S is for...

 

Secondary Characters

Secondary Characters are the next most important character in your novel next to the MC or the Villain. They share some kind of connection with them, being their spouse, their kid, their sibling, their best mate, or their rival (which also goes for the villain). 

These characters deserve just as much thought and roundness as your main characters (maybe not as many profile sheets, but still almost as much). They support your MC or Villain, and might even have a subplot all of their own. 

They can also be responsible for moving the story forward when things get a little stuck, or holding things up because they don't understand what's going on, or feel the MC is being daft. They can also help to describe the world that your MC or Villain live in, If they are your MC's or Villains assistant chances are that they will always be only in one location. Unless of course they are the sidekick that helps solve the case. 

Some writers or readers recommend that you don't have too many characters in your novel, sometimes I agree with this, but I think your story should have as many characters as is needed for it to progress to where you want it to go.

Don't confuse your secondary characters with the background ones, the storekeeper who owns the shop on the corner, the shop assistant who helps with a query or serves your MC or Villain, the person on the street, the cab driver, the bin man. These background characters while you should know a little about them, don't require as much knowledge as to who they are.