Elizabeth Boyle’s webinar on Secondary Characters was quite informative. Here are some of her points.
First, what do you need secondary characters for?
- Lesson or Role? Your secondary character will be compared to the protagonist by the readers. Will they be a lesson to show the protagonist what not to do – or will they be a role model leading the protagonist the way they should be going?
- Mirror or Foil? Will your secondary character be a mirror-copy of the protagonist, holding up what needs to be seen and learned – or are they going to go against the protagonist and provide contrast? A mirror is a character that shares common attributes and may be part of the protagonist’s ordinary world. They may inspire, or they may be a cautionary tale (see below). A foil is a character that is almost the exact opposite of the protagonist, like Holmes and Watson or Will Turner and Captain Jack Sparrow. They highlight traits by contrast, offer lessons, and force self-examination.
- Help or Hinder? Will the secondary character help or hinder the protagonist? They can do the latter without being an antagonist, you know.
- Inspiration. What about inspiring the protagonist? How will the secondary character cheer the protagonist on and help them reach their goals?
- Cautionary Tale. Or will they show “there but for the grace of God go I”? This sort of secondary character shows the protagonist what they shouldn’t do or be, giving them a glimpse at the way things will be if the protagonist doesn’t change.
- Create Conflict. A good secondary character can create a lot of conflict for the protagonist, often without realizing it.
- Layers. And a secondary character can show different layers in themselves and in the protagonist. Start with the outer layers like clothing and mannerisms and move inward to things like how others perceive them, what is likeable about them, their inner character arc, and major life events or culture.
Of course, your secondary characters don’t have to do just one of the above. They can be multifaceted and perform several roles. You can even use an animal as a secondary character, showing the protagonist’s character by showing how they relate to the animal.
Secondary characters also have great powers of transformation for the protagonist. They can bring internal conflict into play and prod the protagonist to question internal beliefs. This can be done either directly or indirectly, by planting questions, showing evidence, or prodding with speculation.
Here are some archetypes for your secondary characters:
- The sidekick or BFF (Best Friend Forever): this character is a close friend (or family member) who sticks to the protagonist through thick or thin. Think Luke Skywalker and Han Solo or Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.
- The mentor, guardian, or magi: this is usually an older character who guides the protagonist along the way. Think Yoda or Gandalf.
- The love interest: this may or may not be the main romance in the story. A love interest doesn’t even need to be acknowledged by either party, but this character is the one your protagonist is in love with. Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann or Aragorn and Arwen are two good examples of a love interest.
- The skeptic: this character is, as it sounds, one that picks holes in the protagonist’s ideas and plans. “That’ll never work,” or “How can you justify that?”
- The fool: this is an innocent character, not necessarily ignorant, but naïve and usually somewhat bumbling. They show the protagonist the way by stumbling into the wrong answer over and over.
- The tech wizard or specialist: this is a secondary character, like Q in the James Bond stories, who seems to have all the gear the protagonist may need, or some sort of specialized information that may save the day.
- The stranger: this is the character who looks on from the outside of the norm, who can compare the protagonist’s normal life to life in other places.
- The villager: this is the opposite of the stranger, someone from the protagonist’s normal life who can compare life outside with “the way things are supposed to be.”
And as with the above list, your secondary characters can serve several purposes at once. So long as they play off the protagonist in some way, they’ll enhance the story and move things along.