Bill Conrad's Blog - Posts Tagged "character-development"
Cleopatra
On April 12, 2023, Netflix released the movie Queen Cleopatra and received harsh criticism. The problems stemmed from altered facts to make the story more entertaining. Online posts from the actress who played Cleopatra amplified the situation. The heart of the problem is that Netflix released the movie in the documentary category. There are lawsuits by the Egyptian government because they poorly represented their beloved former leader.
We have all seen movies or read books that spun the original story into something unrecognizable. I recall the 2009 film Inglourious Basterds raised several eyebrows with its wildly different ending to WWII. It was a fun, goofy film that I got a laugh out of. Why? It’s a parody film. However, other moviegoers were not impressed with the radical departure.
I do not have any opinions about Queen Cleopatra because I did not watch it or research the controversy. I’m not too fond of it when people form opinions and publicly comment on something they have not directly experienced. If I were to guess, I do not think Netflix intended their film to attack Egyptian culture, but the result upset many people. Sometimes in my life, I did something stupid, even though people around me recommended a different course of action. I think this may have occurred during the production.
Instead of discussing the conflict surrounding the Netflix film, I have another topic in mind. My Immortality book series also has the character Cleopatra. I set my story in the preset, and my concept is that she used a life-extending procedure to survive. Given the present controversy, I thought it would be interesting to discuss my choices.
I picked Cleopatra because she is powerful, beautiful, historically significant, and a celebrated figure that readers would recognize. I also picked her because the plot required a known ruler of the ancient world. In that area, Cleopatra is at the top of the pyramid. Ha, I made a pun.
Yet, I knew there might be pitfalls because there will always be. Going into the process, I knew that the records of this period were poor, and additional facts are discovered. Plus, the popular view of Cleopatra (highlighted by the 1963 Elizabeth Taylor film) differs wildly from boring facts. Yet, I did not think people would care too much about my character choice because Cleopatra has been dead for a long time, and people use historical figures for many projects without issue. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter? No problems there.
The real problem with the Netflix film is that it hit a specific sore spot because they released it as a documentary. The great people of Egypt have pride in their historical figures and do not appreciate when they are “accurately” tarnished. This pushback made me reconsider how readers would react to my book.
I treated the character Cleopatra as beautiful, intelligent, and strong. Yet she was in vain and out of touch with present society. When the facts fit, I used them, but when my plot demanded something different, I wrote, “History recorded X, but Y actually occurred.”
How did I get around the fact that she passed away a long time ago? I explained that there was a revolt in Rome. She substituted a dead body for herself and escaped. Cleopatra invented a life-extending procedure and has continued using it to the present day.
Writers have used historical figures many times, and it is my experience that readers accept tasteful transformations. This positive reaction is what I am hoping for, but what if this is not the case? The Netflix film reaction gave me a lot to think about, and I certainly would understand a harsh response to my book if I trashed Cleopatra.
What is my high-level view? I do not think my work tarnished Cleopatra’s reputation because I ensured the historical facts were accurate. What about being out of touch? All leaders are out of touch. Want proof? Click on the latest news and see what the politicians are up to. Today, when I wrote this, they are enacting a law in California to tax residents leaving the state. Umm? Come live in California. We will not screw you. Honest.
What about vanity? All characters must have flaws, or readers will get bored, but I did not entirely make up that flaw. Some historical records show Cleopatra was vain; the popular 1963 Elizabeth Taylor film highlighted this trait. I applied this flaw sparingly, and the result rounded out the character.
What do I feel the total result of my book means to readers? To answer such a question, I can pretend to be Cleopatra, reading my book in Heaven. She would probably get a kick out of my portrayal. Cleopatra’s power over people would remain intact, and her sharp mind would inspire readers. If she read other books in Heaven, she would understand how characters develop and appreciate that I had tastefully applied negative traits.
What would an Egyptian citizen think of my book? I think they would feel the same way. I treated their historical figure with dignity and positively contributed to her legacy. In the best case, my book’s minor Wikipedia footnote will be in the Cleopatra entry.
What if I am incorrect, and the people of Egypt hate my portrayal? Some might argue that any publicity is good publicity. I would not, and an adverse reaction would certainly hurt my feelings. The weak excuse of “I tried my best to portray Cleopatra positively” would not help the situation, even if it is true.
Would I understand an adverse reaction? Until the Netflix film came out, absolutely not. As proof, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter did not result in a lawsuit or public uprising. Also, nobody would be foolish enough to release such a wildly inaccurate film as a documentary.
Yet, now I think differently. If I were to write a book today, I would not pick Cleopatra as a character because of the controversy. I am too small of a fish to take that risk. How about an immortal Abraham Lincoln? Umm, actually… He is a character in my next book. He is not immortal, but I changed a bit of history. Did you know Abraham Lincoln went into outer space? Yeah, just a bit.
You’re the best -Bill
January 17, 2024
We have all seen movies or read books that spun the original story into something unrecognizable. I recall the 2009 film Inglourious Basterds raised several eyebrows with its wildly different ending to WWII. It was a fun, goofy film that I got a laugh out of. Why? It’s a parody film. However, other moviegoers were not impressed with the radical departure.
I do not have any opinions about Queen Cleopatra because I did not watch it or research the controversy. I’m not too fond of it when people form opinions and publicly comment on something they have not directly experienced. If I were to guess, I do not think Netflix intended their film to attack Egyptian culture, but the result upset many people. Sometimes in my life, I did something stupid, even though people around me recommended a different course of action. I think this may have occurred during the production.
Instead of discussing the conflict surrounding the Netflix film, I have another topic in mind. My Immortality book series also has the character Cleopatra. I set my story in the preset, and my concept is that she used a life-extending procedure to survive. Given the present controversy, I thought it would be interesting to discuss my choices.
I picked Cleopatra because she is powerful, beautiful, historically significant, and a celebrated figure that readers would recognize. I also picked her because the plot required a known ruler of the ancient world. In that area, Cleopatra is at the top of the pyramid. Ha, I made a pun.
