Writing Blog Number 2

20240320 My 5 Favourite Characters

My 5 Favourite Characters

As I have mentioned in the past (right here, in fact: "20240131 A Change In Approach" }, it took me a while to get the hang of writing characters and putting character front and centre in a story, which led to more sales. So, I guess that begs the question: What makes the truly memorable characters come me alive and jump off the page into the reader’s reality?

So, let’s get personal: what characters have really pulled me in when I’ve read?

Now, I’m the first to admit that many of my own characters, especially in my earlier writing – particularly secondary ones, or any that seem to face a monster – are 2-dimensional at best. I have learnt the hard way to give my characters more than one trait, and I do try hard to give my characters a bit of “life” But I still have a way to go personally..

So, onto the meat of this – here are five characters that really came to life for me.

And, yes, my preferred genres come out in full force in this. But – hey! – it’s what I read the most of, so of course it’s going to go that way.

One last thing – these aren’t necessarily my favourite books or stories. I mean, I do enjoy them all, but that’s not the point. These are my favourite characters as written, presented here in no particular order.

The Shark – Jaws by Peter Benchley
         The characterisation of the shark really made the book. Benchley avoided anthropomorphisation of the creature, and instead wrote of instincts and nature, making the shark such an object of sympathy that, by the end, I was actually hoping the shark would win. Not bad for the so-called villain of the piece! I should point out that I read this before seeing the movie; my father decided the film would be too scary for me, so one of my grandmothers got me the book instead.

Arnold Cunningham – Christine by Stephen King
         The “big bad” of the book is, of course, Christine, the ’58 Plymouth Fury, and poor Arnie is the unwitting guy dragged along by it. But it is King’s description of his degeneration and gradual slide into the persona of LeBay, Christine’s original owner, coupled with brief glimpses of Arnie as he once was, that makes him such a well-formed and ultimately sympathetic character. This stands in contrast to the main character/narrator, who is bland, I think, on purpose to help the reader project themselves onto him. Arnie is a tragic figure, and it is his story that helps drive the horror.

Colin Dobson – Stark by Ben Elton
         Elton’s comedy about the end of the world at man’s hand is sort of based around CD, though to say he is the driving force is a little disingenuous; after all, the bad guys win, don’t they? (Ahh, spoiler, or not?) This reluctant Englishman in Australia, fighting forces he cannot begin to understand, is very probably an author avatar, but maybe that’s why he is so well-formed and easy to relate to. No great super-heroics, just a man in a situation, maybe reacting like any of us would.

Catherine Earnshaw – Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
         Wuthering Heights is not only one of the very few so-called “classics” of literature that I really enjoy, but also the one that told me classics could be enjoyed. And the two reasons for that are the sense of desolation of the location – the Yorkshire moors – and the fact the characters are such an incredible bunch of people. And my favourite is Catherine. She’s only in the first half of the book (although her daughter is there later), but it is her who leaves such an impression on everyone else and it is her decisions that force the narrative. She’s over the top, she’s whining, but she’s strong and she is central (her ghost even starts the story!) and she is wonderfully realised.

John Garth – ‘The Streets Of Ashkelon’ by Harry Harrison
         A short story, and my personal favourite, this tale of the corruption of innocence is held together by the atheist Garth and his relationship with the intelligent but innocent Weskers. This relationship is strained with the arrival of an over-zealous missionary, who proceeds to destroy the innocence of the world. For a short story, the world-weariness and sense of growing depression in Garth is developed really well. We feel his heart breaking, especially at the end when the Weskers realise what they have become. That final dénouement is heart-wrenching.

So there you have it – my five favourite characters from writing. I just wish I could develop characters as strong as these…

Feel free to sound off about your own favourites in the comments section below or on the newsfeed!