Why Every Protagonist Needs a Sidekick - by Joanna Campbell Slan

Ann Parker here, Friday's bloggin' child for the LadyKillers on second and fourth Fridays. Today, I'm turning over the virtual podium to guest author Joanna Campbell Slan, who will give us her two cents on sidekicks and why every protagonist needs one.

  Joanna Campbell Slan is the author of Paper, Scissors, Death, which was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel. The third book in the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series—Photo, Snap, Shot—has just been released. Visit Joanna at www.JoannaSlan.com or at http://www.KillerHobbies.blogspot.com.

Please welcome our honored guest, Joanna!

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 Pity the lowly sidekick. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. Forever relegated to second place. But oh, so important.

When I think, “sidekick,” I think of some of the most endearing characters ever created. I think of Barney Rubble, Barney Fife, Doctor Watson, Tonto, and all the secondary folks stranded on Gilligan’s Island. I think of Melanie in Gone with the Wind. There’s also Spock, the first officer of the USS Enterprise. And who could forget Lulu in Stephanie Plum’s world? All are fascinating!

A sidekick is to a protagonist what ketchup is to French fries. Nearly a necessity. Certainly a dash of extra spice. And always rendering a more fulsome enjoyment. The best sidekicks round out the “flavor” of the protagonist by reflecting a part of his/her personality the reader/viewer would never otherwise know. Sure, you could eat your fries straight from the bag without any ketchup, but why would you? It’s that tangy tomato sauce that raises the taste of the potatoes to the next level. In the same way, a sidekick bumps up the wattage on your garden-variety protagonist. Sidekicks are fun for readers, and they provide authors with a delicious sense of freedom by doing a lot of heavy lifting during the course of a book.

A sidekick can boldly go where your character can’t. In my books, it’s clear that Kiki Lowenstein’s best friend Mert has been in foster care. It’s also clear she’s led a hard-knock life. Because Mert takes on those burdens, I didn’t have to weigh Kiki down with that emotional baggage.

A sidekick can reflect on the protagonist, allowing the writer to “show” not “tell.” They can also provide the explanatory backstory that grounds your book. It is Watson at the end of the story “A Study in Scarlet” who suggests to Holmes that his work should be publicized. Then Watson delivers to us, an adoring public, a series of narratives about the great detective.            

A sidekick can say things your protagonist never would. In Photo, Snap, Shot, Mert tells Kiki, “I think you’re confused as a polecat raising a black and white kitten.” Kiki would never use the word “polecat.” She might think “skunk” instead, but Mert is a country girl. Somehow “polecat” is funnier than skunk, isn’t it?

One of the best rationales for a sidekick’s very existence is the “reaction shot.” In film-making parlance, this is a camera shot that cuts away from the action to allow a character to react. Often, it’s a character’s reaction that gives us insight into her soul. So in Gone with the Wind, Scarlett’s reaction to Melanie wanting to give up while she’s in labor tells us volumes about…Scarlett, not Melanie! For all her calloused behavior, for all her jealousy, Scarlett reveals herself to be both a good person and a loyal friend.

The sidekick can allow a protagonist to stay morally pure and unstained. For example, in Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar books, his best friend Win offers up vigilante justice with a viciousness that Myron doesn’t have the stomach for. Because Coben assigns these scenes to Win, Myron maintains the moral high ground.

But I think the best use for sidekicks is to have them serve as bookends for your character. In Cut, Crop & Die, the second book in my Kiki Lowenstein series, I added Clancy to Kiki’s circle of pals. Clancy stands in contrast to Mert, because Clancy is a Jackie Kennedy clone whereas Mert is more like Dolly Parton. By positioning friends at the opposite ends of the lifestyle/education/social status spectrum, I broadened Kiki’s world without changing my main character one bit.

The next time your protagonist’s world seems a little bland, why not shout, “Pass the ketchup!” Add a bit of spice and flavor by pouring on a sidekick.

Comments

[Camille Minichino]

Very nice thread about "opposites" Joanna! And isn't it fun to be able to play with so many different personalities?

[Ann]

I like the idea of Sidekicks as being "bookends" to a protagonist. Hmmmm. I'll have to think about this... and maybe steal it (with attribution!). ;-)

[Joanna Campbell Slan]

Hi, Camille, it's great to have all the personalities to bounce off each other. Makes each one more clear, doesn't it?

[Joanna Campbell Slan]

Ann, feel free to steal it!

[MJ]

I love Slan's books. Kiki is great and her side kicks do indeed add to the story as opposed to detract from them. :) Thanks for the insight!

