MC needs sidekick? (MG)

kposa · Mar 2, 2010

I finished the first draft of my MG adventure at the beginning of the year, and am now doing plot revisions. It occurred to me that my MC might need a sidekick.

As the story is now, she starts off on her journey with her male best friend, but at some point, he breaks a leg and has to go back. Partly, I originally planned this to get the MC on the adventure alone, and also to have someone let their village know what the MC has done.

I now think that maybe they need to go on this adventure together. It will give the MC a companion to help her and interact with throughout the rest of the story. It could also be a tool in telling the story through their dialogue.

I want to think this through before I plunge into the revisions, so I'd love to hear fellow writers' thoughts on this. I tried to think of a book where the MC is alone, but couldn't come up with one. Harry Potter has Ron and Hermione, Percy Jackson has Annabeth and Grover. Meg Murry of A Wrinkle in Time also wasn't alone in her adventures. Are there any MG books out there where the MC went through the journey alone?

SheilaJG · Mar 2, 2010

You're right, it's tough to find a solo-MC.

In Alabama Moon, the MC starts off alone (Rambo-like), but I think he ends up with friends. Jonathan Stroud's Heroes of The Valley also has a MC who strikes out alone. That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

Oh, and Hatchet, of course. And other books like it - boy against wilderness ones. Like Touching Spirit Bear, etc.

Ivan_B · Mar 2, 2010

Very difficult to go at it alone. I don't think I've written any MG without a sidekick (or sidekicks), it just helps the whole thing gel. The chemistry between them is such an important part of making either a pleasant character to follow.
There are some stories where there isn't a sidekick - off the top of my head, Roald Dahl's "George's Marvelous Medicine" was just George, but I'm not sure that really counts as he's only milling around a house.
Nope, drawing blanks. Go on and try a sidekick!

abctriplets · Mar 2, 2010

In my WIP, the MC has a sidekick for most of the journey, until she has to go it alone for the last few chapters. It was much harder to write the end, without having someone for the MC to talk to. But for my MC, I needed the go-it-alone portion to complete her character development.

Maybe your MC needs a talking squirrel. Or to befriend a member of an indigenous tribe. Or to go crazy and start talking to herself.

Kitty Pryde · Mar 2, 2010

Leave the best friend in on the quest, but maybe depower him so that she's still the primary adventurer. Like, he's a younger kid, or he's a scaredy cat, or has other emotional troubles that make him less useful.

Oh! Zahrah the Windseeker has a solo journey. She has a talking electronic book that she brings with her with information about the Forbidden Greeny Jungle which offers useful facts sporadically. That's sort of like a sidekick but not really. She has a boy sidekick at the start, but her main quest is to bring back something to save the sidekick as he is dying in the hospital. It works. Instead of a sidekick, there are a lot of magical helpers that come and go--talking animals and suchlike. Great book!

ILSinTexas · Mar 2, 2010

Kitty -

Thanks for the tip about Zahrah the Windseeker. I looked it up on Amazon and it looks like something fun to read, so I added it to my shopping cart.

ILS

kposa · Mar 2, 2010

Ah, it looks like the sidekick will remain with the MC then. I'm excited at the possibilities for world- and character-building. It will be great to have a foil for my MC, and a way to show what they are both capable of. I can already see how the story will unfold.

The MC will still be primary in the story (she has the cooler talent). And she gets to save her best friend's ass near the end!

Thanks, everyone!

Canotila · Mar 2, 2010

The Ragwitch by Garth Nix is a solo adventure. The MC is a young boy who has to save his sister who was possessed by an evil doll. It's a pretty awesome book.

Ivan_B · Mar 3, 2010

kposa said:
Ah, it looks like the sidekick will remain with the MC then. I'm excited at the possibilities for world- and character-building. It will be great to have a foil for my MC, and a way to show what they are both capable of. I can already see how the story will unfold.

The MC will still be primary in the story (she has the cooler talent). And she gets to save her best friend's ass near the end!

Thanks, everyone!

Congrats, I love that feeling. You've worked out how it'll all come together, you've got the best friend chipping in along the way...now GO GO GO and write it!

MC needs sidekick? (MG)

kposa

SheilaJG

Ivan_B

of Rassilon

abctriplets

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue

ILSinTexas

requiescat in pace

kposa

Canotila

Sever your leg please.

Ivan_B

of Rassilon