Yet, I knew there might be pitfalls because there will always be. Going into the process, I knew that the records of this period were poor, and additional facts are discovered. Plus, the popular view of Cleopatra (highlighted by the 1963 Elizabeth Taylor film) differs wildly from boring facts. Yet, I did not think people would care too much about my character choice because Cleopatra has been dead for a long time, and people use historical figures for many projects without issue. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter? No problems there.
The real problem with the Netflix film is that it hit a specific sore spot because they released it as a documentary. The great people of Egypt have pride in their historical figures and do not appreciate when they are “accurately” tarnished. This pushback made me reconsider how readers would react to my book.
I treated the character Cleopatra as beautiful, intelligent, and strong. Yet she was in vain and out of touch with present society. When the facts fit, I used them, but when my plot demanded something different, I wrote, “History recorded X, but Y actually occurred.”
How did I get around the fact that she passed away a long time ago? I explained that there was a revolt in Rome. She substituted a dead body for herself and escaped. Cleopatra invented a life-extending procedure and has continued using it to the present day.
Writers have used historical figures many times, and it is my experience that readers accept tasteful transformations. This positive reaction is what I am hoping for, but what if this is not the case? The Netflix film reaction gave me a lot to think about, and I certainly would understand a harsh response to my book if I trashed Cleopatra.
What is my high-level view? I do not think my work tarnished Cleopatra’s reputation because I ensured the historical facts were accurate. What about being out of touch? All leaders are out of touch. Want proof? Click on the latest news and see what the politicians are up to. Today, when I wrote this, they are enacting a law in California to tax residents leaving the state. Umm? Come live in California. We will not screw you. Honest.
What about vanity? All characters must have flaws, or readers will get bored, but I did not entirely make up that flaw. Some historical records show Cleopatra was vain; the popular 1963 Elizabeth Taylor film highlighted this trait. I applied this flaw sparingly, and the result rounded out the character.
What do I feel the total result of my book means to readers? To answer such a question, I can pretend to be Cleopatra, reading my book in Heaven. She would probably get a kick out of my portrayal. Cleopatra’s power over people would remain intact, and her sharp mind would inspire readers. If she read other books in Heaven, she would understand how characters develop and appreciate that I had tastefully applied negative traits.
What would an Egyptian citizen think of my book? I think they would feel the same way. I treated their historical figure with dignity and positively contributed to her legacy. In the best case, my book’s minor Wikipedia footnote will be in the Cleopatra entry.
What if I am incorrect, and the people of Egypt hate my portrayal? Some might argue that any publicity is good publicity. I would not, and an adverse reaction would certainly hurt my feelings. The weak excuse of “I tried my best to portray Cleopatra positively” would not help the situation, even if it is true.
Would I understand an adverse reaction? Until the Netflix film came out, absolutely not. As proof, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter did not result in a lawsuit or public uprising. Also, nobody would be foolish enough to release such a wildly inaccurate film as a documentary.
Yet, now I think differently. If I were to write a book today, I would not pick Cleopatra as a character because of the controversy. I am too small of a fish to take that risk. How about an immortal Abraham Lincoln? Umm, actually… He is a character in my next book. He is not immortal, but I changed a bit of history. Did you know Abraham Lincoln went into outer space? Yeah, just a bit.
You’re the best -Bill
January 17, 2024
My First Book’s Main Characters
I do not have a formal character development method. Instead, I develop a plot and mold the characters to fit. The resulting characters rise to the drama, which is not how most writers work. They begin with a solid character and tailor the action, emotion, and drama to complement their creation. The resulting character traits will contain firm physical attributes, clear relationships, unique personalities, and solid backgrounds. Yeah… Not my cup of tea.
Long before I began writing, I thought up stories inside my bonkers mind. My character had simple traits, essentially fictional versions of myself. They would build race cars, travel to wild Africa, or meet amazing women. I was daydreaming. What were my characters like? They were older and more mature. All the physical traits and relationships with people in my life were identical. My support characters were one-dimensional and quickly forgotten. I did not even give them names or noteworthy characteristics.
I had to take a more formal approach when I became an author because readers expect more than a daydream. This quality increase included naming my characters and giving them unique physical traits and flaws. While I tried to distance my main character from my life, I did not do a great job. Why is this important? Readers easily see through a character based on a pumped-up author. Common traits for this kind of character are overtly brilliant, buff, arrogant, and unrealistic. You can see this kind of extra-bold character in popular action films.
I named my first character, James, in my first book. Unfortunately, in the first draft, he ended up being too similar to me, and it took intense editing to reduce the similarities, resulting in a more rounded and believable character.
One of my writing rules is to make a character’s weaknesses obvious because readers need to understand the motivation behind actions clearly. James is dishonest, shallow, not too bright, and has no confidence. This is the reason behind his ugly divorce and the plagiarism of his only successful book.
My plot is like a vampire story, but I invented a bizarre medical procedure instead of drinking blood to be immortal. One side effect is confidence, balanced by enough paranoia to fill a dump truck. This added confidence is key to James consciously deciding to better his life at the end of the first book.
Despite the similarities, there are significant differences between James and me. He is more liberal, writing is his only interest, and his background vastly differs from mine. I am more intelligent, confident, trustworthy, and intuitive, meaning that I would not have fallen into the traps that set the plot into motion.
What makes James tick? Nothing. He is dragged along by the plot until the end of the third book when he gets some backbone. I am sure you are thinking, “Hey, characters are supposed to lead the plot, not follow it.” Yes and no. Not everybody in our society is a leader. We have to go to work, criminals go to jail, and even kids have to go to school. So, it is reasonable that bad things happen to a character, forcing them down a path. In many ways, this is more realistic, yet I agree that this kind of plot is not the strongest.
If I were to meet James, I likely would not be impressed because he is the type of man who wants something at the expense of others. Yet, he is growing on me, and by the fourth book (in the outline stage), I would tolerate him enough to go on a bike ride.
