Ten Weeks of Writers Prep, and a Challenge: Week Seven!

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Ten Weeks of Writers Prep

Week Seven: Side-Kicks!

Side-kicks are also a fantastic tool for giving a character access to strengths they don’t personally have. Harry Potter wasn’t the most intelligent character you’ll ever read about, but J.K.Rowling gave him access to Hermione’s incredible intelligence, he didn’t know the power of love and acceptance, of familial loyalty, but he was given access to Ron’s friendship and was welcomed to the Weasley family with open arms. In the Fifth Element movie, characters like Leeloo and Corbin Dallas relied on each other for strength, fighting ability, and access to knowledge and understanding. Neither character could have accomplished saving the universe without the other. In Firefly, each character contributed their own strengths; leadership, loyalty, compassion, kindness, intelligence, virtue, etiquette, etc. Everyone needs someone, even if they don’t know it.

Who does your protagonist need? Who are some allies you can offer your protagonist to help them on their way? Who are they closest to? Who do they trust the most? What have they been through together, and what gives their relationship value to your protagonist? In what way can they complete your protagonist?

Even if the characters don't remain side-kicks throughout the story, additional characters are certainly worth considering in order to add extra depth to your character, to help shape them and demonstrate their ability to interact with the world around them, if they do stick around, all the better. If Frodo Baggins had been alone in his journey, we might have understood a lot less about the character as an individual. Without his relationship with Sam, we surely would have been a tad less invested in his plight.

So, your challenge this week? You've guessed it! Give your protagonist some lending hands! Create some friends, some assistance, somebody who believes in them or offers up some traits that your character finds lacking. Good luck!

Bonus Tip

Hang a string or ribbon like a clothesline across a wall or presentation board. Using clothespins, paperclips, or safety pins, hang your plot elements, conflicts, and memories in order of when they will be addressed in your book to create a visual and complete plot line for yourself. Add components and re- arrange as necessary to refer back to, and avoid writer's block later on.

Ten Weeks of Challenges

Week Seven: Really Checking in!

For the writer's out there this week, I challenged reader's to consider side-kicks. This week, your challenge is to be a good side-kick yourself.

What does this mean?

Well, we are all the protagonists (and sometimes antagonists) of our own stories, but we are also someones side-kick just as much as our best friends are ours. So, how can we be a good side-kick? By taking the time to care, to really care, about how people in our lives are doing.

One friend of mine, a truly amazing and incredible person I assure you, always takes the time to dig deeper into how I'm doing, how I'm feeling. While others may accept that I'm having an off day, or am sad about something, Carl never fails to ask why. What's more, he never leaves me with any doubt that he cares and is invested in hearing the answer, even if he knows that means several lengthy texts are coming his way. Carl shows he is there, truly there, listens, and just does a really great job at showing he cares. I know that no matter what is going on, I can turn to him, regardless of what time it is. No matter if I'm upset over something ridiculous like a bad dream, Carl is there to listen, understand, and return the smile to my face.

Another friend of mine, Adam, also a wonderful and awesome human being, is the person who somehow manages to remember about the appointment or event I told him about a week or two prior, and asks how it went. And when I've had an off day he, like Carl, also asks how I am really doing and shows an amazing ability to empathize, Adam is the person who then checks in a few days later to see that I'm doing better, even when his schedule is extra demanding, he finds time to be there, listen, and show he cares, to show that he is always there for me.

So what is your challenge this week? Pick three people in your life, and ask them how they are doing, truly ask and listen. Pay attention to the details in their life and try to follow up. This world could be a much better place if we all learned to be our own heroes, but also, to be good side-kicks to the people who matter to us.

Good luck!

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Hey Ramblers! Whether you are a writer or not, I hope you enjoy week seven of your challenge. As always, feel free to comment below or email me at thebrastreetrambler@gmail.com to share your experiences or feedback.

Cheers!

The Bra Street Rambler

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