My previous post explored the thought process behind the decision to forge ahead with a sequel to a book or to leave it as a standalone story. Sequels can take different forms, however, not necessarily continuing the same protagonists’ storyline. You might choose to do a prequel of one of the characters’ earlier life or switch the spotlight to a standout secondary character.
As I shared in The Book the Blog Wrote, I was compelled to pen my 2022 release, Wrong Line, Right Connection, because of my writing coach’s affinity for Mabel, a secondary character in a previous novel, Forgetting My Way Back to You. She jumped right off the page—due in part to her being inspired by my real-life cherished friend—and made my writing coach along with other readers yearn for more. It took me a while to warm up to the idea, but when I did at last, I savored the opportunity to put her front and center.
Still, it’s a lot of pressure to make that change. When readers enjoy a character that much, you don’t want to let them down, just like with a regular sequel. Along with that, you have to approach the character in a different way than you did when they were just in the background. At the same time, you want to bring the qualities that made them stand out and center a plot around them that feels authentic to them personally.
How can you create the right recipe?
These secondary characters who steal the spotlight often have big personalities. In Mabel’s case, she captured readers’ attention with her sharp wit and spunky spirit. When I began Wrong Line, Right Connection, I knew I had to bring that to the novel, and I didn’t waste any time doing so, having her feistily walk away from an abusive homelife in a mink coat and all! From that prologue onward, she matched up well with her sassy older version that appeared in Forgetting My Way Back to You.
That said, thrusting a character into the foreground necessitates that you give them more depth. While you can and should implement that humor or whatever quality is prominent, you can’t just have them as the comedic relief like they were as sidekicks. They’re now the ones who will face the conflicts and plot twists, and they won’t always have a punchline the way they might have as an observer. This doesn’t mean that you have to shape them into a different person or that it doesn’t align with who they were in previous stories. Rather, it shows the realistic, different facets of their personalities, making them even more relatable.
The fun part about this is being able to switch roles in the storyline, if you’re using other characters from past books. I didn’t have this opportunity with Wrong Line, Right Connection, as it took place in an earlier time and different place from its forerunner. With my current work in progress, which follows a few memorable characters from The Und(e)afeated Detective Series, I’ve enjoyed letting the former protagonist, Minka, take a step back from all the challenges and take over as the little spark of comedic relief and outsider wisdom.
As mentioned earlier, you also want to set them in a scenario that makes sense for him/her. People pick up on throwing in a character just because he/she’s popular, especially if the story has nothing to do with what made them popular. How can we give it a genuine feel? Hone in on personal details in the original story that you can incorporate into the plot. With Mabel, I focused on what she disclosed about her past, including a memory box of mementoes she compiled.
Just like with regular sequels, we need to go into it with a passion rather than doing it to meet expectations or revive nostalgia. When we do, our readers will engage with the story and characters as much as they did when they first discovered them. Whether it takes place before or after the original, they’ll soak up the chance to get a new glimpse at the full individual and what makes him/her into the character they already adored.
KarinaBartow.com 
One thought on “From the Sidekick to the Hero: Putting Secondary Characters in the Forefront”