characters are these? Say the
over-protective and caring mother. How
about the co-worker who is jealous and is constantly trying to belittle the
protagonist?
Conflict keeps your story alive and supporting characters can
provide all sorts of
stimulating or multidimensional problems that can thwart, obfuscate,
and even mystify the protagonist.
In many instances your supporting character is also the
adversary who needs convincing and even support throughout the story. With a challenger
or rival in the story, the sleuth has opportunities to dispute, struggle and typically
reveal his grit, cleverness, resourcefulness, cunning, and also skill.
So who is the supporting character? He/she can be anyone in your main character’s
life; wife, a friend, neighbor, co-worker, bartender, even pet. Your supporting character adds dimension to the
story by adding more threat or risk, and maybe even the possibility of becoming
a suspect.
Just like main characters, supporting characters come with flaws
and baggage of their own. It your
protagonist has children, who is taking care of them while he/she is out
searching for a killer? Again, if you
have a pet- they have to be fed and watered as well as taken out for potty
breaks. An invalid mother needs a
caretaker.
If your supporting character is important to the story, make the
reader believably care or hate them, but don’t stereotype them to the point of
boring or making them obvious players.
Flesh out their characters so they’re integral to the story as well.
Supporting characters should never become as important as the
protagonist. They are supporting cast –
always keep that in mind. They are there
to compliment, not clog the story up with their issues and opinions.
Minor characters should never make a
splash when introduced into your story.
Minor characters are just that.
You don’t have to introduce the waitress or the bar tender if they play
no larger role in the story than to serve food or drinks. They are in your story to add texture and
realism and nothing more.
Remember, your supporting characters are just that – supporting
the main character(s) to facilitate the plot and keep the reader turning those
pages with increased intensity.
