Tuesday, January 14, 2020

U: EVERYTHING CRIME FROM A – Z



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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