Parents,
especially fathers, can have a profound impact on our characters. Revealing how
our characters were raised helps readers understand their goals and
motivations. Sometimes, a character can act just like their parent or the exact
opposite. Since my Outer Rim series is about strong women on the frontier of
space, my main concern is the impact of the mothers and fathers on the female
characters.
In The Pilot, Celara’s father was a drunk
and a cheat. At an early age, she was left to fend for herself and her younger
brother. Responsibility and honesty—opposites of her father’s behavior—became
important to her. She won’t take the easy way out. When she’s accused of
smuggling, it’s worse than just a false accusation, it’s like a knife to her
heart. Her brother, on the other hand, took the easy route and followed in
their father’s footsteps.
Jileena,
in The Chameleon, was “Daddy’s Little
Girl.” She tried to please him, but always felt like she fell short. Proving
that she could run his company spurs her on. When he offers her the chance to
prove herself, she’s so afraid of failing she takes dangerous risks.
In The Protector, Rissa’s preacher father
abandoned her at a wild, unnamed outpost, pregnant and unmarried. Her mother
had left years before. Rissa vowed to always be there for her child. Losing her
baby to traffickers sends her into a deep depression. Only her inner strength
pulls her through and gives her the courage to protect other children from
slavers.
It’s
not just the women who have to fight their fathers. Jileena’s brother, Konner,
refused to be their father’s clone. When he was presumed dead, he found the
perfect opportunity to be his own person and live the life he wanted.
Dillan,
in The Protector, struggled against
his father who had planned Dillan’s life—to follow in his footsteps. Dillan’s
rebellion made him take unnecessary risks until the day his best friend,
Konner, died. Feeling responsible, he was determined to change, to be a
responsible adult, what his father wanted him to be. But legally exploiting
landowners makes him sick. He must break away to save his soul.
On
the other hand, some fathers are worth emulating. In my PI mystery series, Alex
wants to be just like her dad. When he retires and leaves her his investigation
agency, she’s determined to prove she’s as good an investigator as he was—if
not better.
Today
is Launch Day for the second Alex O’Hara mystery, The Case of the Fabulous Fiance. To learn more, visit my blog. http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/2015/12/launch-day-case-of-fabulous-fiance.html
10 comments:
Yes, so true, Diane. Fathers can play a big part in character development. Interesting post. And, I'm so thrilled that The Fabulous Fiance is out...love this book!
Dad's are so important and we've seen it in our society. I know that my own relationship with my dad was awkward at best because he didn't know what to do with me. I was this alien creature to him. But we've found our common ground and have a wonderful relationship now.
Thanks so much, Alicia.
Melissa, you're right. My Hubs helped me understand my dad and our relationship improved.
Congrats on your release! Love the post :)
I find my male characters are most fun to fashion--from my 14 year-old male narrator in my anti-bully YA novel EAGLEBAIT to strong Southern men in my Overhome Trilogy--I often use my brothers, father and husband as models. Thanks for a thought-provoking post.
Great post! Defining our characters' parents can be so important in giving depth to our heroes and heroines.
Thanks, Maureen.
Thanks, Susan. I think this gives our characters more depth. Plus we're able to understand why they are the way they are.
Thanks, Marissa. Brilliant minds about depth.:)
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