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Notes From an Amateur Writer #44

This Blog series is an exercise in creative writing. Sometimes expressed in short story form, sometimes as a journal, or just my thoughts written down. It is a nursery of sorts for the stories that are on their way, or yet to be written.

This is post 10 in @dragosroua's January 30 day writing challenge.

Do You Have a Favourite Character?

Writing characters is a fundamental part of creating a riveting story. Creating these characters, and instilling in them the depth to drive the story forward and have us invested in their development and travails is an art form in itself. And getting that right is often the difference between a great story and a mediocre one.

Learning to create a character arc is a core part of learning to be a writer. Creating real people, with issues we can relate to, problems we can understand or empathise with, and goals worth pursuing is certainly worth the budding writers time to learn and study in full.

It is with this in mind that I wanted to ask other avid readers out there about some of their favourite characters. Good or bad. Or even badass (Lisbeth Salander). Have you encountered a character in a book that had you hooked? Who was it? And what was it about them that worked for you?

I have just written a book review about Altered Carbon, and the lead character in that is Takeshi Kovacs, a very slippery and menacing son-of-a-bitch. Neither completely good or bad, but with a moral compass that did guide him through some tricky encounters, to me he was likeable for his fortitude, cunning, stubbornness, and sheer determination. He is a very well written, complex and dynamic individual, and a large part of what made Altered Carbon work for me was the Takeshi Kovacs character.

Another one is Lisbeth Salander from the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium series). She forces her way into the first book with style and substance, and proceeds to own all three stories. Completely badass, rebellious, and single-minded. We learn over time the reasons why she hates authority. A bond is formed between character and reader, and her fate became a genuine concern to me as I read through the series. This trilogy is a complex web of intricate plot-lines, yet Lisbeth's role is central and a standout. She certainly makes the books the masterpieces that they are.

So, what are some of the characters you have encountered in your reading journey that have appealed to you? Please feel free to share what it was about them that moved you. They can be good characters, bad ones, morally indifferent. You as reader decide what works and what doesn't.

Images from unsplash.com and used with permission.

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