I named the second main character in my first book Grace. Bold is an understatement for her. Grace is over 500 years old, incredibly rich, bright, confident, in control of every aspect of her life, pretty, in great shape, and a snappy dresser. Yet, as I mentioned, a character must have apparent flaws.
Grace could be compared to a head vampire. She is dominating, incredibly paranoid, 500 years out of touch, and hypersensitive to personal security. She will go to any measure when it comes to survival.
I introduced another side effect of my immorality procedure to her. People undergoing the procedure are very susceptible to substance abuse. She had a twenty-year opium bender, but that was in the 1800s. She has been clean ever since, but her desire to get high is ever-present.
Grace is courteous, kind, sweet, an excellent listener, a world-class chef, perceptive, honest, and altruistic. Yet, you probably can see the contrast. “Sweet” and “will go to any measure to survive” are the opposite. This makes Grace a super complex character struggling between these extreme existences. In one example, Grace prepares an excellent meal for James, but he accidentally drops his napkin. When he reached down to pick it up, she nearly stabbed him.
When I molded Grace around the story, the result had no similarities to anybody I know or a fictional character. This made her unique and intriguing. Would I like to meet her? Absolutely not. Grace is a hardened killer, and despite all her positives, every part of her screams, “Stay away!”
Grace studied James from afar, kidnapped him, and forced him to undergo the life-giving procedure. She then discusses her life and forces him to write her story. In the second book, James admits that he fell in love with her during their time together.
Thus, in the second book, he undergoes an epic journey to locate her, which brings up a significant inconsistency. I said I would never want to meet her, but James does. I partially explain that James can see her kindness, and I will explore their budding relationship in my fourth book. There are going to be a lot of bumps.
What makes Grace tick? Simple, money and security. Her motivation is one-dimensional, but she does have hobbies and likes the people who work at her companies. I suppose readers would consider Grace to have an icy exterior and a small but warm heart.
On the journey to locate Grace, I introduced other immortal characters who wish to harm James. But Arturo is an exception. Yes, he is paranoid, ruthless, and out of touch with reality, but he befriends James, and they go on an adventure together.
Arturo is pleasant, respectful, intuitive, and reliable. This friend provides a breath of fresh air in James’s life. The two can be honest and help each other down the path of immorality. I think it would be fun to meet Arturo if he were a real person. I can imagine us being business partners or playing sports. Yet, his core contains a ruthless killer, so I must be careful.
Meeting Arturo leads up to the most prominent character in my first book series. Pharaoh Cleopatra taught the life-giving procedure to Arturo and Grace, who passed it along to James. He has heard of this fantastic woman but doubts she is still alive.
I went to great lengths to portray Cleopatra as astounding. She possesses incredible beauty, wealth, and sophistication but shares all the same flaws as Grace, especially being out of touch with reality. In addition, she is vain and cares little for others. Still, James falls head over heels for her, which brings up another inconsistency. In the second book, he undertakes an extraordinary journey to locate Grace because he cares for her and is attracted to Cleopatra. Yes, I will thoroughly explore this complex three-way relationship in my fourth book; it will be a bumpy ride. Why? Imagine dating somebody who is half a century or more out of touch with reality, a ruthless killer, vain, and you are also dating her twin?
While there would be positives to meeting a ruler of the ancient world, I would run away from Cleopatra as fast as my legs would carry me. She is beyond ruthless and would kill a nobody like me in less than a heartbeat. Yet, I share James’s fascination, and I will explore this interest in the fourth book.
My biggest character flaw (yes, that was a pun) was making James too similar. I now clearly see this unintentional choice hampered my creativity. I know what and who I am, which added many limitations. Creating James from a blank person would have made him more interesting and realistic to readers.
Yet, that was my point in making him what he was. James was supposed to be an average or below-average guy, a random person selected to be part of a big story. I am average, making me the perfect subject to model a character for this adventure. So, I think my creation was better than I am giving myself credit for.
Creating my characters and getting them into all kinds of messes was fun. I am now intimately familiar with their personalities, quirks, and traits. I suppose it is like we are already friends. Or at least neighbors. A ruthless killer? Umm, how about pen pals? Actually, that works.
You’re the best -Bill
December 18, 2024
Long before I began writing, I thought up stories inside my bonkers mind. My character had simple traits, essentially fictional versions of myself. They would build race cars, travel to wild Africa, or meet amazing women. I was daydreaming. What were my characters like? They were older and more mature. All the physical traits and relationships with people in my life were identical. My support characters were one-dimensional and quickly forgotten. I did not even give them names or noteworthy characteristics.
I had to take a more formal approach when I became an author because readers expect more than a daydream. This quality increase included naming my characters and giving them unique physical traits and flaws. While I tried to distance my main character from my life, I did not do a great job. Why is this important? Readers easily see through a character based on a pumped-up author. Common traits for this kind of character are overtly brilliant, buff, arrogant, and unrealistic. You can see this kind of extra-bold character in popular action films.
I named my first character, James, in my first book. Unfortunately, in the first draft, he ended up being too similar to me, and it took intense editing to reduce the similarities, resulting in a more rounded and believable character.
One of my writing rules is to make a character’s weaknesses obvious because readers need to understand the motivation behind actions clearly. James is dishonest, shallow, not too bright, and has no confidence. This is the reason behind his ugly divorce and the plagiarism of his only successful book.
My plot is like a vampire story, but I invented a bizarre medical procedure instead of drinking blood to be immortal. One side effect is confidence, balanced by enough paranoia to fill a dump truck. This added confidence is key to James consciously deciding to better his life at the end of the first book.
Despite the similarities, there are significant differences between James and me. He is more liberal, writing is his only interest, and his background vastly differs from mine. I am more intelligent, confident, trustworthy, and intuitive, meaning that I would not have fallen into the traps that set the plot into motion.
