Characters
Heroes Don’t have to be Perfect
I was watching the trailer for Will Smith’s summer movie Hancock. He seems to be a very troubled andconfused super hero right? Is this new? No. Batman is troubled on a deep level, and Spiderman’s alter ego Peter Parker is awkward socially. Even Iron Man has issues. My favorite all-time literary character and anti-hero Sydney [...]
What if Dr. Watson Never Existed?
At first I wasn’t Dr. Watson’s biggest fan. I didn’t see the need for Sherlock Holmes to have Watson in his life. What need did Watson fulfill both in Sherlock’s life and in those who followed his adventures? Why a sidekick?
Do heroes need sidekicks?
Not always. But a good sidekick does provide a very useful tool. [...]
A Villain to Remember
I love villains. Some of my most favorite characters in literature are villains. I’m using the term literature loosely here so that I may include protagonists like Dr. Doom (Marvel Comics), Darth Vader (Star Wars), and Ernst Stavro Blofeld (James Bond’s nemesis). What makes a villain memorable? Why do we love to hate certain bad [...]
What Makes Your Characters Stand Out?
Have you ever read a book and found that you were having a hard time telling one character from another? These “vanilla” characters have peppered novels for ages. Yet there are those characters who stand out from the crowd. And why is that? What makes them so special? Why do [...]
Characters Who Come to Life…
Have you ever created a character and watched them come to life before your very eyes? I don’t mean due to your own masterful design and diligence. I mean on their own. A character who once unleashed on paper does whatever they want? Let me give you an example. I [...]
