Alec Peche's Blog - Posts Tagged "character-development"
Art imitates life….or at least it does with book series characters…
I just finished the fourth Harry Potter book and I’m presently listening to the book #42 of the JD Robb In Death series - Brotherhood in Death and as a reader I’m very happy to see the revolving characters grow in each story. A good book series is like a friendship, as you know your friend for a longer period you know them better - they think and act as you expect them to. Predictability is not boring in a book series; rather it’s the hallmark of great writing. When you have fictional characters, how do you show more of each character’s personality in every story yet also keep the characters’ actions consistent and true. I think as both a reader and a writer, I look forward to learning how a master does that with a long running series.
In Harry Potter, Harry fought with his best friend Ron. Not fisticuffs, but rather it was a fight of emotions and that allowed the reader to learn more about Harry and Ron and in the end deepened their relationship. I haven’t finished book 42, but already Eve and Roarke fought over a sentimental piece of furniture from the first or second book in the series. As a reader I was at first offended by the fight as it seemed shallow and therefore out of character; but as the emotional fight continued, I understood it was entirely within character for these two to fight.
As I look at my own series and work on book seven - CASTLE KILLING, I find myself looking for ways to show more nuances of my repeating characters’ personalities. Certainly the four women that comprise the investigative team haven’t fought with each other like the teenagers of Harry Potter, or the married couple of the In Death series. Jill and Nathan have had a few minor clashes, but nothing explosive. I’m looking for ways in the storyline to show more of each character to the reader and so book seven will have a pivotal moment that exposes more of Angela, Jo, Marie, and Jill’s personality to the reader.
As a reader, I like book series. When I fail to finish a book, it’s because I don’t like the book’s characters or I don’t care what happens to them. This usually happens when I’m reading a new author for the first time. Whenever I write and look at my story’s progression, I ask myself, is there enough there for the reader to care about the women in my series? I hope so as it’s my duty as a writer to make my reader care about my characters.
In Harry Potter, Harry fought with his best friend Ron. Not fisticuffs, but rather it was a fight of emotions and that allowed the reader to learn more about Harry and Ron and in the end deepened their relationship. I haven’t finished book 42, but already Eve and Roarke fought over a sentimental piece of furniture from the first or second book in the series. As a reader I was at first offended by the fight as it seemed shallow and therefore out of character; but as the emotional fight continued, I understood it was entirely within character for these two to fight.
As I look at my own series and work on book seven - CASTLE KILLING, I find myself looking for ways to show more nuances of my repeating characters’ personalities. Certainly the four women that comprise the investigative team haven’t fought with each other like the teenagers of Harry Potter, or the married couple of the In Death series. Jill and Nathan have had a few minor clashes, but nothing explosive. I’m looking for ways in the storyline to show more of each character to the reader and so book seven will have a pivotal moment that exposes more of Angela, Jo, Marie, and Jill’s personality to the reader.
As a reader, I like book series. When I fail to finish a book, it’s because I don’t like the book’s characters or I don’t care what happens to them. This usually happens when I’m reading a new author for the first time. Whenever I write and look at my story’s progression, I ask myself, is there enough there for the reader to care about the women in my series? I hope so as it’s my duty as a writer to make my reader care about my characters.
Layering of a story
My current work in progress, Red Rock Island, which will be published mid-July is an interesting case study in pantser writing. Pantsers are writers who write by the seat of their pants. They sit down at the keyboard and begin a story with no idea of where it’s going. Compare that to J.K. Rowling who appears to be an outliner based on the storyboard that I’ve seen regarding her Harry Potter series. There are pros and cons to each style of writing and most writing instructors end with the advice to go with what works for you, the writer.
When I began my second series I started with a single premise. I’d put a guy who lives on the only private island inside San Francisco bay and he would solve crimes based on an engineering background combined with computer skills. That was all I started with. Today I’m sitting with the book 75% finished at over 60,000 words and I know I’ve got to solve my two cold cases, but I still don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I know it will come to me. The reason I can’t outline, is I don’t know the story ending without knowing the details I’ve come upon along the way.
Since the story began I’ve added eighteen characters, two cold case victims, a dog and two cats. Some of the characters will be specific to this book only and other will continue as the series goes forward.
I had a teenager pop into the storyline out of nowhere and I’m fairly sure I won’t solve her mystery for a few books yet.
My main character, Damian Green, I thought would remain static throughout the story. He’d start alone and end alone, but he wouldn’t stay in the box I had planned, and so a woman along with a teenager appear in the story. Again I had no predilection that this was going to happen from the start rather it fit the story as it unfolded.
I understand that Lee Child writes his Jack Reacher series much the same way. He starts each story with Jack arriving somewhere and when he begins he doesn’t know what kind of trouble is going to find Jack in this new town, only that he will.
It’s both the agony and the ecstasy of each new story. I’m excited to see where a story takes me, but I can get stuck if I occasionally write myself into a dead end or when I don’t hear the story’s characters calling out to me.
Weird huh?
When I began my second series I started with a single premise. I’d put a guy who lives on the only private island inside San Francisco bay and he would solve crimes based on an engineering background combined with computer skills. That was all I started with. Today I’m sitting with the book 75% finished at over 60,000 words and I know I’ve got to solve my two cold cases, but I still don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I know it will come to me. The reason I can’t outline, is I don’t know the story ending without knowing the details I’ve come upon along the way.
Since the story began I’ve added eighteen characters, two cold case victims, a dog and two cats. Some of the characters will be specific to this book only and other will continue as the series goes forward.
I had a teenager pop into the storyline out of nowhere and I’m fairly sure I won’t solve her mystery for a few books yet.
My main character, Damian Green, I thought would remain static throughout the story. He’d start alone and end alone, but he wouldn’t stay in the box I had planned, and so a woman along with a teenager appear in the story. Again I had no predilection that this was going to happen from the start rather it fit the story as it unfolded.
I understand that Lee Child writes his Jack Reacher series much the same way. He starts each story with Jack arriving somewhere and when he begins he doesn’t know what kind of trouble is going to find Jack in this new town, only that he will.
It’s both the agony and the ecstasy of each new story. I’m excited to see where a story takes me, but I can get stuck if I occasionally write myself into a dead end or when I don’t hear the story’s characters calling out to me.
Weird huh?
