The sidebar character

[Jada59]

I've been reading a lot lately, mostly historical fiction. And this nasty little thing keeps popping up again and again. The sidebar character. In some cases, there is more than one.

What I mean by this is that the person will appear out of nowhere and be accepted into the family/town/city/whatever. This could be a runaway slave, an orphan child, a young adult, twin sisters... Everyone is pleased to see them! They offer help, and then the person sort of disappears. If it is an orphan child, there might be mention of them going to a forever home. Then *poof* they are gone.

In some cases, they play an even lesser role. The person who helps out in the kitchen or stable. The friend who is rarely seen. Not much is ever said about them. Few details if any, and yet they are sprinkled into the story.

I realize that I have been guilty of doing this on occasion. Why? Why do some of us do this?

 

[TadOverdon]

Because they're sometimes useful to moving the story and plot along? There's no guilt involved; minor characters serve a narrative function. There's also the matter of verisimilutude; most of us have a variety of friends, coworkers and family in our lives, some of whom we know well and see often, others of whom we interact with occasionally. They enter and leave our spheres of action and daily awareness.

If a story devotes a great deal of time and detail to a character who serves no storytelling function or simply fades away, then I have questions.

 

[PennameWombat]

(Emphasis added to quote.)

<snip>
In some cases, they play an even lesser role. The person who helps out in the kitchen or stable. The friend who is rarely seen. Not much is ever said about them. Few details if any, and yet they are sprinkled into the story.

I realize that I have been guilty of doing this on occasion. Why? Why do some of us do this?

Why? Because it’s sometimes necessary.

In Mel’s Phone Call and its sequel series Chronicle: Mel & Chris, Ch 01, the two lead characters (Mel, female, Chris, male) each have a best friend (Shelly and Frank). Those two friends have appeared only in fits and starts and most readers likely have little thought about them. But in the long term direction of that series they’re vital. Their key parts just haven’t come yet in the timeline.

I’ve had a rare few others who passed through. The key is making sure that there is something, some little fact, that ties them into whatever I want them to do. I’ve had the odd casual acquaintance or such offer something of use to me IRL. In the above, Shelly and Frank have already exhibited some subtle characteristics that will be key but aren’t anything anyone at the time would really note.

The key IMHO is avoiding the ‘drop in’ being a total deus ex machina…

 

[SimonDoom]

Characters of this kind of all sorts of important and fun uses. As TO said, the most important thing is to advance the plot in some way.

But they can also add another perspective to the story -- maybe introduce some lightheartedness in a story that's otherwise serious, or perhaps add a little wisdom or reflection on the main events.

One of the weirdest examples of a character of this kind is Enoch Root in Neal Stephenson's novels. He is a seemingly immortal character who shows up in Stephenson's novels at unexpected times to help move the plot along, or to solve a problem. He shows up in The Baroque Cycle in the early 1700s. In Cryptonomicon he shows up in this century.

 

[BiscuitHammer]

I have the occasional one-shot characters, but they're meant to be one-shots. True, occasionally I'll end up bringing them back because of I think of an idea that I'll like, but it's gotta be a really good idea.

But I try to not be inconsistent with minor characters. Try.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I've been reading a lot lately, mostly historical fiction. And this nasty little thing keeps popping up again and again. The sidebar character. In some cases, there is more than one.

What I mean by this is that the person will appear out of nowhere and be accepted into the family/town/city/whatever. This could be a runaway slave, an orphan child, a young adult, twin sisters... Everyone is pleased to see them! They offer help, and then the person sort of disappears. If it is an orphan child, there might be mention of them going to a forever home. Then *poof* they are gone.

In some cases, they play an even lesser role. The person who helps out in the kitchen or stable. The friend who is rarely seen. Not much is ever said about them. Few details if any, and yet they are sprinkled into the story.

I realize that I have been guilty of doing this on occasion. Why? Why do some of us do this?

On TV shows like Star Trek they are called Red Shirts, they are proverbial spear carrier who is there and known by name an then gets killed to move the plot of story so that the main character don't have to die.

You can find them in other TV shows, they are called guest appearances, some are big name stars, other not so much, but they are there and then never heard from again.

 

[JGittes]

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, anyone?

As Simon and TO mention, extra characters can advance the plot in some way or provide comic relief.

Occasionally they just get in the way. The Bilbo Baggins companions, the 13 dwarves, in The Hobbit seem to muddle things up more than anything; a couple of dwarves would have been better.

The first book of Robyn Carr's series, Virgin River, has a completely off the wall character, a druggie, who is mentioned once, early on. It's clear something is supposed to happen with him since Carr doesn't have extraneous characters, but I was damned if I could figure it out. Very near the end, in order for the MMC to prove his love to the FMC, and for the FMC to prove she trusts the MMC, the druggie is shot and killed while holding a knife to the FMC's throat. Essentially, red-shirted.

Since I don't tightly plot my stories in advance, I'll usually include a couple of extraneous characters in case something comes up where I need somebody to have done something earlier in the story. It's easier for me to tidy up the repurposing of a character than to try and weave one in if needed. If the character isn't needed, I can remove them.

 

[lovecraft68]

One of my side character in a 2012 novel that was only referred to and never 'seen' went on to co-star in a one shot Halloween installment of my Siblings with Benefits series.

She started making serious noise in my head and returned in the finale of that series in a much darker and significant role.

