Advice on how to make good side characters and is having the MC turn out to be a spy for the opposing side a good idea?

[georgelee5786]

Does anyone have advice on how to make characters that aren't needed to push the story forward but are still likable?

Edit: This is off-topic, but I don't want to create a thread that could be unnecessary. Is it a good idea to have the MC turn out to be working for the opposite side?

 

[Lorelliad]

Well, have them kiss the MC's ass. Maybe just have them change the protag's mind in some way, even if not by a lot. The protag could also learn something from the side character.

 

[EternalSunset0]

Maybe just have them change the protag's mind in some way, even if not by a lot. The protag could also learn something from the side character.

I think this works. Maybe give them a "gimmick" too. Or at least assign an archetype so people can associate said side character with "oh, it's the guy who talks like a smartass" or "it's the teen model". Stuff like that.

 

[georgelee5786]

Thanks. That helps a lot.

 

[ArcadiaBlade]

Side characters are like putting DLCs to the main game. It mainly depends on how you add them to the story and how it mainly affects the narrative without changing the whole story.

Some of them are just filler to broaden the MC's character.

Some are to make him mature in situations he might need when progressing the story.

And some to give characters to the world, making it deeper when it doesn't need to be.

 

[Blackout]

The easiest way is to make them stand out for the brief time they made an appearance. For example, you can make them help out the mc in some way, and then go by their business again once that was done.

 

[Juanin]

maybe you've already heard this but the good secondary characters are people as real as the mc and with stories as interesting as the mc's who just run into the mc.
but whose story would still be interesting without the need to include the mc

 

[Stepp]

Not just making them be one-off character.

Don't just use them once and then throw them away. Give them more screentime in normal day-by-day interactions for instance. Your more likely to remember someone you've talked with five times than someone you've talked with twice after all.

Have the side-character have some sort of effect on the MC. For example the MC hasn't drunk any alcohol yet because the alcohol he tasted as a kid tasted weird. He encounters some random friendly drunkard on the day he went out with his friend to a restaurant. He strikes a conversation with the MC and once he hears that he hasn't drunk any alcohol yet despite being in university. He tries to have him drink some but MC rejects him and the drunkard backs off.

Now several weeks after that MC visits some random bar after some random heartbreaking incident because he was hungry. He encounters the same drunkard from weeks back. The drunkard recognizes MC as the kid that doesn't drink. MC protests that he isn't a kid but the drunkard says that anyone that hasn't drunk any alcohol is a kid to him and makes fun of him.

Drunkard feels that MC is depressed in some way and asks about it saying that it's good to get things off your chest before it's crushed by the weight. MC talks about the incident. After that drunkard offers MC some alcohol saying that it would be good to forget everything and just set loose. MC accepts it.

MC thinks it tastes weird and bitter. Drunkard laughs goodheartedly at MC and says that he's still a kid.

Since then, though he still doesn't drink much, whenever something sad happens MC drinks some alcohol.

Something like that. Have the MC be influenced in some way by the side characters. I'm not saying to change the MC to someone completely unrecognizable from him at the beginning of the story. Just have them influence him in some way.

It can be some habits, like spinning their pen when they focus after learning it from a side character.

It can be some hobbies, like gaming for instance.

They can develop a taste for this particular food after being introduced by a side-chara to it or anything else. Just have the MC be influenced by them in some way.

I did not think that it would get this long. Much less expected to write a whole story for this. I suprise myself sometimes.

 

[Deleted member 57675]

Make 'em good but not too good that they take out the forgotten bland mc.

 

[Noel_Elitia]

Maybe backing their present decisions and character with a small backstory, does the trick. i often use it a lot in my novel and makes the character even more lovable and adds layers to their character and environment.

 

[K5Rakitan]

Carefully

 

[CL]

Does anyone have advice on how to make characters that aren't needed to push the story forward but are still likable?

You could always base them off of people you know. It's the same way as displaying a character's experience in a situation, if you know that experience personally then that'll become that much more real towards your readers. The same method can be applied to characters.

 

[TheDylanDrakes]

Does anyone have advice on how to make characters that aren't needed to push the story forward but are still likable?

Don't have them push the plot forward -- have them push the MC forward.

IMO, some of the best side characters have nothing to do with the big bad or saving the princess. They don't show up for the final fight. They don't get some heart-rending death scene. Instead, in some quiet, subtle way, they teach the MC an important lesson about themselves. They force the MC to make a difficult decision. They make them consider what is really important.

In short, they make the main character grow.

 

[Wittywite]

Does anyone have advice on how to make characters that aren't needed to push the story forward but are still likable?

Side characters are made to be able to watch the MCs by sides. Make them help in the character growth of the MCs. Put some wise words in them to be used by the main leads.

 

[BearlyAlive]

Make them their own characters. At best you make them main characters with less screen time, otherwise make them characters that follow their own arc, you're even allowed to not show or finish those arcs. The worst you can do is make them some cheering squad for your MC.

They need to conflict with other characters, need to have their own motivations and character quirks, and of course need to live their own life.