Alec Peche's Blog - Posts Tagged "jd-robb"
Art imitates life….or at least it does with book series characters…
I just finished the fourth Harry Potter book and I’m presently listening to the book #42 of the JD Robb In Death series - Brotherhood in Death and as a reader I’m very happy to see the revolving characters grow in each story. A good book series is like a friendship, as you know your friend for a longer period you know them better - they think and act as you expect them to. Predictability is not boring in a book series; rather it’s the hallmark of great writing. When you have fictional characters, how do you show more of each character’s personality in every story yet also keep the characters’ actions consistent and true. I think as both a reader and a writer, I look forward to learning how a master does that with a long running series.
In Harry Potter, Harry fought with his best friend Ron. Not fisticuffs, but rather it was a fight of emotions and that allowed the reader to learn more about Harry and Ron and in the end deepened their relationship. I haven’t finished book 42, but already Eve and Roarke fought over a sentimental piece of furniture from the first or second book in the series. As a reader I was at first offended by the fight as it seemed shallow and therefore out of character; but as the emotional fight continued, I understood it was entirely within character for these two to fight.
As I look at my own series and work on book seven - CASTLE KILLING, I find myself looking for ways to show more nuances of my repeating characters’ personalities. Certainly the four women that comprise the investigative team haven’t fought with each other like the teenagers of Harry Potter, or the married couple of the In Death series. Jill and Nathan have had a few minor clashes, but nothing explosive. I’m looking for ways in the storyline to show more of each character to the reader and so book seven will have a pivotal moment that exposes more of Angela, Jo, Marie, and Jill’s personality to the reader.
As a reader, I like book series. When I fail to finish a book, it’s because I don’t like the book’s characters or I don’t care what happens to them. This usually happens when I’m reading a new author for the first time. Whenever I write and look at my story’s progression, I ask myself, is there enough there for the reader to care about the women in my series? I hope so as it’s my duty as a writer to make my reader care about my characters.
In Harry Potter, Harry fought with his best friend Ron. Not fisticuffs, but rather it was a fight of emotions and that allowed the reader to learn more about Harry and Ron and in the end deepened their relationship. I haven’t finished book 42, but already Eve and Roarke fought over a sentimental piece of furniture from the first or second book in the series. As a reader I was at first offended by the fight as it seemed shallow and therefore out of character; but as the emotional fight continued, I understood it was entirely within character for these two to fight.
As I look at my own series and work on book seven - CASTLE KILLING, I find myself looking for ways to show more nuances of my repeating characters’ personalities. Certainly the four women that comprise the investigative team haven’t fought with each other like the teenagers of Harry Potter, or the married couple of the In Death series. Jill and Nathan have had a few minor clashes, but nothing explosive. I’m looking for ways in the storyline to show more of each character to the reader and so book seven will have a pivotal moment that exposes more of Angela, Jo, Marie, and Jill’s personality to the reader.
As a reader, I like book series. When I fail to finish a book, it’s because I don’t like the book’s characters or I don’t care what happens to them. This usually happens when I’m reading a new author for the first time. Whenever I write and look at my story’s progression, I ask myself, is there enough there for the reader to care about the women in my series? I hope so as it’s my duty as a writer to make my reader care about my characters.
