This series is about mistakes I made as a new writer years ago and what I've seen as a developmental editor.
MAKE ROBIN THE REAL DARK KNIGHT:
Who would Batman be without Robin? Yup; just another bat. But in writing, sometimes authors forget who the hero is. What does this look like? Suddenly, you go from following Batman's story arc to following Robin with Batman fading off into the shadows of the Batcave. I mean, who didn't like Chris O'Donnell as Robin? As an editor, I've seen more than one secondary character supplant the hero. This can be jarring to the reader and they will be confused; they won't know who to root for the most. Remember, the reader is going on their own hero's journey by following the hero. Not staying focused means the reader's vicarious experience gets splintered.
EASY FIX:
Read through your novel and take note of how much page time you've given to both your hero and the secondary character. Review the character arc for your hero and go to the last choice he had to make to see where you went off track. Sometimes, the secondary character is the "solution" to a hero's problem or starts to drive the story by making major choices. Strip your secondary character of that superpower and give the choice to your hero. Reconnect with the changes your hero has to experience in order to complete the story and write from that perspective. Your secondary character can have an arc, you'll spend less time exploring it on the page.
You can also give the secondary character his own story. Robin does have his own comic.
ANALYZE YOUR WRITING:
1. Which character arc resonates with you the most? Make that the story as your passion will come through in the writing.
2. Is your secondary character making choices or solving all the issues your hero needs to make/solve? Make it stop!!!
3. Does your hero have more page time than the secondary characters? Why or why not?
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