The only thing better than discovering an epic fictional character is creating one yourself. How is that done? How did Conan Doyle think up Sherlock Holmes? Did Agatha Christie know a Miss Marple? How did Johnny Depp know that portraying Captain Jack Sparrow like Keith Richards would be more fun than the old "Arghh!" growling pirate? If only we knew the answer we would all be millionaires. but usually the act of timeless character creation is chalked up to "genius" and we assume we can't do it. Can we look at this a bit more? Who flies off the page (or the screen) and grabs you? A great story needs characters that grab you.
Who are your favorites? Some of my personal favorites are: Harry Bosch, Stephanie Plum, Wile E. Coyote, and Miss Marple. They all bring a story to life and none of them are perfect. That's important. They must have flaws. They also must have something that drives them. Without that drive, the story would go nowhere. Harry Bosch is determined to seek justice for deceased crime victims, but he is prone to ignore the rules of the police department. Sherlock Holmes analyzes a problem better than anyone, ever, but he is addicted to cocaine. Columbo never gives up but he can be politely obnoxious in the process. Stephanie Plum is a go-getter but she's really bad with money. Wile E Coyote is persistent, but gullible.
Secondary characters are not driven to achieve whatever drives the story forward but they are crucial to the story as well. Bunter, Lord Peter Wimsey's valet, is driven by his desire to please his master. Buddy Lockridge, from some of the Bosch mysteries, is driven by his need to butt in where he's not wanted and demand attention. Doctor Watson is driven by his delight in watching the great Holmes's mind at work.
The most enduring characters tend to have quirks that make them permanent in your mind. Can you name the character that calls up each of these?
He has OCD.
He's minus a leg.
He's fussy about his mustache.
She's always apologizing.
She's a duck with a potty mouth.
My own Dotsy Lamb, history teacher and jet-setter, travels with her life-long friend, Lettie Osgood. Dotsy is smart, perceptive, and a tiger for the truth. Lettie is loving and loyal and prone to misunderstanding almost everything. But Lettie is blessed with a photographic memory. This comes in awfully handy when Dotsy is solving something and needs to remember a tiny detail from yesterday's dinner, like who ate left-handed and didn't touch his broccoli.
Do Dotsy and Lettie resemble people I actually know? Dotsy was named after a college roommate of mine who did not physically resemble my motherly Dotsy at all. She was a journalism major and a real news hound. Lettie resembles a number of people I know including--I must admit--myself. I frequently miss the entire point of something and have to have it explained to me.
To create your own unforgettable character, you can draw on movies, cartoons and books but don't forget to look at people you actually know. Celebrate their heroic qualities and have fun with their foibles. And don't worry. Nobody ever recognizes himself as the vain snob who cracks his chewing gum.
8 comments:
I would have to say Stephanie Plum is also bad with cars! She's had some beauties blown up. I do believe your clues for the enduring characters requires me to use my little gray cells. :) Great post!
And she has some bad luck with men, too.
You Surprised me with Stephanie Plum! She is quite the character! I suppose my favorite character would be Chief Inspector Gamache . He never gives up by and surrounds himself with like minded people and a few odd ducks!
So true! The question about the duck with the potty mouth reminded me of Ruth Zardo and her duck from that series :)
Love this post so much--made me think about some of my favorite characters--I love all the characters you listed. I am also obsessed right now with Bertha Cool & Donald Lam in the Cool & Lam detective series by Erle Stanley Gardner, writing as A. A. Fair. Certainly some of the most unique detectives, especially for their time!
The duck with the potty mouth is Rosa, who does belong to Ruth Zardo. Good sleuthing!
I'll have to check this out. I didn't know Earle Stanley Gardner uses any pseudonyms.
Columbo has always been a favorite of mine. Viewers know that when he starts to annoy the main character he always gets his man or woman! I watched Knives Out again recently and I’m convinced Daniel Craig’s character Benoit Blanc is based on Columbo!
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