Sidekicks Are Sensational!
Why is it that the sidekick gets the chance to be so much more forthright or foolish or frantic when the plot thickents? I imagine it's because the hero and heroine have to remain at the narrative's center. It's their quest or personal journey that we have to stay focused on as a reader. We have to care about them, of course, and want to accompany them, but their route must be a direct one. They have to get from point A to point B to point C. If they stray, then they take the whole novel's purpose with them. It's hard to stay on the straight and narrow. We all know that, but to be a hero or a heroine, it is truly essential.
Their friends, though--why these pals can come and go as they please! They can fly across the literary sky in hot-air balloons, take unplanned-for trips to wrangle peacocks, and even find time to fight in a colonial revolution! If an event has a kernel of peculiarity or humor in it, expect the second banana to peel it back and find its comedic seeds.
Sidekicks are sensational because they kick social niceties, expected conventions, and sometimes even good behavior to the curb. Because sidekicks are so great and engaging, they do deserve a plot to call their own. That's why Deja Vu: No Time to Waste was created. It's a chance to see some of the bigger story's minor players interacting in a pretty major way.
I hope you'll pick up your copy today. Honestly, you'll be (side)kicking yourself if you don't! Get it for your Kindle or Nook.
