10 Tips for Writing Secondary Characters

Not everyone can be the hero or the villain. A story needs a cast of supporting characters too.

Here are ten tips for writing characters who play supporting roles.

1. Every secondary character must have a role in the main character’s story. They may be a sidekick, a coworker, a competitor, the neighbor who happens to be an expert in bonsai, or just the guy that runs the café, but they must have some connection to the main character and his story.
2. Every secondary character must also have a plot function. Sometimes that function is obvious, such as an ally or an opponent. Sometimes the function is more subtle, such as functioning as a mirror or foil of the main character: showing contrasting choices and behaviors. Sometimes the function is to cause complications, such as a false ally—someone who appears to help the main character while actually pursuing their own agenda.
3. Speaking of agendas, every character has one. We humans always have our own agenda, which we may or may not sacrifice for our friends and coworkers. Fictional characters do too, even if the reader only gets a hint of what those agendas might be.
4. Don’t mislead readers by making secondary characters seem more important than they are. You may know their hidden agendas and backstory, but unless it applies to the plot, keep that information in your head.
5. Each character needs a unique purpose within the story. If two characters fulfill similar roles, combine them into one character. If the hero’s two pals are both allies, consider trimming one from the story.
6. Look for other ways to eliminate extra characters. Think outside the box and see if characters with seemingly different roles can be combined. Perhaps the pastor who runs the outreach your heroine joins is also the difficult neighbor who complains about the heroine’s garbage-loving dog. Doesn’t that add an extra dose or two of tension?
7. Give stock characters a twist. Take the time to personalize even unimportant characters by altering the stereotype in some way. Don’t make the hairdresser a talkative town gossip. What about an emo hairdresser with interesting tattoos? Or a hairdresser who hums praise songs while she works, because she refuses to gossip?
8. Whenever possible, avoid naming walk-on or background characters. The story may need taxi drivers, waiters, and a school principal for specific scenes, but the less attention minor characters attract, the better.
9. Whatever the heroine focuses on, the reader focuses on, so don’t allow her to dwell on minor characters. Instead make sure she dwells on something they said, something they did or something they represent.
10. Don’t allow secondary characters to steal the story—even when you fall in love with them. If you discover a character has tons of potential, promise them their own story, but insist they stay within their role in the current one.

Secondary characters add depth and authenticity to a story, but always remember: