instructions allow at least 40 minutes of uninterrupted ......review this document before you begin...

Create a Colorful Sidekick is copyrighted by Adrienne deWolfe.

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Create a Colorful Sidekick

Any Genre Character Name: _________________________________________________ Novel’s Working Title: _____________________________________________ Interview Date: __________________________________________________ Introduction: Sidekicks are also known as confidantes or best friends. They do not have to be Human. Before you begin writing, determine which Protagonist (if appropriate) this Sidekick will assist. Next, determine who the Sidekick is. Angel? Werewolf? Genie? Animal? Alien? Human? Talking computer? Etc. Keep in mind that the Sidekick is an important secondary character, one who should have his / her own story goals, scene goals, motivations and internal / external conflicts. The Sidekick often serves as a catalyst for helping, or complicating, the Protagonist’s path to his story goal. Therefore, understanding this character will help you deepen the characterization of the Protagonist.

Instructions

Allow at least 40 minutes of uninterrupted time to complete this worksheet.

(Note: For clarity and ease, I shall use the universal pronoun, “he,” when referring to the Sidekick throughout the remainder of this document.)

Review this document before you begin writing. Then find a place where you can sit without distractions. Close your eyes, and breathe deeply to relax your body. When your mind is at peace, begin to daydream (or visualize) that you are walking into the Sidekick’s most comfortable space for entertaining. He greets you and invites you to sit down, so you can learn more about him and his impressions of his ally, the Protagonist.



Instructions (cont.)

During your visualization, pay careful attention to physical features, mannerisms,

speech patterns, clothing, and the surroundings. Make this visualization as vivid as you

can: create a 3-dimensional movie scene by utilizing your five senses (just as you would

while writing fiction). As the Sidekick talks to you, imagine this person is real, and that

he is behaving in a “real way” with a stranger (you).

When you have completed the visualization, open your eyes and begin to answer the questions on this worksheet. Use a “stream of consciousness” writing approach. In other words, write everything that pops into your mind, without worrying about its logic, punctuation, grammar, etc. Trust the process. Try not to get bogged down in “reasoning out” answers. If one of the questions doesn’t immediately pop into your head, skip it and go to the next one. That way, you won’t break the flow. You can always go back to the worksheet later to add information. But for now, plow through to the end, writing as much as you can without stopping.

First Impressions

Even though you are a complete stranger, the Sidekick has agreed to let you interview him. He has allowed you to meet him in a place where he feels the most relaxed and at ease. . . So where are you? Describe your surroundings (plants, furnishings, wall hangings, amount of lighting, musty air, etc.)



First Impressions (cont.)

In as much detail as you can, describe this Sidekick. Race, age, hair style & color, eye color, shape of nose, skin tone, teeth/smile/breath (does he smoke?), sound of laughter, hands, perfume / cologne, height, build; sense of humor; personality; physical imperfections and/or quirks (scars, lisp, buzz haircut, wooden leg, absent-minded, fashion-challenged, hypochondriac, etc.) Keep in mind that an author has license to paint a Sidekick with more over-the-top mannerisms than the Protagonist.

Has the Sidekick “dressed to impress” you, or is he so comfortable with himself that he doesn’t give a flip what you think? Describe the outfit that he’s wearing, and choose detail to convey his personality: Beer-gut hanging over belt buckle? Plaid shirt with pit stains? Exquisite silks? Designer suit? Cowboy boots? Scuba gear? Flashy new wings? Sapphire-studded cuff links? Muzzle? Studded collar? Broken pocket watch? Freshly polished tiara? Smoking jacket? Holes in soles? Gold-plated tooth?




Pay close attention to the Sidekick’s communication style: his tone of voice; the speed at which he talks; his facial expressions; gestures; posture; dialect; exclamations; etc. Does he have any nervous habits (like clearing his throat repeatedly)? Does he seem preoccupied with his reflection in the silver tea service? Does he belch? Bray with laughter? Hiccup? Does he punctuate his conversation with slang (dang, jeepers, rootin’-tootin’, etc.)? Does he use such crass language that you’d be embarrassed to introduce him to your mother? Does he keep yakking off-subject about some pet topic of his own? He is droll? Sarcastic? Whiney? Insolent? Do you want to shake him? Or hug him? Or write a story about him?

