Upstaged
The story unfolds: the protagonist comes to life, the plot
is interesting and it’s well-written. Great—all going to plan! Then suddenly, the
sleuth’s sidekick comes out of nowhere and grabs all the attention. He’s got
better lines, he’s more noticeable, he’s more charming or funnier or quirkier.
Face it, he’s going to more loveable than your wonderful detective and you
can’t stop him. Uh-oh! Now what?
As writers, you think you have total control over your characters’
actions. Many writers do. They outline and have everything in place before
actually spinning the tale. But a lot of writers (myself included) find that as
we write, sometimes a character takes over and you can’t stop it. Should you?
In my opinion—no! Go with the flow. Let the sidekick shine and be more
memorable than the other major players. There’s a reason your sidekick took
over. Give him more ‘screentime’. If you’re
captivated, chances are your readers will be, too.
Some of MY
preferences:
In Psych—I adore the father, Henry Spencer
In Murdoch Mysteries—I adore Constable Crabtree
In the Stephanie Plum novels—the cop, I adore Joe Morelli
In Monk—I adore Sharona
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