Side Characters With Depth: 3 Tips to Add Life to Your Book’s Backdrop
Create vibrant personalities even for your unnamed side characters
How do you create a novel with depth? To make the story feel true to life? Of the many tools available, creating realistic and engaging characters is the most effective because of how much our lives revolve around community. Ambitions, fears, and regrets are all bundled together to create beloved icons celebrated the world over.
But no, this isn’t just for your protagonists. Naturally, your main characters (and their closest friends) will get the most of your attention. However, to avoid setting your story on an empty stage, you must learn how to create vibrant personalities even for unnamed characters. Your book will seem undercooked if any character exists in only two dimensions.
First, let’s look at what makes a strong character. Your book should be populated with a cast that contains the following traits: Motivations, Goals, and an Arc of Change.
Motivations are what drive us into action. Food, community, and self-preservation keep us human, so everything we do ties into those necessities. Our egos also motivate us, even when we try to shrink back and let others take charge.
Goals are the tangible tasks your characters try to complete in their lives, from looking for a new job to defending the end of the world. When conflicts stop us from these goals, what do we do? Those actions help the reader understand your characters' values and personalities.
Arc of Change is at the heart of any story. Either a character is changed in their journey or they change someone else. A satisfying character often does both! Readers want a sense of catharsis from watching others solve problems or shake things up.
The difference between a protagonist and a side character is simple: we don’t see the side character’s journey directly. Our job then is to imply the needs and wants of the random Joe Shmoe on the street, who is now metaphorically (or literally) dodging a hurtling car containing your protagonist.
Let’s build a life for poor old Joe using the following advice.
Give Them Contrasting Relationships Outside of the Main Characters
We all experience life through our relationships with other people. The best friend you had in middle school was the one who introduced you to your favorite genre of music. Or that relationship was typically teenaged toxic, which made you steer clear of people like them forever. The point is we all have relationships that shape us, even the nameless mook on the street.
The impulse is to only think about how that side character serves the main character’s story, but aren’t we all the main characters in our minds? So give them lives outside the story your protagonist may intrude on.
As practice, give a side character one positive and one negative relationship with people who are unnamed. Let’s say that Joe is a 26-year-old dead-eyed cashier working at the grocery store. He grumbles because his boss reprimanded him for something he didn’t do. But the old woman working the deli lets him take home an extra portion sometimes, so Joe looks forward to that once his shift finally ends. Joe’s work relationships may never come up, but they do inform his character.
Next, think about this: how would Joe treat these different people? Is he snarky or passive-aggressive to his boss? Joking with the deli woman? These different conflict types help create a deeper sense of personality and presence, even for minor characters. Highlight that dichotomy.
Show Selfishness as well as Growth
This is your opportunity to showcase the everyday kindness–or slights–we get in our regular lives. People are often just trying to go on their way, which can mean ignoring someone in need. Or causing a problem, like suddenly cutting someone off in traffic, with little apology. But many people are genuinely kind, giving a small bit of friendliness while never being seen again.
Let’s say your protag is driving and nearly sideswipes Joe as he walks home from work. How forgiving do you think the grumpy grocer will be? How does he act? Does he take down the license plate to make you the police’s problem? Chuck his hard-earned sandwich at your back window on impulse? The actions of random passersby can lead to fun and interesting moments in your story, especially if they create plot-relevant consequences.
You can also have someone like Joe give small but unexpected assistance. His extra sandwich is nice to have, but if he sees someone hungrier on the street asking for help, would he refuse? Possibly, but that’s less fun. Not all heroes wear capes; some wear a worn-out pair of Nikes, black jeans, and a thrifted band shirt.
Moving on to the next tip, who said only main characters can have an arc? Growing more fond of the protagonist over time can lead to heartwarming catharsis. Alternatively, a decaying reputation can lead to your hero being shunned by the very people they live to serve. As long as you make the change narratively significant, it won’t feel extraneous. That kind of shift shows a range of humanity that might be missing with a small cast.
Write Dialogue with Subtext
This skill will be useful for every character interaction, not just side characters.
Even when we think we're kind at heart, people can still be rude. People who put on a mask of politeness aren't always genuinely warm. While there are good people in the world, most are not going to immediately fawn over the protagonist, ready to help without a second thought. They'll talk in double-speak and diversions like, "Sure. Yeah. Just—next time, okay?" Sometimes people will talk around a problem because it’s too rude or uncomfortable to address it head-on. This creates realism. Rarely does anyone share everything in their minds, so half-truths will sound realistic.
For an exercise, try making a character tell someone "No" without using the word "No.” It’s a great way to create conflict with realistic dialogue, even in the most mundane situations.
Imagine Joe lives at home with his parents still, and his mother is cooking him and his father breakfast. But Mom isn’t talking to Dad. She just says, “How do you want the eggs?” and talks only about the eggs. Even if the father tries to ask what’s wrong, she keeps ignoring his questions by having a one-sided conversation with Joe. Joe keeps his head down and doesn't speak either, barely saying goodbye as he slips off for work.
That’s subtext. That tells us: Oh, she’s mad, and by Joe’s reaction, maybe it’s not the first time he’s been in the middle of a fight. Something is going on, and readers can puzzle out why she’s acting that way.
Another thing people do is talk over each other. They don’t always respond directly to what’s being said, mostly to the conversation they’d rather have. Questions are skipped or talked around. Misunderstandings derail important conversations. Brains sometimes move faster than mouths, creating frustration or awkwardness.
Humans are imperfect, but the flaws of everyday life give the whole world color. Do the same for your stories and reap the benefits.
Take Action
Take some time to list all the side characters in your current manuscript. Do your protagonists interact with anyone outside of the major plot beats? Find at least one that could use some personality and add any missing depth.
If you’re just starting your manuscript, look for different opportunities to show the world outside the core plot. Fleshed-out and complex main characters will, unfortunately, stand out like sore thumbs next to one-note pedestrians. It would make your work less realistic, no matter how much thought and care you put into your hero.
Or at the very least, give your dead-eyed cashier at the grocery store a bit of grace. You never know if Joe Schmoe needs that kindness or not.