posted on June 17, 2015 by Ashlee Mallory

Lorelei without Sookie?! Why Memorable Secondary Characters Matter

by Ashlee Mallory

LoveYouMadly-500x750About halfway though writing the first draft of my new release, Love You Madly, I found myself stumbling a bit, trying to figure out what was missing from the story, what magical element had I forgotten that was slowing down my book’s progress? It was only in taking a couple of days off, reminding myself what makes a story more compelling to me that I realized what I’d been missing, what was keeping me from loving my story more and understanding my characters better…

I’d forgotten to include a full cast of interesting, sometimes quirky, and oftentimes annoying secondary characters. Characters that would play off my main characters and give me a deeper understanding of who they are. Because, let’s face it, our friends and family—and sometimes even the place we live—often define and enrich us, for better or worst, and make us the people we are. I believe the same thing goes for good fictional characters, too.

What would Gilmore Girls have been like without Sookie, Kirk, Paris, or any of the other eccentric characters? Or the Proposal without Ramone, the island’s jack-of-all trades, or Annie, the eccentric but lovable grandmother? Or Bridget Jones without her zany parents and colorful friends? Probably all decent stories with great main characters—hello, Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds?—but I believe it was the secondary characters that enriched the stories and made them all the more memorable and enduring.

As a writer with two ongoing series, a sweet contemporary romance series and a romantic suspense series, I try to bring those fun and enriching characters to each and every book. Not that this isn’t without its challenges. Particularly in the mystery and suspense stories, where it’s important to balance the romance to the suspense just right; finding where you can drop in some fun moments with those secondary characters without veering off too far from the main story can be an added challenge.

But in the end, the extra time it takes to carve out and develop those secondary characters is well worth it. After all, where would Elle Woods have been without Paulette? Maverick without Goose? As a writer, a reader, and avid movie and television watcher, I know my favorite stories wouldn’t be the same.

How about you? Who are some of your favorite secondary characters from any medium, be it from a book or your favorite romcom?

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Love You Madly
by Ashlee Mallory
Release date: May 16, 2015

Meredith Sanders was the golden girl in high school—a homecoming queen with a trail of worshipping minions. Now she’s all grown up with a trail of failed marriages. The only good thing she has in her life is her brilliant and beautiful teenaged step-daughter…who’s missing. But the best man for the job has a serious hate-on for her.

Back in high school, queen bee Meredith made Travis Brennan’s life miserable. Since then, he’s gone from class geek to a hardened, former SEAL, specializing in private security. As much as he wants to help Meredith’s step-daughter, he can’t help but clash with the gorgeous woman who once made his life hell.

But as they investigate the increasingly mysterious disappearance, their conflicted past threatens to turn into a very provocative present…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ashlee Mallory

Ashlee Mallory

Ashlee Mallory is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and thrillers. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and two kids. She aspires to one day include running, hiking and traveling to exotic destinations in her list of things she enjoys, but currently settles for enjoying a good book and a glass of wine from the comfort of her couch.

http://www.ashleemallory.com/

5 thoughts on “Lorelei without Sookie?! Why Memorable Secondary Characters Matter”

  1. stanalei15 says:

    Not sure if this counts as secondary character watching… but I was nearly four episodes into Firefly when I realized there was an ensemble of 9 characters. They played off each other so well, the series wouldn’t have been the same if one of them was missing.

    1. Well, I’m sure my rules are fast and loose here, lol, but most any player other than the primary characters seem to qualify as secondary to me. So they may not be Captain Mal Reynolds, but they still add that extra depth to the show. (Oh, and you probably better not watch Serenity, Whedon’s movie continuation. There may have been some…losses.)

  2. I so agree with you, Ashlee, about secondary characters. In fact, sometimes they become the H or H in another book. In fact, I really don’t enjoy books that just have the H & H as some do. I really don’t know how an author writes that. I need all those other people spicing up and complicating the story lines.
    As to TV, the best shows IMHO are the ensemble ones. Think Bones, for instance, with the assortment of folks in that show. Yeah, give me a story with neat supporting characters.
    Good luck with your release. I’ll share. 🙂

    1. How could I forget Bones? Great example of those secondary characters adding spice! Love all those interns and their…foibles. Thanks for the comment, Marsha!

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