Describe his posture. Examples: Does he slouch? Does he fidget? Does he sit with his legs spread? Does he bob around on his wings? Does he lick his fur?




Does he appear to be comfortable talking about himself and the Protagonist to you, a stranger? Does he keep whining about the fact that he isn’t the Protagonist in this book? (Sidekicks will do this.) Beware of the Sidekick who becomes so much fun to write, that you start to grow bored with the Protagonist. What are some of the Sidekick’s habitual physical gestures? (Examples: rubs his eyes, nods off during your questions and starts to snore, scratches himself in indelicate places, yawns to let you know you bore him, twirls his mustache, snorts snuff, grabs giant handfuls from the candy dish, works his forefinger into the hole of the sofa cushion, cracks his knuckles, licks his lips, bounces playfully on the cushion, sniffs flowers? etc.) As the Sidekick answers your questions, do you get the sense that he is being forthright? A smart-aleck? Indifferent? Are there times when he seems to be deliberately misleading you, perhaps out of a sense of protectiveness toward the Protagonist?



Instructions for the remainder of this document:

Imagine you are asking the Sidekick the following Interview Questions. Allow him to answer through you, using the stream-of-consciousness writing approach.

Interview Questions: Part I What Makes Him Tick?

Do you like and respect yourself? Or are you your own worst enemy? Do you play games with other people’s minds, or can they trust you? The Protagonist considers you his friend. Do you feel the same way about him? Why or why not? Do you keep the Protagonist’s secrets? Why or why not?



What Makes Him Tick? (cont.)

Is it true that you secretly like to run everyone’s life? Who started this nasty rumor? When you are in conflict with the Protagonist, what is your preferred method of communication? Do you nag, sulk, whine, yell, cry, argue, deny that you are angry, etc.? Has your preferred method gotten you the results that you desire? If not, how would you like to change the way that you communicate with the Protagonist? Describe your ideal day. Would visiting with the Protagonist make your “To-Do” list? When the chips are down, would you defend the Protagonist? Even if it means sacrificing your life? Explain any exceptions to this rule.



What Makes Him Tick? (cont.) Can you count on the Protagonist to defend you to the death? Even if he doesn’t approve of your motives, your methods, or the argument in which you’re involved? Explain any exceptions to this rule. Do you always behave honorably / ethically? When is your halo most likely to slip? Does the Protagonist know this about you? If so, what is his reaction when your morals are in question? Do you have any habits or idiosyncrasies that we should be aware of? (Worry-wart, neat-freak, book-worm, tree-hugger, gambler, womanizer, man-hater, pot-head, music buff, techno-geek? Etc.)



What Makes Him Tick? (cont.) Tell us about your hobbies and / or personality quirks. (Bungee-jumping, driving an ice cream truck, searching for metal with your “Divining Rod”, watching American Idol, completing other people’s crossword puzzles, hunting for coins in public telephones, tossing salt over your shoulder for good luck, binging on chocolate, stocking your aquarium, collecting wine corks, rigging practical jokes, hiding new shoe purchases in your best-friend’s closet so your lover won’t be angry with you, talking to plants, fortune-telling, riding whales, chasing bumblebees, conjuring rainstorms, etc.) Do you make the Protagonist nuts? On purpose? For his own good? Share three examples with me. What do you consider to be your greatest innate talent? What is your most accomplished skill? Do either of these “gifts” present an obstacle to the Protagonist’s story goal? If so, describe how.




Do you consider yourself likeable? Do you consider yourself lovable? Why? Do you have trouble making friends? If so, what do you think the problem is? What person (or thing) has had the greatest influence on your life?



What Makes Him Tick? (cont.) Let’s talk about your birth family. Describe your relationship with your: Mother: Father: Siblings: Extended Family: Are each of your parents and siblings alive? If not, how did they die? How did their death impact you?




Where did you grow up? What was the general atmosphere in your home? Was your family wealthy? Were you healthy and happy? Did your mother and father have a warm, loving relationship? Were you the caretaker of your siblings? Were you the parental favorite? The rebel?

Do you behave differently with your family than with the Protagonist? If so, why? Describe your relationship with your children and/or pets, if you have any.




