A secondary character is a character with a supporting role in the story. Most stories have them, and they can fulfill a variety of tropes. Many writers don’t like the term “secondary” as it implies that the character is less important. They may not be the center of attention, these characters are necessary to reveal key information, motivate or foil the protagonist, define the setting, and more. They essentially are just as important as the protagonists in progressing the story in some sort of way. Some of them are sidekicks, like Robin to Batman. They are mentors, like Gandalf and Yoda,  and some are nemeses such as the whale from Moby Dick or Voldemort. Some don’t fit into any of these roles, like Beth from Little Women or Boo Radley from To Kill a Mockingbird. Sometimes they tag along for the journey, and some are stops along the way.

Sometimes it’s hard to remember that every character serves a purpose in your writing. Some characters don’t get as much attention as your main character, but that doesn’t mean you, and the reader, shouldn’t know them. Secondary characters deserve your love, too.

So, how do you write a secondary character without overshadowing your protagonist and making them cliché?

How to Write Secondary Characters

Backstory
One of the most important things you can do for any character is to give them a backstory. Creating a life and a past for these characters helps make them more believable. Even if you don’t share the entirety of their past with the reader. Giving them a past helps give the characters dimension. It can be exciting to write about these secondary characters, but be careful to not get too carried away. Every character needs to be unique, whether this is through a creative, distinct name or an alliterative quirk that adds to their personality. Make sure to ask yourself if this secondary character is adding or distracting from the message of your story.

Give Them Purpose 
Margaret Atwood believes that a secondary character should only speak with a purpose. If they are just talking to talk, the reader may get bored. Again, their role is essential to the storyline, so make everything they do interesting, important, or plot provoking. By doing this, you are not only moving the story forward, but you are also developing your characters, both individually and as a representation of the world you have created. These secondary characters should know the world they are in better than you do. They live in it and they know the ins and outs of it. They know their neighbors and were there during the controversies and strife that make your new world unique. Write your secondary characters as a representation of your world. Write them as a way for the reader to figure out the world they are in.

It’s okay to be cliché … kind of 
Take advantage of tropes; they exist for a reason. These recurring literary devices and characters serve a purpose to every protagonist. It’s okay to be cliché, but make it your own. Make the secondary characters interesting, give them their own lives, beliefs, and struggles. Let them give your world a foundation to stand on. Make your “mentor” character different from the rest. They don’t have to be old and wise, they don’t even have to be likable. Haymitch is Katniss Everdeen’s mentor and he’s a cranky alcoholic who tolerates Katniss.  Surprise your reader with the unpredictable when it comes to these characters, too. If you have a damsel in distress, maybe she is just a damsel who is in distress and can save herself. You can take a look at how to take on tropes like this here

Also, don’t make them just good, or just bad. Everyone has faults, and so should your characters. You might write your supporting character as a love interest, but that doesn’t mean they have to be the most perfect person a reader will ever read about in their life, that’s boring. So, give them some dimension. Your antagonist of the story doesn’t have to be cackling all the time at all the evil they are throwing around. They could have a sick child or a cat that they adopted because they were lonely. You can even check out how to think about a feminist villain here.  The supporting characters can serve many different purposes, as well as their own storylines, but one of their priorities is to develop the protagonist.

Secondary Characters are no less important than your protagonist, so treat them as such. Whether they turn out to be there the whole novel, or just sitting at the post office, they serve the plot and the protagonist. You as an author are guided by these characters, understand them, and the more the reader will understand the story you have created.