In 2015 I gave her a solo novel. I'm now halfway through book for of the series. You never know where a character, even a minor one, could end up going

 

[gordo12]

I've been reading a lot lately, mostly historical fiction. And this nasty little thing keeps popping up again and again. The sidebar character. In some cases, there is more than one.

What I mean by this is that the person will appear out of nowhere and be accepted into the family/town/city/whatever. This could be a runaway slave, an orphan child, a young adult, twin sisters... Everyone is pleased to see them! They offer help, and then the person sort of disappears. If it is an orphan child, there might be mention of them going to a forever home. Then *poof* they are gone.

In some cases, they play an even lesser role. The person who helps out in the kitchen or stable. The friend who is rarely seen. Not much is ever said about them. Few details if any, and yet they are sprinkled into the story.

I realize that I have been guilty of doing this on occasion. Why? Why do some of us do this?

They can carry the story for many of the reasons already mentioned in this thread but they can also become central to the story where they take over. I've had it happen more than once where the story takes a direction that makes it about THEM. No need to dispose of them.

 

[SamScribble]

Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the wee donkey, lass. Try watching Line of Duty. Sometimes you have to wait for three or four series for the incidental character to show up again. But when they do, they change everything. (Elmore Leonard used the trick to great effect too.)

 

[Abbafan]

Because they're sometimes useful to moving the story and plot along?

This, I think. It's just not practical to fully develop every character who has a part to play in the plot, a lot of the time.

 

[Jada59]

Because they're sometimes useful to moving the story and plot along? There's no guilt involved; minor characters serve a narrative function. There's also the matter of verisimilutude; most of us have a variety of friends, coworkers and family in our lives, some of whom we know well and see often, others of whom we interact with occasionally. They enter and leave our spheres of action and daily awareness.

If a story devotes a great deal of time and detail to a character who serves no storytelling function or simply fades away, then I have questions.

Thanks!

 

[Jada59]

Thanks for the input everyone!

 

[LAHomedog]

It's just the Greek Chorus post Shakespeare.

In TV and film it's consider the A story/thread, and B story. Sometimes a C story. Incidental characters are narrative devices. They move the plot along or enhance your primary characters.

Here's a good example: Strother Martin's old miner character in the hills of Bolivia in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."

He comes out-of-the-blue in a story about two outlaws and is a great narrative device to show you a bunch of really important character traits of Butch and Sundance. Plus, some plot points.

A few examples:

The Kid is not a one-dimensional gunfighter. He has to move and has flaws. Butch learns this for the first time.

They don't know how to exist in the non-outlaw, mainstream world.

Butch has never used his gun on another human being despite his reputation.

Butch's failings in the situation cement the change in his relationship with Sundance. Sundance learns this for the first time.

They're fate is sealed and they are stuck where they are and who they are.

All via one incidental character showing up and creating a new engine for the story.

Sondheim uses the Greek Chorus brilliantly in "A Little Night Music," a wonderful reinventing of the device.

Use them as your story asks.

 

[sirhugs]

Dickens anybody? some of his most memorable characters were actors in small parts. The Beadle anybody?

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I'm not sure if the OP is wondering about supporting characters in general, or just the category where someone appears from Away, is treated like the prodigal son, then is dumped as soon as the plot moves on?

If someone appears and their existence seems important, balancing the story would call for at least a couple lines near the end giving an update. Otherwise it would make more sense for them to be one of the many people existing near the protagonists, who just wasn't mentioned earlier and thus wouldn't 'need' to be mentioned again.

 

[TadOverdon]

I'm not sure if the OP is wondering about supporting characters in general, or just the category where someone appears from Away, is treated like the prodigal son, then is dumped as soon as the plot moves on?

If someone appears and their existence seems important, balancing the story would call for at least a couple lines near the end giving an update. Otherwise it would make more sense for them to be one of the many people existing near the protagonists, who just wasn't mentioned earlier and thus wouldn't 'need' to be mentioned again.

Yes. If a lot of attention is lavished on a character to no apparent end, readers may be dissatisfied.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I've been reading a lot lately, mostly historical fiction. And this nasty little thing keeps popping up again and again. The sidebar character. In some cases, there is more than one.

What I mean by this is that the person will appear out of nowhere and be accepted into the family/town/city/whatever. This could be a runaway slave, an orphan child, a young adult, twin sisters... Everyone is pleased to see them! They offer help, and then the person sort of disappears. If it is an orphan child, there might be mention of them going to a forever home. Then *poof* they are gone.

In some cases, they play an even lesser role. The person who helps out in the kitchen or stable. The friend who is rarely seen. Not much is ever said about them. Few details if any, and yet they are sprinkled into the story.

I realize that I have been guilty of doing this on occasion. Why? Why do some of us do this?

Well, it certainly happens in real life, so I don't have a problem with it, unless the "sidebar" character is used as a deus ex machina.

 

[jaF0]

In TV, a minor part/supporting character can take on a life of their own and either become a major character or get their own series, known as a spinoff.

'Cheers' begat 'Frasier' and 'The Tortellis' for example.

'All In The Family' begat "Maude' and "The Jeffersons'.

'Gomer Pyle, USMC" emerged out of "The Andy Griffith Show'

And many more ....

 

[LAHomedog]

In TV, a minor part/supporting character can take on a life of their own and either become a major character

Maybe the greatest example of this is Fonzie in "Happy Days." He was written as a single episode character and booked only for the week. The rest is history.

 

[Trionyx]

Maybe the greatest example of this is Fonzie in "Happy Days." He was written as a single episode character and booked only for the week. The rest is history.

Until he jumped the shark.