What makes James tick? Nothing. He is dragged along by the plot until the end of the third book when he gets some backbone. I am sure you are thinking, “Hey, characters are supposed to lead the plot, not follow it.” Yes and no. Not everybody in our society is a leader. We have to go to work, criminals go to jail, and even kids have to go to school. So, it is reasonable that bad things happen to a character, forcing them down a path. In many ways, this is more realistic, yet I agree that this kind of plot is not the strongest.
If I were to meet James, I likely would not be impressed because he is the type of man who wants something at the expense of others. Yet, he is growing on me, and by the fourth book (in the outline stage), I would tolerate him enough to go on a bike ride.
I named the second main character in my first book Grace. Bold is an understatement for her. Grace is over 500 years old, incredibly rich, bright, confident, in control of every aspect of her life, pretty, in great shape, and a snappy dresser. Yet, as I mentioned, a character must have apparent flaws.
Grace could be compared to a head vampire. She is dominating, incredibly paranoid, 500 years out of touch, and hypersensitive to personal security. She will go to any measure when it comes to survival.
I introduced another side effect of my immorality procedure to her. People undergoing the procedure are very susceptible to substance abuse. She had a twenty-year opium bender, but that was in the 1800s. She has been clean ever since, but her desire to get high is ever-present.
Grace is courteous, kind, sweet, an excellent listener, a world-class chef, perceptive, honest, and altruistic. Yet, you probably can see the contrast. “Sweet” and “will go to any measure to survive” are the opposite. This makes Grace a super complex character struggling between these extreme existences. In one example, Grace prepares an excellent meal for James, but he accidentally drops his napkin. When he reached down to pick it up, she nearly stabbed him.
When I molded Grace around the story, the result had no similarities to anybody I know or a fictional character. This made her unique and intriguing. Would I like to meet her? Absolutely not. Grace is a hardened killer, and despite all her positives, every part of her screams, “Stay away!”
Grace studied James from afar, kidnapped him, and forced him to undergo the life-giving procedure. She then discusses her life and forces him to write her story. In the second book, James admits that he fell in love with her during their time together.
Thus, in the second book, he undergoes an epic journey to locate her, which brings up a significant inconsistency. I said I would never want to meet her, but James does. I partially explain that James can see her kindness, and I will explore their budding relationship in my fourth book. There are going to be a lot of bumps.
What makes Grace tick? Simple, money and security. Her motivation is one-dimensional, but she does have hobbies and likes the people who work at her companies. I suppose readers would consider Grace to have an icy exterior and a small but warm heart.
On the journey to locate Grace, I introduced other immortal characters who wish to harm James. But Arturo is an exception. Yes, he is paranoid, ruthless, and out of touch with reality, but he befriends James, and they go on an adventure together.
Arturo is pleasant, respectful, intuitive, and reliable. This friend provides a breath of fresh air in James’s life. The two can be honest and help each other down the path of immorality. I think it would be fun to meet Arturo if he were a real person. I can imagine us being business partners or playing sports. Yet, his core contains a ruthless killer, so I must be careful.
Meeting Arturo leads up to the most prominent character in my first book series. Pharaoh Cleopatra taught the life-giving procedure to Arturo and Grace, who passed it along to James. He has heard of this fantastic woman but doubts she is still alive.
I went to great lengths to portray Cleopatra as astounding. She possesses incredible beauty, wealth, and sophistication but shares all the same flaws as Grace, especially being out of touch with reality. In addition, she is vain and cares little for others. Still, James falls head over heels for her, which brings up another inconsistency. In the second book, he undertakes an extraordinary journey to locate Grace because he cares for her and is attracted to Cleopatra. Yes, I will thoroughly explore this complex three-way relationship in my fourth book; it will be a bumpy ride. Why? Imagine dating somebody who is half a century or more out of touch with reality, a ruthless killer, vain, and you are also dating her twin?
While there would be positives to meeting a ruler of the ancient world, I would run away from Cleopatra as fast as my legs would carry me. She is beyond ruthless and would kill a nobody like me in less than a heartbeat. Yet, I share James’s fascination, and I will explore this interest in the fourth book.
My biggest character flaw (yes, that was a pun) was making James too similar. I now clearly see this unintentional choice hampered my creativity. I know what and who I am, which added many limitations. Creating James from a blank person would have made him more interesting and realistic to readers.
Yet, that was my point in making him what he was. James was supposed to be an average or below-average guy, a random person selected to be part of a big story. I am average, making me the perfect subject to model a character for this adventure. So, I think my creation was better than I am giving myself credit for.
Creating my characters and getting them into all kinds of messes was fun. I am now intimately familiar with their personalities, quirks, and traits. I suppose it is like we are already friends. Or at least neighbors. A ruthless killer? Umm, how about pen pals? Actually, that works.
You’re the best -Bill
December 18, 2024
Play Stupid Games, Don’t Win Stupid Prizes
My house was constructed in 2007 on a small plot of land surrounded by other houses. The advantage of building on a small parcel is reduced price, but I lack room to play with big toys. Such as? Dump trucks, tractors, excavators, bulldozers, cranes, forklifts, pumps, generators, and graders. I love them all! However, the most significant piece of equipment I ever owned was a lawn mower, and I had to sell it because it took up too much space. Tractor? Ha! I could not even fit a tractor tire in my crowded garage.
The closest I get to owning big equipment is watching YouTube videos. These content creators buy, restore, fix, modify, and use their equipment for fun activities. I devote at least an hour daily to seeing what they are doing.
One of my favorite YouTube channels is Ants Pants. Andris lives in Estonia and works on all kinds of fun projects. I have determined that the attraction to reality shows involves the host’s personality. Some viewers are looking for drama, mystery, and macho goodness. I prefer down-to-earth people with watchable interests, and his channel fits my bill.
https://www.youtube.com/@Ants_Pants
You are probably thinking, “Hey, you normally write about books and stuff. What does a YouTube guy playing with tractors have to do with that?” I am glad you asked. Andris said something the other day that has been rattling around in my bonkers mind. “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
I participated in my fair share of stupid activities as a kid. I rode my dirt bike without a helmet and used scraps of wood to jump over shopping carts. And my bike? It was so bad that I could still see the labels from the recycled beer cans it was made out of.
