Characters

While I was on vacation I discovered a mystery series that is already in my house. It is the Stephanie Plum series by author Janet Evanovich. My daughters read her books but I didn't think they'd interest me so I had never read one.

But while we were in the car, we played an audio version of "High Five" on the CD player. And I was hooked. Evanovich's characters are funny and vivid and interesting and well-written and well-developed. The good thing about the book was that it can stand alone. I didn't have to read all four of the previous books to understand the major characters. I loved it so much, we purchased another audio book __ seven or eight, I think __ and I started reading Book six.

Then to my surprise last weekend when I was at the public library, I saw a book written by Evanovich called "How I Write. Secrets of a Bestselling Author." So I checked it out of the library.

She stressed in the introduction that the book was from questions asked of her over a 10-year period on her website and that it was from her "personal experience." "I haven't attempted to produce the definitive book on creative novel writing."

However, she has lots of helpful hints and tips for writers, and particularly for me as an aspiring author. That's not to say that I agree with everything. In fact, we disagree, at least in part, on one aspect of building characters.

Asked whether characters ever surprise her, she wrote: "NO! What does surprise me is that people say this happens. This is fiction. Your character doesn't do anything you don't want him to do!"

While I wholeheartedly agree that characters can't do anything the author doesn't allow them to do, I still think characters can do surprising things.

The author is the god the universe in which his character dwell. The author's job is to breath live into the characters and let them live out lives. In a sense, the author instills in his characters free-will. In that way, the writer can at times be surprised in actions characters take or words characters say. But in the end, it all has to fit into the course that the author has decided the universe must take. In that way, the author always has the final say.

A good example for me is in the use of curse words. Now anyone who knows me knows I use foul language sometimes. But never in the narrative of my novels. However, I do allow my characters to use curse words __ particularly bad words, in fact. If it fits the character, their background and the situation, I allow it.

An area where I draw a line, however, is in taking the Lord's name in vain. That I do not allow whether a character is going to say it or not.

So I think characters should sometimes surprise the author. If they can surprise and entertain their creator, who would know them best, then it can do the same for the reader. And to me, that is a good thing.

(Now I hope Evanovich doesn't ever read this an write me a nasty note telling me I'm an idiot. But as the creator of the blog, I can choose not to allow it.)

Thanks for reading and enjoy a beautiful spring day. And above all, keep writing.