Friday, February 11, 2011

What Kind of Friends does your MC have?

Friends are an important part of all our lives. I am sure we all look forward to long conversations with our close friends. We confide in them and cry over their shoulders. They are the reason we smile even in the midst of  discomfort and trouble. Our friends can be slotted into several categories.


Do we give  considerable thought when we start creating friends for our Protagonists or Main Characters? What kind of friends do we give them? Do their friends help them, or, are their friends a cause for trouble. Here is my take on few types of friends we can give our MC’s:

1.      The Sacrificing Martyr – who will sacrifice his or her comfort to help the protagonist.  Just like Hermione and Ron who almost always put Harry’s interest before their own. This was visible  especially in the last book when they left the comforts of Hogwarts to be with Harry.

2.      The Fair Weather Friends – who will desert the ship when troubled times loom large. The support of this kind of friends can be certain only for  good times. These friends are self serving.

3.      The Voice of Caution – a lot like Hermione in the Potter Series. This type of friend also doubles as a guardian and conscience rolled into one, giving warning about the repercussions of certain actions the protagonist undertakes. This type of friend can put up a fight if she or he feels that the protagonist is acting foolish.

4.      The Idiot – who provides the lighter moments and is the butt of all the jokes like Neville Longbottom  and Luna Lovegood in the Potter series. These friends are harmless and can rise to the occasion if the need arises.

5.      The  Turn Coat – who does not think twice before betraying the protagonist  when it suits him or her to serve other interests that clash with the protagonist’s.

6.       The Fool Hardy One – this type of friend leads the protagonist into all kinds of trouble.  The aim of this friend is  to get the protagonist into as much trouble as possible.

7.      The Wise Ones – who have the answer to most puzzles  bugging the protagonist. These friends can be a great source of help to the protagonist.

8.      The Dependable Ones – these friends can and  will almost always help the protagonist  and will stick with him or her  through troubled times, through thick and thin.

9.      The Jealous Friend – this kind of friend is fiercely competitive and sees the protagonist more as a rival than a friend. These friends are extremely prone to jealousy and may even harm in a moment of  anger.

10.   The Silent One – who seldom offers an opinion, but can be extremely loyal and protective of the MC.

11.  The Defender – who gets into all kind of trouble trying to protect the hero/heroine. This type of friend picks up fights on behalf of the MC.

12.  The Lackeys – who hang around the MC as it’s prestigious to be seen in their company. They are like leeches, they can never be depended upon for help.

What kind of friend/s have you given your protagonist?  Did you ponder over the type of friend you wanted to give the Main Character, or did it just happen as a part of the story? Do you take time to create the perfect friend  for your hero/heroine? Please share. We all can learn lots from your  process.


20 comments:

  1. This is a great list! I just started planning a new novel, and you've given me a lot to think about. Thanks!

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  2. Lol I have five MCs. Between them, the whole spectrum of relationships are covered.

    How?

    Their personalities makes them look at their friends in certain ways.

    Great post!

    :-)

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  3. Great stuff! Like the way you broke it all down. Appreciate you sharing your thoughts.
    Have a wonderful weekend,
    Karen
    P.S. Thanks again for the award, it's posted now. If you happen to stop by, there's an award you might be interested in too. :)

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  4. This is a great list of the different kinds of friends one could have. I like it so much that I'm saving it for future reference!
    Ann Best, Author

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  5. I don't really think that much about the friends of my protagonist(s); but when they are there it's usually 5, 8, or 10. All of the ones here have their strengths depending on the story.

    Great post!

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  6. Hey, this is a fantastic, useful post, Rachna! thank you - now I shall head-examine my Decibelle's friends! :)

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  7. Mine just happen. Anna's best friend Claire doesn't have a lot of confidence in herself, but by the end of the book she changes. Their circumstances change both of them, but Claire gains that needed self-assurance and is able to do what she has to.

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  8. Oh, this really got me thinking. Very timely for my MS right now.
    Thanks Rachna!

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  9. Nice catalog of friend types. The friends we put into a story's focus depends on what we want to happen and how we want it to happen. Are the friends a burden or a help or just diversion. I usually add a mix of several of these friend types when the story requires it. Often I write about alienated individuals who appear to have few or no friends in the context of the story and they are trying to make connections.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out and the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2011

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  10. This is a great list.. I'm bookmarking it! I didn't give much thought to my MC's best friend.. she just kind of happened, but based on this, I'm going to go back and review, because I think she falls under more than one category!

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  11. I like your categories:) My current MC has a dependable friend but also one who cares for her but then asks for help she is hesitent to give--not sure what I would call him. He isn't a user type, just a friend asking more than a friend should.

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  12. What a great post. I hadn't thought about it in these terms, but this illustrates why the Potter books work so well - look at how many types of friendship Ron and Hermione show just on their own. No wonder the world feels so rounded - it is!

    I confess, I let my first novel develop based on what history told me. My current novel's historical background is FAR more sketchy, so I'm faced with more work I haven't done yet. Sigh. That is how I do a lot of my creative work, though. Research, research, research. If I find a personality, maybe even an action I find fascinating, I might base a character on that action. I have a statement I think says volumes about a character. I intend to use it on a character who will be a self-serving friend; one who is nonetheless honestly interested in his country's best interest.

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  13. Fun post! My MC is surrounded by family. I was just thinking where are her friends?

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  14. I really liked this post! It got me thinking about what kind of friend I am- I'm sure that I have acted like most of those you listed at one time or another! Rather convicting!

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  15. oh this is cool. I love this list of types of friends. My MC's friend is a fair weather type of friend.

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  16. Hi friends..thanks for dropping by. Enjoyed reading your comments. Forgot to mention a lovely category of friends: The Helping Hand Friends - these are all my writing friends spread all over the world, who share useful resources and links and help each other in our writing journeys.

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  17. What a great list to select from!!!! I tend to write #'s 3, 7, 8, 10, 11. I write thrillers/action/suspense. It just seems to go with the kind of characters i develop.

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  18. Great point! My current WIP has opinionated, fiercely loyal friends.

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  19. What a great list! It's fab for characterisation but I have a feeling that people can use this list for their friends too.

    Jai

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  20. WOW! This is incredible because it applies to characters and the people in our lives. I didn't even think about placing any of my MC's friends into these categories but now they all make things much clearer.

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