Fast forward to today. We know so much about safety, medicine, health, and physics. Plus, there are endless videos about poor decisions. Spoiler alert! Concussions have lifelong impacts. (That was a pun.) As a result, we instituted laws, quality controls, government department, rules, and lawyers to enhance safety. Yet, it seems now more than ever that people are doing stupid things. Why? To be famous, do something extraordinary, or relieve boredom.
I recall the precise moment when I became aware of this trend. Around 1995, I was watching an obituary on the local news. They had been following the antics of a local teenager who had become a minor celebrity. It started five years prior when his friend borrowed his father’s video camera to record a stunt.
The kid rode his dirt bike as fast as he could down the walkway of a three-story apartment building, jumped off the top-floor steps, and did a twist with the idea of sticking the landing on the railing of the second-floor steps. He came within inches of success and crashed hard on the cement below.
The friend submitted the video to the local news, and they interviewed the kid in the hospital bed. He confidently proclaimed something like, “I am a true champion! When I heal, I’m going to stick that landing!” A year later, history repeated with another spectacular video of him crashing and an interview. The following year, the kid crashed again. I was unaware of the first three crashes, but the news only showed the kid speeding toward the top steps on the fourth. They stopped the video because the resulting crash was fatal. I thought, “Man, that kid was an idiot. Why on earth was he so dedicated to doing something that dangerous?”
Today, the internet is full of videos where people intentionally do stupid things, but what does this have to do with writing? Pondering Andris’s statement made me realize that the main characters should never win stupid prizes. Let’s jump (another pun) in with an example.
It’s a teenage romance with a hard-core punk who wants to be the world’s best bike stunt bike rider. And the girl… Umm? Wait a minute. Is she going to fall (another pun) for a kid dumb enough to jump his bike off a three-story building? That story is a non-starter for everybody.
How about a coming-of-age story where the mother of the hard-core punk biker does not know what to do? Umm? She raised an idiot. How will readers ever sympathize?
The doctor who saved a brave child… Umm, no. The kid is a bonehead. Let’s hear the story of saving a normal kid.
The only salvageable aspect of this mess is a story about the kid who videotaped the biker. He could grow up to be a reality television producer—still, not an entertaining foundation.
Well, how do we fix the problem? People and characters will always engage in stupid activities, and authors should not avoid these flaws. My solution is to prevent the stupid prize. The kid sticks the landing. “Wow! That could have gone bad. I was a real bonehead and better make good decisions in the future.” Positive outcomes from stupid activities have a higher story impact (another pun). Essentially, I recommend riding above (a fourth pun) our foolishness.
What am I trying to avoid? What is the central problem? Readers like to cheer for the main characters and relate to their situations. They want something better than reality and empathize with success. Even in a horror story, the despicable villain has solid goals. Can you imagine Hanabal Lector crashing on a dirt bike? That would bring the story flow to a dead stop (almost a pun).
Am I guilty of not taking my advice? I only put this thought together recently, but I had a similar rule over the years. During story development and editing, I identified segments that read stupid. My solution was to delete them or rewrite them to read more intelligently. I felt this made a better story that readers had a better chance of relating to and enjoying.
My rule would unlikely make it into a writing guide or textbook because it falls into the “what a solid plot should contain” category. Still, I find exploring areas that cannot or should not be written about fascinating. Readers are a fickle bunch. We like what we like and will put a book down in a heartbeat for tiny reasons.
You’re the best -Bill
February 12, 2025
The closest I get to owning big equipment is watching YouTube videos. These content creators buy, restore, fix, modify, and use their equipment for fun activities. I devote at least an hour daily to seeing what they are doing.
One of my favorite YouTube channels is Ants Pants. Andris lives in Estonia and works on all kinds of fun projects. I have determined that the attraction to reality shows involves the host’s personality. Some viewers are looking for drama, mystery, and macho goodness. I prefer down-to-earth people with watchable interests, and his channel fits my bill.
https://www.youtube.com/@Ants_Pants
You are probably thinking, “Hey, you normally write about books and stuff. What does a YouTube guy playing with tractors have to do with that?” I am glad you asked. Andris said something the other day that has been rattling around in my bonkers mind. “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
I participated in my fair share of stupid activities as a kid. I rode my dirt bike without a helmet and used scraps of wood to jump over shopping carts. And my bike? It was so bad that I could still see the labels from the recycled beer cans it was made out of.
Fast forward to today. We know so much about safety, medicine, health, and physics. Plus, there are endless videos about poor decisions. Spoiler alert! Concussions have lifelong impacts. (That was a pun.) As a result, we instituted laws, quality controls, government department, rules, and lawyers to enhance safety. Yet, it seems now more than ever that people are doing stupid things. Why? To be famous, do something extraordinary, or relieve boredom.
I recall the precise moment when I became aware of this trend. Around 1995, I was watching an obituary on the local news. They had been following the antics of a local teenager who had become a minor celebrity. It started five years prior when his friend borrowed his father’s video camera to record a stunt.
The kid rode his dirt bike as fast as he could down the walkway of a three-story apartment building, jumped off the top-floor steps, and did a twist with the idea of sticking the landing on the railing of the second-floor steps. He came within inches of success and crashed hard on the cement below.
The friend submitted the video to the local news, and they interviewed the kid in the hospital bed. He confidently proclaimed something like, “I am a true champion! When I heal, I’m going to stick that landing!” A year later, history repeated with another spectacular video of him crashing and an interview. The following year, the kid crashed again. I was unaware of the first three crashes, but the news only showed the kid speeding toward the top steps on the fourth. They stopped the video because the resulting crash was fatal. I thought, “Man, that kid was an idiot. Why on earth was he so dedicated to doing something that dangerous?”
