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| Best friends Abi and Jess help each other discover a ghost in Secret of the Mist: an Abi Wunder Mystery Illustration by Danika Corrall |
By Linda Wilson @LinWilsonauthor
The sidekick in your story can be more than a loyal companion for your main character, MC; more than a conduit for dialogue. Think of what some of our most beloved sidekicks have added to their stories:
- Piglet from Winnie-the-Pooh: constantly questioning the world, and himself.
- Huckleberry Finn: Tom Sawyer’s loyal friend in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the roles are reversed.
- Tinkerbell: devoted to Peter Pan, in JM Barrie's classic story, Peter Pan, but who is also a hero herself.
What is a Sidekick’s Function?
- Narrator: A sidekick can fill in parts of the story that need to be told.
- Lovability factor: A sidekick can show a certain fondness for the main character, which readers find irresistible.
- Sheds light on the main character’s idiosyncrasies: while grounding readers in more of a balanced personality.
- Offers a varied point of view
- Helps the main character grow, while growing herself.
The articles listed below helped me expand Jess’s role as Abi’s sidekick, who is also Abi’s best friend, in my Abi Wunder mystery series. In book 1, Secret in the Stars, Jess becomes Abi’s loyal friend and companion. Her role in that book was also to point out Abi’s strengths and weaknesses, as Abi embarked on her quest. In book 2, Secret in the Mist, Jess plays a more prominent role.
Sidekicks can:
- Have a strong personality in their own right, while still complimenting the MC.
- Have her own strengths.
- Make an impact equal to that of the MC’s.
- Have her own special moment to shine. In Mist, Jess challenges Abi to break out of her comfort zone, use the knowledge she has gained from horseback riding lessons, and race her horse across a field, galloping part way. Abi never would have tried that without Jess's encouragement.
- Be in the spotlight by taking command of the situation at times, rather than simply following the MC’s lead.
On a personal note, there are no sidekicks in three of my picture books, which star Thistletoe, in A Packrat's Holiday: Thistletoe's Gift, Waddles, in Waddles the Duck: Hey, Wait for Me, and Ashley, in Tall Boots. Though Kaylee, one of the sisters in Cradle in the Wild, is older, she and her sister, Madison, have virtually equal roles in the story. Normally, there is only one main character in a picture book. But in Cradle, the two sisters work beautifully together.
Although it was fun creating the “stars” as MCs in my books, I think I’ve enjoyed adding sidekicks even more. They help my readers as well as myself take a closer look at the MCs.
Antagonists can have sidekicks, too. According to Victoria Grossack, in her article "Crafting Fabulous Fiction: A Study in Sidekicks," "the hobbits Merry and Pippin, when separated from Frodo and Sam, still have each other for a good portion of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. This makes the conversation much better!"
In Mist, an editor suggested I leave a sidekick for the antagonist out of the story. That made two sidekicks in the story! Her suggestion was that “(the antagonist's sidekick) doesn't really add much to the story.” I considered her suggestion, but have decided to keep my antagonist’s sidekick in. I think she adds humor, revealing dialogue regarding the main antagonist, and also a certain kind of enthusiasm that the other characters don’t possess. This second sidekick, who I think readers will enjoy, stays in!
Sources
https://www.johnhearneauthor.com/post/who-are-the-best-sidekicks-in-children-s-fiction
https://www.writing-world.com/victoria/crafting06.shtml
https://slayground.livejournal.com/129939.html -- offers a list of well-known sidekicks in children's literature
Illustration: By Danika Corrall. Danika, who also designed my website, which is beautiful, can be reached at hello@danikacorrall.com.
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