This great article/interview on Wired really spotlights the brilliance of Felicia Day’s Web comedy: The Guild, plus, the amazing creative brain behind it.
This quote from Felicia absolute NAILS what I think about characterization in fiction:
But in general, there’s nothing more frustrating than that stereotypical gamer — the teenager in the basement with his mom getting him Hot Pockets. That’s why I wrote the show as well; because that stereotype is not accurate. Every quirky girl doesn’t have to be the best-friend character. It’s a very limiting and self-fulfilling prophecy.
::chickwriter punches the air in a resounding YES!!::
As much as stereotypes are often true in RL (I mean, they did become stereotypes for a reason), I LOVE to see when someone really truly GETS it. When the geek gamer girl/boy/woman/man is a well-rounded person with a life. This can absolutely be applied across the board for all fiction writing (books, TV, movies, etc.) – the quirky girl best friend is a cliche that I absolutely loathe (and is right up there with the quirky gay man best friend/neighbor in my utter loathing).
In creating characters, I want to dig deeper. WHY is character X the moustache twirling villain? Or better yet, the quiet he-loves-his-mom-and-apple-pie serial killer? DEXTER is one of the series (books/TV) that helped twist the standard cliche and explode it out of the water, which iswhy it’s such great fiction. So many excellent urban fantasy (both adutl and YA) writers are doing the same thing, as are many mystery writers.
Not that there’s anything wrong with a well-written standard noir detective story–as long as the characters feel real, fresh and as if they have lives outside the set story. I love twisting tropes, creating characters with all shades of gray, breathing life into someone who only exists in a fictional world.
It’s bloody brilliant and so very exciting to watch my characters come to "life" – to know that Keira utterly hates most American chocolate, having been raised on European versions all her life. And that Adam Walker practices his one-eyebrow lift sometimes in the mirror, forcing himself to keep the mask of neutrality and genteel inquiry, when what he’d often like to do is get into the discusssion/argument with all his emotions. Niko loves kittens and small animals of all sorts…and not to eat. He never had a pet and wishes that someday he’ll be settled enough to adopt a few strays from the shelter. Despite his cocky attitude, deep down, he really really wants consistency.
See, I can’t help but *know* these things about my characters. In fan fiction, we often call it "personal canon" – things you believe your version of X character does/likes/is like outside the constraints of the fictional work.
So, what personal canon do you all have about fictional characters you love in books/TV/Movies? What do you think floats Dean Winchester’s boat? What’s Jason Stackhouse’s favorite candy bar?
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
(ETA: I wrote up some personal canon last year for my primary characters and posted on my Web site. Go read, it’s fairly amusing.)
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That Gamer in the Basement
Maria, it’s the characters that authors like you write that keep readers coming back. You put soul into the paper-and-ink world, you take chances, your characters take chances, just like RL.
About that gamer in the basement—that was my son. Built his own computer so he could maximize his gaming experience, ate only pizza rolls or hot pockets, didn’t get a job until parental units laid down the law (and the job? working at a computer game store). Fit the stereotype, at least externally. But his internal self was thoughtful and philosophical. He found opportunities outside of his comfort zone to help Katrina victims, helped to repair homes of the elderly, counseled a gay friend with family issues. Now he’s off on a year-long volunteer project, with only his cellphone and minimal internet contact.
Breaking stereotypes? Rewarding in RL; essential in good fiction.
Jacquelynn M
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Re: That Gamer in the Basement
Thanks, J! Your son sounds like a lot of my own friends–only we were playing D&D (no computers!).
When I write characters, I definitely try to dig deeper into the iceberg. The surface may well be stereotypical–but the real person lives below.
Cheers!
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Give Keira some Chocolates with Love!
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Ha! That’s awesome. I will totally do that.