Character Building – Part 2

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“I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam.” ~ The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Nothing says Independence Day like fireworks and sparklers, which is why this week’s post is on sidekicks. There’s a connection there…somewhere. Maybe. Moving on.

While main characters (see last week’s post) are the heroes of a story, they often couldn’t save the day without a little help. Sidekicks can range anywhere from a beloved pet, best friend, or even rival. They add depth, color, comedic relief, and the really good ones ones steal the show.

Which begs the question, what makes a truly great sidekick? Let’s look at a few examples:

Harry Potter by JK Rowling — Rowling is the master of character casts. In all her books she creates visceral, living, breathing characters, but it started with Harry Potter. Ron and Hermione are Harry’s sidekicks through all 7 books; they have their own unique personalities, motivations, struggles, and (most important) subplots. Then there’s Snape, whose questionable allegiance kept readers guessing up until the big reveal at the end. He’s arguably the bravest, most courageous character in the series. If it weren’t for Harry’s sidekicks, he couldn’t have defeated Voldemort, and the magical world at Hogwarts wouldn’t have been nearly as fun.

A Song of Fire and Ice by George R. R. Martin — Case in point, Martin kills off his would-be protagonist at the end of book 1, and the remaining characters are strong enough to carry the plot through subsequent books. That is, for as long as they survive the blood bath ravaging Westeros. I’ve heard this series described as fantasy noir based on the morally-murky motivations of many of the characters. Tyrion Lannister with his calculating intellect and horrible family, Daenerys Targaryen with her dragons and power-hungry ambitions, Arya Stark with her cleverness and determination. Martin created an extensive cast of characters, but they’re all different enough that the reader can keep them straight.

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton — Admittedly, I’m a sucker for cats in literature, but especially when they have authentic purr-sonalities (sorry, couldn’t help myself). Clive the cat has a quirky personality, provides comedic relief, and even worms his way into the main romantic plot. The book wouldn’t be the same without him. And in the sequel, he even gets his own subplot (and harem!). Totally brill.

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer — A sci-fi reinvention of fairy tales, I especially love predicting who each of the new sidekick characters represent. For example, Cress first appears in Scarlet but it isn’t until her own story in book 3 that we learn she’s meant to be Rapunzel, although there are enough hints that the astute reader could guess that. This brings up an important point: great sidekicks should be so well crafted that they could have a whole book written about them, and in this series they do.

Sidekicks need to be real and unique individuals with their own wants and needs. Additionally, they need to say something about the main character. When I write sidekicks, I find it helpful to ask myself questions like: Is there something about this character that challenges or helps the lead? What is their relationship to the main character? Does it evolve throughout the story? Is there a way I can better leverage this character in the main plot?

Who are your favorite sidekicks? What makes them special? Writers, do you have any guidelines for crafting sidekicks?

What I’m reading: The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

What I’m listening to: Bubble Games — Magic Bronson