Friday, September 22, 2017

Memorable Characters


This month’s question is a three part and more complex. What characters in other author's books have not left your mind? Have written a character who wouldn't leave you? Why do you think this happens?
There are many novels where you remember the characters. Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca; Jo from Little Women; Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice and so many others. Contemporarily JD Robb writes great characters. I love Dallas and Roarke, Summerset and Peabody, and most of the other of her regulars.

Why does this happen? It’s a good question because if I knew the answer I’d be able to write those memorable characters. These characters are fully developed, three dimensional with a mixture of traits that are common in people. They have weaknesses, individual personal traits, a fully developed background that shows where they came from and how they’ve developed and become the person they are now. People can relate to them, empathize with them, root for them and cheer them on. They are characters you wish you knew and could visit.
One character that I’ve written that stays with me is Kye from Book three – Kye’s story - from my Hawkins’ ranch series. He’s adopted and a member of the Blackfoot tribe. I did a lot of research about the Blackfeet, his characteristics and his growth.  
Now, I’m off to check and see what the other authors have to say about memorable characters.
Anne Stenhouse  http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/
Heidi M. Thomas
http://heidiwriter.wordpress.com/
Victoria Chatham
http://www.victoriachatham.com
Diane Bator
http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
A.J. Maguire 
http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/
Judith Copek
http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/
Fiona McGier
http://www.fionamcgier.com/
Skye Taylor
http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Rachael Kosinski
http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/
Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com

19 comments:

  1. I think different characters stick with different readers because of everyone's individual psychology and life experience. One character can speak very differently to each reader, so absolutely agree the reader can"can relate to them, empathize with them." As a reader I enjoy most characters but those that are remembered are memerable for a reason. Enjoyed your post.

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    1. You make a very good point, Rhobin. I agree that one character can speak differently to each reader.

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  2. I'll have to check out Kye's story. I do a lot of research when I'm creating my characters and the more I learn, the more three-dimensional the character becomes.

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    1. I agree, the more you learn the more you develop your characters.

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  3. I create a solid back story for all my characters before I start writing their stories. At least that's what I do now! When I started writing I think I made the usual beginner mistake by thinking back story was the story.

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    1. That's a good idea, Victoria. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca; Jo from Little Women; Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy--all great examples of memorable characters. Kye's story sounds intriguing!

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    1. There are so many memorable characters. Thanks for dropping by.

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  5. Hi Beverley, Great selection of characters and your own example sounds fascinating. Anne

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  6. I think the characters who I remember are ones who I connect with. They are either someone I love or someone I hate. The emotion makes the character more memorable. I wish you all the best with your stories. The Blackfoot Nation is a wonderful group.

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  7. Beverley, good post! I like reading which characters have stuck with different authors in the group.

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  8. The one character that sticks with me is in my second historical western, Better She Live. I'm not sure why she's my favorite character, maybe because she was able to grow stronger throughout the story. Ruby is a saloon owner and has to fight and demand respect from a town filled with women that snub her. It'll be interesting to see if one of my other characters replace her in the future.

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    1. She sounds like an interesting character and would definitely have to be a strong woman in the time and situation.

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  9. Ah, yes, if only we knew the answer. I was interested in your Blackfoot character, Kye. Sometime you must tell us more about him.

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    1. I'd love to. The one thing I learned in my research was on the Canadian side of the border they called them Blackfoot, on the American side it changed to Blackfeet

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