Secondary characters…
Secondary characters aren’t that important in short stories because they can’t be, but in novellas and definitely in the novel they can contribute a good deal to readers’ enjoyment. My perception is that secondary characters prop up the plot and main characters. Perhaps Hollywood argot describes the situation better: main characters are the main actors, and secondary characters are supporting actors, emphasis on “supporting.” Where would Conan Doyle’s Sherlock be without Dr. Watson? Where would Rowling’s Harry be without Ron? And would Asimov’s futuristic detective Elijah Bailey accomplish much without his android partner Daneel Olivaw? (In fact, Elijah disappears from the extended Foundation series, and Daneel becomes a main character, who ends the series!) These are old examples, of course, but there are many more recent ones.
Both editors and reviewers have complained when I kill off secondary characters. I can become so attached to them that I’ll give them their own novels—Ashley Scott, in The Golden Years of Virginia Morgan, and Esther Brookstone, in Rembrandt’s Angel and Son of Thunder, are examples of characters who graduated from secondary roles to starring roles in their own stories. Nobody complains about this; It’s the killing off that creates the blowback. A reviewer protested about my killing off a secondary character in Aristocrats and Assassins. I actually liked her, but I just didn’t know enough about the inner workings of Mossad (and with Trump’s friend Bibi in charge now, I’m not sure I want to know). An editor protested when I killed off a Turkish inspector, who I also liked (but I knew he didn’t have much of a future with Erdogan in charge). I also have an affection for villains (Vladimir Kalinin lasted a long time before I bumped him off). I’ll take the blowback and admit to character assassination (at least none of these cases happened on Fifth Avenue).
The reason that secondary characters are important is obvious: Every character must seem human, an interesting, complex, human being who could really exist. Secondary characters help the main ones achieve that, but, in doing so, they often appear to take over and dominate the plot, essentially writing their own stories within a story. You’ve seen that occur in movies, but I saw it in books first.
Authors often struggle with this. I have fought with secondary characters. I can usually broker a truce by promising that pushy secondary character a starring role elsewhere, but sometimes I throw up my hands and turn that secondary character into a main character, which requires rewriting a lot of material. (Detective Chen is an example. Yes, Dao-Ming, you convinced me, and I don’t regret it.)
Does this sound schizophrenic? Ask other authors. I’m no psychiatrist, and I’d refuse to psychoanalyze myself even if I were. If those other authors are honest, they’ll admit to these goings-on. In my case, it’s because themes and plots are more important to me than characterization. I’d guess that authors who emphasize the latter might have this occur less frequently? Dunno.
I don’t know how writers managed all this before computers and word-processing software. I’m guessing they’d go through lots of notebooks and reams of paper on their typewriters. Developing characters is like developing plots for me: it requires a lot of content editing before I’m satisfied. And the whole process often leads to new stories as well.
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Comments are always welcome.
The Golden Years of Virginia Morgan. What will the US government do in the future with its agents and other employees who know too many secrets? Find out in this tale about a frightening government conspiracy. While fiction, you might ask yourself, “Could this really happen?” I wrote it, so you already know my answer! Available in .mobi (Kindle) ebook format at Amazon, and in all ebook formats at Smashwords and its affiliated retailers (iBooks, B&N, Kobo, etc.) and library and lending services (Scribd, Overdrive, Baker & Taylor, Gardners, etc.).
Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!