Today, the internet is full of videos where people intentionally do stupid things, but what does this have to do with writing? Pondering Andris’s statement made me realize that the main characters should never win stupid prizes. Let’s jump (another pun) in with an example.
It’s a teenage romance with a hard-core punk who wants to be the world’s best bike stunt bike rider. And the girl… Umm? Wait a minute. Is she going to fall (another pun) for a kid dumb enough to jump his bike off a three-story building? That story is a non-starter for everybody.
How about a coming-of-age story where the mother of the hard-core punk biker does not know what to do? Umm? She raised an idiot. How will readers ever sympathize?
The doctor who saved a brave child… Umm, no. The kid is a bonehead. Let’s hear the story of saving a normal kid.
The only salvageable aspect of this mess is a story about the kid who videotaped the biker. He could grow up to be a reality television producer—still, not an entertaining foundation.
Well, how do we fix the problem? People and characters will always engage in stupid activities, and authors should not avoid these flaws. My solution is to prevent the stupid prize. The kid sticks the landing. “Wow! That could have gone bad. I was a real bonehead and better make good decisions in the future.” Positive outcomes from stupid activities have a higher story impact (another pun). Essentially, I recommend riding above (a fourth pun) our foolishness.
What am I trying to avoid? What is the central problem? Readers like to cheer for the main characters and relate to their situations. They want something better than reality and empathize with success. Even in a horror story, the despicable villain has solid goals. Can you imagine Hanabal Lector crashing on a dirt bike? That would bring the story flow to a dead stop (almost a pun).
Am I guilty of not taking my advice? I only put this thought together recently, but I had a similar rule over the years. During story development and editing, I identified segments that read stupid. My solution was to delete them or rewrite them to read more intelligently. I felt this made a better story that readers had a better chance of relating to and enjoying.
My rule would unlikely make it into a writing guide or textbook because it falls into the “what a solid plot should contain” category. Still, I find exploring areas that cannot or should not be written about fascinating. Readers are a fickle bunch. We like what we like and will put a book down in a heartbeat for tiny reasons.
You’re the best -Bill
February 12, 2025
How I’d Survive in My Novels
Authors can create anything in words. A different universe loaded with flying whales? Sure. A rooting-tooting bunch of cowboys? Easy. A book allows the author and the reader’s mind to be and do anything. How does this work? Simple, the author thinks about a topic and writes up a storm. The only problem is that their imagination limits them.
This means that they must visualize some part of themselves in the action, and I am no exception. Long before I wrote my first book, I spent hours before falling asleep thinking about adventure stories. I was the lead character and got into all kinds of trouble.
When I decided to become an author, I chose my top three ideas, and the writing battle began. Unfortunately, I made a big mistake. In my first two books, my main male character was modeled too closely to me. I did not understand that distancing a character from myself would have provided more freedom to explore the plot—rookie mistake. Fortunately, I added a few differences. So, I thought it would be a fun exercise to explore how I would do in the environments I created.
My first book is about a less-than-perfect, and mildly successful, author who gets forced to interview a woman who has been alive for over 500 years. Now, I admit to another mistake. I have since learned that readers immediately compare my plot to Stephen King’s novel, Misery. While my book has nothing to do with his novel, I should have made my main character a blogger, influencer, or English teacher. Live and learn…
How well would I fare if I were transported into my imagined reality? First, I must point out a key difference. I am not a less-than-perfect person. Yes, my life is boring, but I have far more confidence, higher ethics, greater intelligence, and am less susceptible to manipulation than my main character. This leads to a problem with my mental exercise. The immortal woman in my story searched for a specific kind of person whom she could scare into doing her bidding. Thus, only a weak individual would have survived in my story.
If I were in this situation, she would have captured me, asked me to write her story, and I would have refused. Then, she would have disposed of my body. A poorly written one-chapter book… Yikes!
Yet, there is more to this hypothetical situation. Sure, I have covered the basics, but humans are survivors. Could I navigate the situation differently, resulting in a different plot? So, I put on my thinking cap and developed an alternate possibility.
This woman is open to reason and there is a slim chance I could successfully state my case. “I have a family. Please do not kill me.” My only other option would be a fight to the death. While I am certainly not a martial arts person, I would have put in every ounce of strength to survive. Therefore, the story would contain a capture, a passionate argument, and a short, yet intense, fight scene. So… three chapters? More noodle effort required.
Let’s consider my strengths. I am more logical and realistic than my main character. Therefore, I would have identified her needs and allowed myself to become the kind of person who could have survived. Notepad in hand, I would have learned about her life just like my main character, and I can see myself enjoying the process because she is a fascinating individual.
In conclusion, if I allowed my morals to slip, I would see myself as a survivor. It would not be a great story because the main character would yield to her every wish. And it would make a lousy first book because I wanted a foundation for subsequent works. Meaning the theme of overcoming flaws would not exist, and I use this series of flaws to allow my character to grow over the following four books.
Yet, as I think about this possibility, I come to another conclusion. This outcome has a slim chance of success because my female main character is very perceptive and likely would have seen through my ruse. That is why my compelling story kept me entertained for so many years…
My second book also had a main character that hit too close to home. An electrical engineer with a family on an Alaskan cruise. Big surprise! I developed this plot while on an Alaskan cruise with my family, and I am an electrical engineer. Fortunately, like my first book, the main character and I have differences. He was more intelligent, but had less confidence, personality, and physical strength.
In the story, this male character and a young woman survive a cruise ship disaster. They hike through the foreboding Alaskan wilderness with many adventures. How would I do in this situation?
My first reaction would be to spend more time waiting to be rescued rather than trekking through the rugged wilderness. This decision is more logical and the result would be that my companion and I would have starved to death. And there is another problem, besides being an adventure, this book is a romance.
When I developed the plot, I took great care to set up the exact circumstances that would destroy the values of an upstanding married man enough to enable him to fall in love with his companion. This was a bear attack combined with confronting the loss of his family.
