You can’t spell America without Erica.”-Erica Sinclair, Stranger Things Season 3
While there are several amazing storytelling techniques used in the Stranger Things Series that I will most likely visit in the future, something that stood out to me in the latest season was how the writers utilized the supporting characters.
Supporting characters are supposed to do exactly what their title entails, support. They are supposed to support the main character and help them reach their plot goals.
The two characters I want to focus on are Robin and Erica.
Robin is a high school student who works with Steve at the Scoops Ahoy! ice cream shop in the Starcourt Mall. At first, Robin seems like the “punk girl” archetype who doesn’t care about anyone or anything. She even wears a stoic look on her face most of the time. And when she begins to help the main characters, she claims it’s only out of boredom and not genuine interest. As we learn more about her, we begin to see that she’s more than the façade that she shows to the outside world.
Erica is the younger sister of main character Lucas. She is the definition of sassy personified. She seems to be the queen bee of her friend group, often calling the shots and leading the group. She knows what she wants and she’s not afraid to tell it how it is. Erica is also a regular at the ice cream shop and continually cons the workers into giving her free samples.
Robin and Erica have what I consider the three essential qualities of a good supporting character:
A good supporting character impacts the plot, has their own goals and has skills the main character is lacking.
1. They impact the plot
It’s common for writers to create a supporting character who adds humor or drama to the narrative but who doesn’t necessarily impact the plot. A good supporting character doesn’t always need to have a positive impact. A good supporting character simply needs to impact the plot in a way that drives your main character to action.
For example, Robin impacts the plot positively when she cracks the Russian code and shares her epiphany with Steve and Dustin. This prompts them to come up with a plan to break into the Russian base.
A way Robin could have easily impacted the plot negatively would be if she had cracked the code, and kept it to herself or tried to break into the Russian base on her own and blew everyone’s cover.
2. They have their own goals
While the supporting character is there to support your MCs they’re not supposed to live solely for them. These characters are their own people and should be treated as such. This is something that romance writers often make the mistake of when creating a love interest. They create a character whose entire purpose is to be in love with the protagonist. The biggest mistake you can make when crafting supporting characters is giving them little to no interests or goals outside of the MC.
Whether they’re love interests, friends coworkers or even just neighbors, your supporting characters should have their own agenda.
Though it’s not explicitly stated, Robin wants to be accepted. More specifically, she wants friends. She’s never shown interacting with anyone outside of her job, which leaves the audience to conclude that she doesn’t have anyone to talk to outside of her job. Helping Steve and Dustin translate Russian and crack the secret code gives her time to bond with them and it makes her feel like she’s accepted.
Erica’s goal, on the other hand, is more simplistic. She simply wants a lifetime of ice cream. She agrees to help the main characters get into the secret Russian base if they comply with her request.
When crafting your own supporting characters, try to figure out how their goals can be met by helping the MC and vice versa.
3. They have skills or information that your main characters lack
Unlike Steve and Dustin, Robin is very adept at picking up languages. She is fluent in French, Italian, Spanish and has years of experience reading sheet music for band. She becomes a necessary ally when it comes to cracking the Russian code, because she quickly learns the Russian alphabet which helps Steve and Dustin uncover the hidden message.
Erica is asked to join the team because she’s the only person they know who is small enough to fit into the air duct that leads to the secret elevator the Russians have been using to transport packages. Although she hates to admit it, she’s also quite the math nerd, which comes in handy.
“When it comes to travel through the hallways, [Erica’s] superior math skills turn out to be invaluable in getting around” (Elite Daily).
Your MC isn’t meant to have everything figured out. If they have all the skills necessary to fix the story conflict, they might be too much of a mary sue character. Purposefully leave out some skills when crafting your MC so that the people around them can make up for it. Stars shine brighter together after all.
Who is your favorite supporting character from literature, TV or film?
