Character Interview: Michael Sinclair

Back when I first started writing, to get to know my characters, I would interview them. ��I’d make up questions, kind of like a survey, and I’d write out responses as those characters. ��This is kind of the same idea, except I thought I’d give my characters a chance to interview me for a change. ��Up first, the serie’s underdog hero and reluctant medium, Michael Sinclair.

Note: This shouldn’t contain too many spoilers, but if it does, I apologize.

Michael Sinclair (MS): ��This is kind of weird.

Jackie Smith (JS): ��Yeah, I know. Just go with it.

MS: ��Okay. Well, I guess I’d have to start this interview off by asking… Why me?

JS: ��What do you mean?

MS: ��Why won’t you let me catch a break? ��Why do you like to torture me?

JS: ��I don’t torture you. ��You’ve actually got it pretty good compared to a lot of fictional guys out there.

MS: ��I see ghosts, I can’t find a job, I get kidnapped, I get tortured, my girlfriend is always ending up in the hospital… ��Why can’t you write a book about me where I win the lottery or I take��a romantic, ghost-free getaway with Kate to��a tropical island?

JS: ��Because you don’t play the lottery and neither of you could afford that. Neither could I, for that mat ter.

MS: ��Am I ever going to find another job? ��Let’s face it, I’m not going to be able to pay rent much longer.

JS: ��I have an idea for you. ��I think Luke is really going to like it.

MS: ��Oh, great. Of course Luke is going to like it. ��You like him so much better than me.

JS: ��Not true. ��If I did, then he would have ended up with Kate.

MS: ��Okay then, here’s a real question. ��How come I can see ghosts?

JS: ��It was a story I always wanted to write, especially after I experienced a loss myself. ��I didn’t really know how to characterize you, however, until I started watching��Criminal Minds and discovered Matthew Gray Gubler as Spencer Reid. ��You know that’s who you’re based off of, right?

MS: ��Yeah, you remind me��all the time. ��I think you like him better than me, too.

JS: ��Wait a minute, I thought you were supposed to be this super sweet, nerd of my dreams kind of guy. Where is all this sass coming from?

MS: ��Don’t ask me. ��You wrote me like this. ��Speaking of which, did you mean to make me so two-dimensional or is that just part of the protagonist’s curse?

JS: ��Why do you think you’re two-dimensional? ��You’re not two-dimensional.

MS: ��All anyone knows about me is that I see ghosts and I feel sorry for myself. ��A lot. ��Why didn’t you give me more depth?

JS: ��I totally gave you depth. ��Your problem is that once you discovered you were the only one seeing these spirits, your entire life began to revolve around making sure no one else figured it out. ��It didn’t give you a whole lot of room to branch out, and for that, I’m sorry.

MS: ��So, while you were thinking up ways to ruin my life, you never thought to maybe make my power a little more, oh, I don’t know, cool?

JS: ��What does that mean?

MS: ��I mean, you read all these books and watch these TV shows about mediums who can not only see dead people, but predict the future, time travel, read minds, all that stuff. ��How come I can’t do that? ��How come I only get the ghosts?

JS: ��Because all of that would make these books a lot more complicated.

MS: ��Oh, okay. ��As long as it��makes everything easier for��you.

JS: ��Seriously, are you always this snarky when I write you? ��I thought I gave you a pretty good life. ��Cool ghost best friend, cute girlfriend, and at least you’re not like Haley Joel Osment��in��The Sixth Sense. ��You don’t see hanging people or kids with their brains blown out.

MS: ��I guess I should be thanking you for that.

JS: ��You’re welcome.

MS: ��I’m still not particularly thrilled with you, though.

JS: ��Yeah, I’m sensing that.

MS: ��So tell me, are good things ever going to happen to me?

JS: ��You are far too melodramatic, you know that? ��And I’m not going to tell you if good things will happen or not. ��You know I can’t make you any promises. ��But if it all works out the way I think it will… ��You’ll just have to wait and see.