I am not the type of person who holds in their emotions; therefore, I would have immediately mourned for my family. Plus, while a bear is a daunting predator, I have better self-defense skills than my main character. Of course, that last sentence is easy to write in my calm office. So again, I put on my thinking cap and thought about how the real me would react.
The interactions between the two characters on the cruise ship would be different. The man is easily intimidated by a confident and attractive woman. She takes advantage of his deficiencies to help her situation, which leads to the beginning of a relationship. So, I do not think a romance would ever occur. But what about an adventure?
I have a strong drive to survive, so in desperation, I can see myself heading south in the Alaskan wilderness. The difference is that in my book, the decision process only took two pages, whereas I would require at least half a chapter to think it through. The result, while tough, would be an interesting bear attack and nothing else. Six mildly adventurous chapters conclude with the two main characters departing company with a hearty handshake. Yay, romance…
My third book is a classic spy novel, and by the time I wrote this story, I had learned my lesson. None of the characters are based on me or any aspect of my life. So, what would have happened if I wrote myself in? The answer is not much.
My story begins with two hunting buddies finding a secret installation that intercepted government communication cables. So, let’s pretend I was one of the hunters. I can see myself doing exactly what they did. Not very exciting. Why? I did not write an adventure story. It is an international mystery that governments solve through law enforcement.
The same is true of all the other characters—for example, the FBI agents. To become an FBI agent, one must undergo training and then work alongside fellow agents. So, if I were magically put into the plot as an FBI agent, I would do precisely what the FBI agents did in my plot.
This was the overall theme of my book. I wanted to create a realistic spy novel, far different from a James Bond kind of mega-hero. In my plot, characters fulfill their roles, and other characters are inadvertently drawn into the plot. I did this because this is how the real world works.
So, yes, I would be scared when the bad guys were mean, but I would react in the same way I do in daily life. Allow me to provide an “exciting” example from my real life.
Four weeks ago, I was driving home from the local movie theater at 9:30 p.m. when I saw a man running on the sidewalk. I took no interest. Suddenly, he spun around and fired a gun twice. (He may have been shooting at the person chasing him.) The event scared me silly, and I called 911 while driving away, almost hitting a car. Side note: I provided the police with my dash camera video and assisted with their investigation. So far, the case remains open.
But… Is that event worthy of writing into a book? Absolutely not, but that was not how I wrote my book. I created each fictional event not to be exciting. When combined, the total formed a thrilling plot. So, based on my recent shooting experience, I would have been frightened, but that’s it.
I have two upcoming books, which are about four years away from publishing. One is a dystopian science fiction romance, and the other is a dystopian young adult survival/drama. How would I survive in these words?
For the romantic book, I admit that the main male character is hitting too close to home again. As I polish the outline, I will try to distance myself from him. So, how would I survive this bleak, futuristic world?
At its heart, my story is a romance, not an adventure or drama. Thus, I would do fine. Meaning, the most significant battles are with the legal system. Yet, I must ask myself, “Would I make the same mistakes and decisions?”
Like my first two books, my main character has flaws that I do not have, so there would be differences, but I think the result would be the same. At its core, my story is about a man falling in love with a robot. Can I see myself in this situation? I suppose, but it would be tough to overcome my morals. (I admit it. I like women. Robots… Yeah, not so much.) I plan to make this dilemma the heart of my story. Get it? Heart. Yes, that was a pun.
My other story is about teenagers, and at this stage of development, the main female character does not have another main character to interact with. Can I set aside my reality and imagine myself as a female teenager navigating a tough, futuristic situation?
This is a difficult task because my story has many differences from the present day. Let me remind you that, like you, my brain is a product of living in today’s society. Everything I have learned socially and technically would not be present in this character. How could it? You and I are not living in a bleak future. So, let me put my thinking cap on again.
My character has far more inner strength, street smarts, a survival drive, and life experiences that are more challenging than my own. I must conclude that I would not be strong enough to survive in this future. Until this very moment, I had not considered this. Hmm. I guess I could be a minor character. But… all the minor characters are jerks.
This exercise taught me a lot about myself and my writing. I think I will do it again in a year and compare the results. Stay tuned.
You’re the best -Bill
July 09, 2025
This means that they must visualize some part of themselves in the action, and I am no exception. Long before I wrote my first book, I spent hours before falling asleep thinking about adventure stories. I was the lead character and got into all kinds of trouble.
When I decided to become an author, I chose my top three ideas, and the writing battle began. Unfortunately, I made a big mistake. In my first two books, my main male character was modeled too closely to me. I did not understand that distancing a character from myself would have provided more freedom to explore the plot—rookie mistake. Fortunately, I added a few differences. So, I thought it would be a fun exercise to explore how I would do in the environments I created.
My first book is about a less-than-perfect, and mildly successful, author who gets forced to interview a woman who has been alive for over 500 years. Now, I admit to another mistake. I have since learned that readers immediately compare my plot to Stephen King’s novel, Misery. While my book has nothing to do with his novel, I should have made my main character a blogger, influencer, or English teacher. Live and learn…
How well would I fare if I were transported into my imagined reality? First, I must point out a key difference. I am not a less-than-perfect person. Yes, my life is boring, but I have far more confidence, higher ethics, greater intelligence, and am less susceptible to manipulation than my main character. This leads to a problem with my mental exercise. The immortal woman in my story searched for a specific kind of person whom she could scare into doing her bidding. Thus, only a weak individual would have survived in my story.
If I were in this situation, she would have captured me, asked me to write her story, and I would have refused. Then, she would have disposed of my body. A poorly written one-chapter book… Yikes!
Yet, there is more to this hypothetical situation. Sure, I have covered the basics, but humans are survivors. Could I navigate the situation differently, resulting in a different plot? So, I put on my thinking cap and developed an alternate possibility.