[Joanna Campbell Slan]

MJ, aren't you sweet? I try to use Personal Styles, which is a derivation of Myers-Briggs to make sure that their personalities are in opposition to my protagonist's personality. That adds extra spice to the mix!

[Ann]

Wow... I never thought to use the Myers-Briggs personality test for character development.... What a cool idea.

[Hank Phillippi Ryan]

SO intersting, Joanna! And love the ketchup analogy.

In real life, though, do people have sidekicks? It funny how critical they are in books--exactly for all the reasons you list--but in real life, it's not so common. Is it?

I heard Lee Child at a seminar say he thinks sidekicks are often more interesting than the main character--and his suggestion was to make your main charcter the sidekick. That Lee!

Lovely to "see" you! xo

[Joanna Campbell Slan]

Hank, I think we do have "sidekicks," but we don't realize it. I know authors who travel in pairs, so they are each others' sidekicks or foils, right? In fact, come to think about it, any group blog is a group of sidekicks.

Lee Child is right, but I think that a little can be too much, sometimes. In my books, the sidekicks take turns in the spotlight. Jim Butcher told a group of us that he uses his that way, too.

[Joanna Campbell Slan]

Ann, it doesn't have to be "heavy" Myers-Briggs. For example, you have extroverts and introverts. Tell-assertive and ask-assertive. People-oriented and task-oriented. So the Professor was introverted, ask-assertive, and task-oriented. Ginger was extroverted, tell-assertive, and people-oriented. MaryAnn was introverted, ask-assertive and people-oriented...and so on.

[Joanna Campbell Slan]

Oh, and Sharon, about that Viagra? No one who reads this blog would be stupid enough to order it online from you. Shoo! Go away! Even with only two years of French, I can read how women will appreciate men more...and I have to say, um, maybe...maybe not.

[Dru]

Hi Joanna,

I love the idea of a sidekick, because there will definitely be some comic relief in the mystery as they go about solving the crime.

[Hannah Dennison]

What a great post! I enjoy writing "sidekick" characters - but you're right, sometimes they want to grab the spotlight!

[Ann]

... Viagra be gone!... "Sharon" and her comment have been removed. Ah, the power of a blog administrator. :-)

[Joanna Campbell Slan]

Dru, you are so right. The sidekick is like a "straight man" in comedy. He/She provides the setup. Comedy is based on 1.) wrong expectations 2.) exaggeration 3.) human foibles or 4.) a situation gone awry. This can be too much for a protagonist to carry off by his/her lonesome. But with a sidekick, you've got reinforcement. For example, when Kiki Lowenstein is run off the highway while riding her bike, she calls her friend Mert to give her a ride home.

Now, Kiki is busy examining her bruises and wondering if she just survived another attack on her life. You'd think Mert would be worried, but Mert's a terribly practical sort. A sort of surrogate mother with a wry sense of humor. So as Kiki strips down and lowers herself into a bath of steaming Epsom Salts, Mert says, "Better cancel that nude photo-shoot for Playboy Magazine. Unless, of course, it's their S & M edition!"

The contrast between Kiki's self-absorption and worry and Mert's amusement makes the scene funny.

[Joanna Campbell Slan]

Hannah, I think that it's okay for them to grab the limelight...as long as they don't keep it all to themselves. I think of myself as an orchestra conductor. Every instrument gets a solo once in a while.

[Joanna Campbell Slan]

Ann, thanks for waving your magic wand and causing "Sharon" with her offer (in French, no less) of Viagra to disappear. I worried all night that your readers would NOT realize that "Sharon" is actually some clever hacker's program and not a real reader.

Sigh...

I'm VERY much like my character Kiki Lowenstein that way. I act impulsively and have plenty of time to worry!

[Ann]

You're welcome Joanna! And thanks so much for blogging at The LadyKillers. :-)

[penny warner]

Great post, Joanna.
I think Nancy Drew's sidekicks, Bess and George, are two opposite ends of the personality spectrum with Nancy in the middle. That way she can have the best of both--er, three worlds.
-Penny

[Joanna Campbell Slan]

Penny, it's odd. I barely remember Bess and George. I need to revisit the series, don't I? So at least we might conclude that Bess and George didn't hog the limelight. Great to see you, Penny, my crafty-Malice-Go-Round partner.

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[Moni]

Hello, I have a rather silly question. I can't figure out whether Mert is black or white? lol I know it sounds silly but I like to draw specific pictures of characters while reading a book and it's been bugging me. :))