I read a great post the other day at Writer Unboxed about secondary characters and their importance within the construct of the story. You should go check it out, but the gist of it is that to get the most of our secondary characters, they should function as more than just a filler for all of the things that the hero and heroine cannot do. They are more than just the comic relief, the evil stepsisters, or the catalyst to keep the conflict hurtling toward our story’s black moment.
And isn’t that the truth? Our secondary characters are sometimes more of a challenge than the main characters. It can be so damn hard to bring them to life, but not allow them to steal the spotlight from the hero and heroine and turn the story around on us.
So how do we make the most of the secondary men and women that we have created? In one respect, I say go ahead and give them all the benefits and drawbacks of a hero/heroine. Make them as lifelike and interesting as you can. Give them just as many quirks, just as much emotional baggage, as much motivation and conflict—but keep it to yourself. Use your manuscript to let little hints of the characters bleed through, because that can only add to the vibrancy of your work.
But when you’re really fleshing out these secondary characters, do it on a blank page that you save separate from the MS. Get it all out of your system and write the book you need to write. Then, if your story lends itself to the possibility, leave the door open for a sequel to showcase that devastatingly handsome but ruthless mobster who toyed with the affections of your heroine and came this close to getting the best of your hero, and give him his chance at redemption and a happy ever after of his very own. (Um…you know what I mean.)
Now that I’ve said that, who are your favourite secondary characters? Did they end up with their own books later down the line, and did the book measure up to what you had imagined for them when they walked onto that first page as a sidekick or villain? Or was the reality of their transformation into a hero/heroine disappointing?
9 comments:
Sometimes it's just too obvious that the author has a plan for the secondary characters. Sequel-bait all the way.
I particularly enjoy it when a writer can transform or redeem a secondary character who has not heretofore shown heroic qualities. Christine Merrill did it w/ her first 2 books (brilliantly) and I hope I get to do it with Andrew!
Maggie, that's my favourite too! Taking an almost villain, someone showing definite signs of a black and irreemable soul, and seeing if you can make him a hero.
I haven't written his book yet, but I have definite plans for Karnage :)
I love when people write series about a group of characters, like JR Ward's Brotherhood. Or Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunters. And I'm adoring Jessica Andersen's Nightkeeper series.
I'm trying to think of historicals that have more than the two main character's POVs, but I can't think of any right off the top of my head.
What great advice about writing secondary stories out of the primary loop, Kris.
I'm a huge fan of series that introduce a cast of characters who eventually get their own books--sometimes soon as with Eloisa James' Desperate Duchesses books and sometimes over many years as with Rothgar and Dare in Jo Bev's Malloren and Rogue books. But, like Maggie, I hate the characters who appear practically wearing a sign that reads "My book is next."
Mary Jo Putney (The Rake), Carla Kelly (One Good Turn), and Lisa Kleypas (Devil in Winter)have all written secondary-character-turned-redeemed- hero books that I count among my top favorites.
Marn, not that you have to give the secondary character a chance at POV, but sometimes they still pop right off the page, you know?
One of my favourite secondary characters that ended up with his own book was Judd Lauren of Nalini Singh's series. I'm sure she planned for his book from the very beginning, but it didn't bother me at all. He was amazing!
I agree with you Janga, Sebastian from Kleypas' book is one of my favourite "redeemed" character.
I wasn't complaining about secondaries getting POV. I actually like extra POVs in books. But you're right; sometimes a secondary does just leap out at ya. :)
I think, with anything, it depends on how the author writes it.
I love secondary characters. I love writing them--I usually use them as a secondary romance plot in my books, in Immortal Beloved I did it entirely in my H/H POV so you don't get Mary/Josephs thoughts. In Untamed Beauty I do four POVs, two are the secondary romance characters---obviously. Love the redeemable bad boys too.
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