Side characters are a staple in stories of every kind, but some side characters are asked to be a little more involved in the protagonist’s journey. In order to reach the end goal, sometimes a hero needs a crew. A team. A squad. A company. A troop.

Tolkien’s masterpiece The Lord of the Rings is a perfect example. When Frodo arrives in Rivendell with the One Ring, a council is assembled and folk from all over Middle Earth discuss what to do with this dangerous weapon. A fellowship of nine travelers is chosen and they set out for Mount Doom where they hope to see the ring destroyed.

In Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows, a criminal named Kaz Brekker is determined to pull off the heist of all heists. But it’s a big job and to do it, he needs a team of experts.

In Ally Carter’s Heist Society, Katarina Bishop is the daughter of a famous thief, and when a mobster’s art collection goes missing, he becomes the only suspect. To clear his name, Kat must steal the collection back, but time is short and she needs the very special gifts of some of her favorite teenage masterminds. 

In my fantasy adventure, Winter, White and Wicked, a rig driver named Sylvi must travel across an island cursed by eternal winter to a rebel camp so she can save her friend. Only, she doesn’t know where the camp is, and the road is deadly this time of year. She can’t get there without help.

These books are very different, but they all feature a crew whose success depends on teamwork. And so, as storytellers, we ask the question: What makes a good crew member?

Skills

The best way to assemble a crew for your story is to put yourself in the head of whichever character needs the job done. What kind of help do they need, and what kind of expertise will get them where they’re going?

In Six of Crows, Kaz chooses a sharpshooter, a thief, a convict, a spy, and a Grisha heartrender. He has the criminal genius, but each crew member has attributes or skills that will allow him to execute his plan. 

Katarina Bishop of Heist Society is also a thief, but her crew is made up mostly of family members. The Bagshaw brothers have a gift for disguise, while Kat’s flirtatious cousin, Gabrielle, is great at distraction. Nick is a skilled pickpocket, while W.W. Hale the Fifth is Kat’s best friend, a blossoming thief himself, and filthy rich. His pocketbook, limousines, and jets are a great help to Kat and crew.

When I think of assembling a team, I always come back to what my editor, Emily Daluga, once said as we were working on Winter, White and Wicked:

“It’s important to know each team member’s role so that if they die, the reader is both upset that they’re dead, but also worried about who will fill that niche on the team.”

Her words changed how I viewed the whole process, and a crew member’s role is now the very first place I start.

Diversity

As important as they are, skills aren’t the only attribute your crew members should offer. Every element of your book should accomplish more than one thing, and that includes your characters. You want them to feel like living, breathing members of your storyworld. To do that, they must all have their own backstory, opinions, and reasons for joining up. If you choose well, your crew members can help you introduce the different corners of the world they inhabit.

In The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo and his three hobbit companions are joined by a wizard, an elf, a dwarf, a man of Gondor, and a ranger from the north. As they travel, we get to learn about the various folk of Middle Earth. Tolkien’s storyworld fills with color and depth as we connect with each member of the fellowship.

In Winter, White and Wicked, I attempted to do the same. Sylvi’s crew of four includes a Kerce man with magic in his veins, a giant warrior woman from across the sea, and a Shiv youth who’s grown up very disconnected from the ancient stories of his people. As they truck across the island, we learn about these groups and their nuanced views of the world they inhabit. Their actions and dialogue, together with their varied responses to the obstacles and antagonists on the road, allow us a wider view of the story.

Conflict

The closer characters are to one another, the greater the opportunity for conflict. Working together is challenging in the best of circumstances, and the greatest gift you can give yourself is the opportunity for tension. Look for ways to rub your characters up against one another. That’s when we get sparks. And sparks make for great storytelling. 

The tension between Boromir and Aragorn in The Fellowship of the Ring is fascinating. They both have ties to Gondor, but their perspectives are very different. Boromir’s father has been stewarding the kingdom, and his family fighting to keep the enemy out for years, while Aragorn, the heir to the throne, has been reluctant to take up the crown. The friction of two such men working together raises the tension, giving the reader a glimpse into the complicated politics of this world, the depth of the characters, and their reasons for going on such a quest. All things readers will appreciate. 

Pulling together a crew to accomplish a task is both fun and challenging, but the hard work will pay off when you’ve presented the reader with an unforgettable cast of characters. 

On that note, I have some fun news for you today. If you subscribe to my newsletter or follow my Instagram account, you may have heard, but since many of you are not on social media, I wanted to let you know:

The pre-order campaign for my October 13th release, WINTER, WHITE AND WICKED is live (!!!) and it features an artwork of my main character and her crew! For more information, tap the picture and follow the link.

NOW! You tell me! What’s your favorite story featuring a team or crew? It can be a movie, TV show, or book. I’m a sucker for ensemble casts, and I’d love to check it out.

Shannon Dittemore is an author and speaker. Her books include the Angel Eyes trilogy, a supernatural foray into the realm of angels and demons, as well as the fantastical adventure novel Winter, White and Wicked. Its sequel, Rebel, Brave and Brutal is due out January 10, 2023.

Shannon’s stories feature strong female leads grappling with fear and faith as they venture into the wilds of the unknown. She’s often wondered if she’s writing her own quest for bravery again and again.

It’s a choice she values highly. Bravery. And she’s never more inspired than when young people ball up their fist and punch fear in the face.

To that end, Shannon takes great joy in working with young writers, both in person and online at Go Teen Writers, an instructional blog recognized by Writer’s Digest four years running as a “101 Best Websites for Writers” selection.

For more about Shannon and her books, please visit her websiteInstagramFacebookTwitter, and Pinterest.