Pick one of your favourites among the characters from your published fiction stories or a character which is an interesting example from your published fiction. What makes this character one of your favourites or an interesting example of your fiction?
Porter Cassel is the protagonist of the Porter Cassel Mystery Series. Porter is a complex character with a tragedy in his past. This tragedy plays into the plot of the first book in the series. Porter also has a few flaws. He becomes frustrated, drunk occasionally, gets into bar fights, becomes emotionally involved, makes mistakes, bends the rules, which makes him immediate and believable. He also has a sly sense of humour, which lightens an otherwise dark genre—murder mystery.
What kind(s) of character do you consider this character primarily to be, or how would you describe this character?
Porter is a sympathetic character. Although a professional investigator, he is accessible and provides the reader an avenue into the relatively unexplored world of forest fire investigation. Although he bends the rules, Porter adheres to a strict personal moral code, and has been called the Dirty Harry of fire investigators.
What is a character from a published fiction story by another author you would compare this character to and why are they similar?
Hmm… I would have to say Harding from John Wessel’s novel, This Far, No Further. Harding is an unlicensed PI. Although Harding works in Chicago and Porter works in the forest, they are both unorthodox investigators with a troubled past. They both follow their own code and both have a sneaky, dry sense of humour.
To what extent did you use any pre-existing character formula, template, paradigm, character design, archetype, or theory or principles of making or analysing character in planning, writing, and refining this character?
The series is set in the mystery genre, so certain basics went into the mix, particularly the hard-boiled approach with a personal moral code. After that, I just built, based partially on people I know, and my own (sometimes) quirky personality.
How would you describe the first chapter, scene or section of this story in one paragraph?
The books always start with a crime—in this series a forest fire. The second book - One Careless Moment - starts with an arson in the forest and ends with Porter and one of his men trapped in a portable fire shelter—picture a pup-tent made of tin foil—amidst raging flames.
Pick one of your published stories. How would you describe the introduction of the main character, or one of the main characters, in this story?
The first book – Day into Night – introduces Porter in the thick of the action. Porter arrives at a fire he must investigate, where the crime scene has been contaminated. He meets with the other two members of his investigative unit, revealing his working relationships. At the end of the first chapter, the reader learns of a dark tragic event in Porter’s life, the death of his fiancĂ©e, and that his fiancee’s father blames him.
What makes this an effective character introduction for this story?
The introduction is effective as it inserts Porter directly into the role he fills, highlights the challenge ahead of him, and reveals a tantalizing secret from his past.
What major changes does this character go through, or what major challenges does the character encounter and how does the character respond to them?
As genre fiction, there isn’t a huge arc in character change. Porter has a personal stake in the investigation, and has to deal with quilt and betrayal, which results in some personal growth. Very much like real life.
How would you describe the most important minor characters in this story and the changes in their character, or the challenges they encounter and how the respond them?
The girl Porter meets in the course of his investigation plays a large role in both the investigation and his personal journey. And of course, the villains, who, fortunately, don’t change too much.
What does the story gain from the minor characters?
Minor characters add a bit to the plot, as well as contributing context, texture, local color, and humour. The first-person-present point of view requires an interesting cast of minor and secondary characters, to keep interesting the observations and interactions of the protagonist.
To what extent would you describe the characters in this story as typical or atypical of characters in your fiction stories?
This is a series, so the characters are by definition typical.
Author website: http://www.davehugelschaffer.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment