Everyone loves a sidekick. Reveal magical insights into your hero and drive the plot forward by building characters through friendships.
Everyone needs someone, even your imaginary friends… I mean, um, characters. Part of developing characters is knowing who they turn to in good, bad, boring times. The laugh-inspirers, advice givers, personal cheerleaders, the people she can be stupid with, the ones to take tubing or camping or into that creepy cabin in the woods. Family, friends, co-workers, whatever–your character has a pool from which to pull her peeps. Peeps are human comfort food. Wait, does that sound weird? Don’t eat your peeps.
“Home Alone is a movie, not an alibi.” ~ Detective Briscoe, played by Jerry Orbach in Law and Order (He’s my TV version of comfort food)
During Hurricane Florence, our family of four evacuated to two of our peeps–Uncles Michael and Andy–for over a week. So, there were six of us plus one dog, Brownie, living in a typical two-person, pet-free household.
Things could have been crazy.
Crazy, like the pizza scene in Home Alone. Kevin’s cheese pizza is gone, his older brother teases him, and his younger cousin will definitely pee in the bed they’re supposed to share. It’s no surprise when Kevin lets his rage get away from him, and the shit hits the fan. His uncle yells at him, “Look what you did, you little jerk!”
But our week-long evacuation stayed as harmonious as the day we arrived. Our generous hosts took our minds off what could’ve been happening at our house with no electricity, flooding, and trees strewn across roads. We felt perfectly at home (or they’re really good actors, hard to tell).
A family’s usually the first place to look for peeps–though maybe Kevin should branch out when he gets older. Some of his family members edge a delicate line into intolerable. Perhaps that’s why he keeps making friends with strangers.
The good news for Kevin and writers is that peeps can come from anywhere–they are the family one chooses. And who one chooses says much about who they are.
Some of my favorite bookish friend groups lately have been….
The mystery-solving pensioners in The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, the mystery-solving ladies from The Secret Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams, and the intriguing mystery-solving duo from my latest graphic novel, Friday: The First Day of Christmas by Brubaker et al.
Hmm, see a theme there? Yes, I love a good mystery. And there’re some great friendships in my Delilah Duffy Mystery Series, too, if you’re looking for your next great read. Get Sea-Devil for free right here.
But back to building characters through friendships in your novel. Here are some general questions to get your creative wheels turning:
👨🏼🤝👨🏽 Start with a list of people your main character spends time with, whether they choose to or not. Family, neighbors, workmates, classmates, playmates. Of those, who does your main character want to spend time with? And why? What’s so special about them? And what does he or she provide for your main character? A calming presence? A dark side? Are they opposites or twins?
🚢 Who would she take on vacation with zero hesitations? (Seriously, I don’t think the McAllister family really thought this through). What type of vacation would they plan together?
🎳 What’s something that’s theirs, like a hobby or activity they do together? Like roller derby or movie-watching or a murder club?
🪳 Who would your heroine evacuate to in a plumbing emergency, bug problem, murder threat, arrest warrant, or hurricane?
☺️ How might her peeps influence, help, comfort her, or sometimes… hurt her? In what ways are they jealous of each other?
😰 Who does she cry to, go to with her biggest problems and worst confessions? Who would she call in the middle of the night after learning her mother died? Or during a panic attack?
For more details, try these writing prompts to build your character’s sidekick(s):
🍿 Who could your main character share a blanket with while watching a movie without it being weird?
🫖 Who knows how your hero takes his coffee? Or tea? Or mixed drink?
🍻 Who knows your hero’s medical history, dating fails, and worst drunk stories?
🤣 Your heroine has just heard the stupidest, most hilarious joke. She can’t wait to tell ______.
💣 It’s the end of the world. Relying on conversations they’ve had about what they’d do in this event, where do they meet?
🍨 Your heroine keeps this product _____ (Craft Beer, Hot Sauce, Peppermint Tea, Sugar-Free Hazelnut Coffee Creamer) on hand, just in case _______ stops by, and she usually does, most nights.
🙉 What truth does the FRIEND reveal to your main character that she doesn’t want to hear? (Hint: Could also be your story’s main conflict)
Building characters through friendships is almost a writer’s trick. A good writer can deliver backstories, conflicts, quirks, loves, hates, peeves, wants, desires, and passions via the best friend, sparing the reader hellaciously long expositions. Peeps help us through problems, and sidekicks help writers move the story along.
Tell us about your character’s peeps and share any character-building questions or ideas below in the comments.
For more writing prompts, check out my blog. Maybe get a cup of coffee first… or tea. You’ll want to stay a while.