This woman is open to reason and there is a slim chance I could successfully state my case. “I have a family. Please do not kill me.” My only other option would be a fight to the death. While I am certainly not a martial arts person, I would have put in every ounce of strength to survive. Therefore, the story would contain a capture, a passionate argument, and a short, yet intense, fight scene. So… three chapters? More noodle effort required.
Let’s consider my strengths. I am more logical and realistic than my main character. Therefore, I would have identified her needs and allowed myself to become the kind of person who could have survived. Notepad in hand, I would have learned about her life just like my main character, and I can see myself enjoying the process because she is a fascinating individual.
In conclusion, if I allowed my morals to slip, I would see myself as a survivor. It would not be a great story because the main character would yield to her every wish. And it would make a lousy first book because I wanted a foundation for subsequent works. Meaning the theme of overcoming flaws would not exist, and I use this series of flaws to allow my character to grow over the following four books.
Yet, as I think about this possibility, I come to another conclusion. This outcome has a slim chance of success because my female main character is very perceptive and likely would have seen through my ruse. That is why my compelling story kept me entertained for so many years…
My second book also had a main character that hit too close to home. An electrical engineer with a family on an Alaskan cruise. Big surprise! I developed this plot while on an Alaskan cruise with my family, and I am an electrical engineer. Fortunately, like my first book, the main character and I have differences. He was more intelligent, but had less confidence, personality, and physical strength.
In the story, this male character and a young woman survive a cruise ship disaster. They hike through the foreboding Alaskan wilderness with many adventures. How would I do in this situation?
My first reaction would be to spend more time waiting to be rescued rather than trekking through the rugged wilderness. This decision is more logical and the result would be that my companion and I would have starved to death. And there is another problem, besides being an adventure, this book is a romance.
When I developed the plot, I took great care to set up the exact circumstances that would destroy the values of an upstanding married man enough to enable him to fall in love with his companion. This was a bear attack combined with confronting the loss of his family.
I am not the type of person who holds in their emotions; therefore, I would have immediately mourned for my family. Plus, while a bear is a daunting predator, I have better self-defense skills than my main character. Of course, that last sentence is easy to write in my calm office. So again, I put on my thinking cap and thought about how the real me would react.
The interactions between the two characters on the cruise ship would be different. The man is easily intimidated by a confident and attractive woman. She takes advantage of his deficiencies to help her situation, which leads to the beginning of a relationship. So, I do not think a romance would ever occur. But what about an adventure?
I have a strong drive to survive, so in desperation, I can see myself heading south in the Alaskan wilderness. The difference is that in my book, the decision process only took two pages, whereas I would require at least half a chapter to think it through. The result, while tough, would be an interesting bear attack and nothing else. Six mildly adventurous chapters conclude with the two main characters departing company with a hearty handshake. Yay, romance…
My third book is a classic spy novel, and by the time I wrote this story, I had learned my lesson. None of the characters are based on me or any aspect of my life. So, what would have happened if I wrote myself in? The answer is not much.
My story begins with two hunting buddies finding a secret installation that intercepted government communication cables. So, let’s pretend I was one of the hunters. I can see myself doing exactly what they did. Not very exciting. Why? I did not write an adventure story. It is an international mystery that governments solve through law enforcement.
The same is true of all the other characters—for example, the FBI agents. To become an FBI agent, one must undergo training and then work alongside fellow agents. So, if I were magically put into the plot as an FBI agent, I would do precisely what the FBI agents did in my plot.
This was the overall theme of my book. I wanted to create a realistic spy novel, far different from a James Bond kind of mega-hero. In my plot, characters fulfill their roles, and other characters are inadvertently drawn into the plot. I did this because this is how the real world works.
So, yes, I would be scared when the bad guys were mean, but I would react in the same way I do in daily life. Allow me to provide an “exciting” example from my real life.
Four weeks ago, I was driving home from the local movie theater at 9:30 p.m. when I saw a man running on the sidewalk. I took no interest. Suddenly, he spun around and fired a gun twice. (He may have been shooting at the person chasing him.) The event scared me silly, and I called 911 while driving away, almost hitting a car. Side note: I provided the police with my dash camera video and assisted with their investigation. So far, the case remains open.
But… Is that event worthy of writing into a book? Absolutely not, but that was not how I wrote my book. I created each fictional event not to be exciting. When combined, the total formed a thrilling plot. So, based on my recent shooting experience, I would have been frightened, but that’s it.
I have two upcoming books, which are about four years away from publishing. One is a dystopian science fiction romance, and the other is a dystopian young adult survival/drama. How would I survive in these words?
For the romantic book, I admit that the main male character is hitting too close to home again. As I polish the outline, I will try to distance myself from him. So, how would I survive this bleak, futuristic world?
At its heart, my story is a romance, not an adventure or drama. Thus, I would do fine. Meaning, the most significant battles are with the legal system. Yet, I must ask myself, “Would I make the same mistakes and decisions?”
Like my first two books, my main character has flaws that I do not have, so there would be differences, but I think the result would be the same. At its core, my story is about a man falling in love with a robot. Can I see myself in this situation? I suppose, but it would be tough to overcome my morals. (I admit it. I like women. Robots… Yeah, not so much.) I plan to make this dilemma the heart of my story. Get it? Heart. Yes, that was a pun.
My other story is about teenagers, and at this stage of development, the main female character does not have another main character to interact with. Can I set aside my reality and imagine myself as a female teenager navigating a tough, futuristic situation?
This is a difficult task because my story has many differences from the present day. Let me remind you that, like you, my brain is a product of living in today’s society. Everything I have learned socially and technically would not be present in this character. How could it? You and I are not living in a bleak future. So, let me put my thinking cap on again.
My character has far more inner strength, street smarts, a survival drive, and life experiences that are more challenging than my own. I must conclude that I would not be strong enough to survive in this future. Until this very moment, I had not considered this. Hmm. I guess I could be a minor character. But… all the minor characters are jerks.
This exercise taught me a lot about myself and my writing. I think I will do it again in a year and compare the results. Stay tuned.
You’re the best -Bill
July 09, 2025