Are you comfortable in the society of men? Are you comfortable in the company of women? What major memories from your past have shaped your opinions about men, women, and people in general? Do you follow your own advice? What’s your favorite homily or piece of advice? (Examples, “Look before you leap.” “Open mouth, insert foot.” “I told you so.”) Describe scenarios in which you might not follow your own advice. Do you live in denial about your personality quirks and / or shortcomings? Is the Protagonist often forced to point out your failings to help you “build your character”? Does this well-meaning interference annoy you?




What’s your best defense when the Protagonist annoys you or hurts your feelings? Do you have personal enemies / rivals? How would they describe you? Do you have a profession? If so, are you good at it? Did you settle for your job / career, or does it feed your soul? Do you work for money and acclaim, or are you the altruistic, world-saving type? How does your work impact your relationship with the Protagonist?




Do you have a vested interest in helping the Protagonist achieve his story goal? Explain. What do you think of the Protagonist’s lover? (Best thing that ever happened to him? A total ditz? A tyrant? A penny-pincher? A charlatan? A gold-digger? Etc.) Why do you believe this? Are you secretly jealous of the time that the Protagonist spends working toward his story goal? What, if anything, are you planning to do to regain the Protagonist’s attention?




What is your relationship with a Divine Power? How do your morals and/or religious viewpoints affect your viewpoint of the Protagonist and his story goal? What is your greatest treasure? Where do you keep it? Who else knows about it? How are you most likely to behave when you’re: Angry: Jealous: Frustrated: Hurt:




What is your favorite childhood memory? What is your saddest childhood memory? Have you seen the world? If not, what would be your top three travel destinations, and why? If you dream of traveling, what’s keeping you from making that dream a reality? Does the Protagonist know everything there is to know about you? Or do you keep some things secret from him? If you keep secrets, what are they?




Are you healthy? If not, what is your attitude toward fitness, exercise, doctors, etc. What do you secretly love about yourself? If I asked the Protagonist to tell me your weaknesses and/or personality flaws, what would he say? Do you think this is an accurate assessment? What does the Protagonist know about you that no one else does? What kind of power does this give the Protagonist?




Name a time when someone destroyed your trust. How did your hurt impact your outlook on life? How did it impact your relationship with the Protagonist?

If you had 10 minutes to re-live some period of your life, what experience would you choose and why? Does this experience have anything to do with the Protagonist? Would you do anything differently? If so, what?



Interview Questions: Part II

The Quest What do you want to achieve, obtain, or become by the end of the book? Why? What in the outside world (external obstacle) is keeping you from accomplishing this “story goal?”

What beliefs, self-judgments, fears, prejudices, or other value conflicts are the internal obstacles that keep you from your “story goal?”



The Quest (cont.)

What must happen before you can overcome these obstacles and achieve your “story goal?”

Interview Questions: Part III Relationships

Do you have a lover? Have you “settled” in love? Why or why not? Describe the pros and cons of that relationship.



Relationships (cont.)

How have your past relationships colored your perceptions of the Protagonist and his story goal? What are the top 3 to 5 things that you need in your life to be happy? What does the Protagonist love, admire, or appreciate about you that no one else does? What about the Protagonist frightens you?



Interview Questions: Part IV

World View Do you judge the world primarily through your senses (example: kinesthetic touch or vision), or do you rely upon your gut instinct to form impressions of a situation? Do you see the world as a set of problems to be solved? Do you need to conquer and control everything in your path? Or do you adopt an attitude of live-and-let-live, everything-happens-for-a-reason, let’s-wait-and-see?

When you walk into a party, what do you notice first? (Examples: the people, an alternate escape route, the “vibe,” the decorating, your own jitters, etc.)



World View (cont.)

Will you have to sacrifice anything (your relationship with your lover, your livelihood, your life, etc.) so that the Protagonist can achieve his story goal? If you survive the story’s ending, how will you behave? Will you be pleased or jealous regarding the Protagonist’s success? How will the Protagonist’s success help you grow or achieve your own story goal? Will you have your own story in an upcoming book? (If so, complete a “Build a Hero” or “Build a Heroine” worksheet about this character for that story.)

instructions allow at least 40 minutes of uninterrupted ......review this document before you begin...

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