Frankly, my dear…Creating Unforgettable Characters
Where has January gone? I was supposed to have a book half-finished by now!
I hope you're having great fun crafting characters that resonate with you and readers. Need some inspiration? Here are some character themes I've noted in what we've watched in the Curtis household in the past month, with references to the psychological classifications from my book.
Movie & Series Examples
Have you noticed any recurring themes in character backstories lately? I sure have. Lots of loss due to death of a parent. Many stories built on characters who feel like they don't belong. Anti-heroes with betrayal in their pasts. Big fails and big burdens, especially carrying the burden of blame for someone's death.
Coming of Age Stories. Let's face it. Everyone feels like they're an outsider when they're young - whether they've established themselves as nerds or misfits or their parents have died, disappeared, or ignore them. If you're including a young or new adult in your stories or writing YA or New Adult, check out these characters for inspiration exemplifying Alienation and Abandonment.
There'd be no Jumanji: The Next Level without Spencer (Alex Wolff) feeling outcast and left behind by his friends. His choices are the catalyst for the movie.
Rey (Daisy Ridley) drives the coming of age story in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Not only does she not know who she is, but she doesn't think anyone else really knows her either.
Fans of Lost in Space Season Two will recognize how Penny Robinson (Mina Sundwall) is struggling to find her place in the world.
How much harder can your teens be when your mom runs her sex therapy practice from your home? Poor Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield) in Sex Education!
And no coming of age story would be complete this month without mentioning To All the Boys I Loved Before and Lara Jean (Lana Condor) - because the sequel is about to drop on Netflix!
Wounded Alphas and Anti-Heroes. Not all heroes emerge like Captain America, who comes pretty darn near to perfection. Some heroes have baggage - backstories filled with painful failures (It's all my fault!), betrayals (I don't trust anyone!), and abandonment (orphans!).
There is lots of buzz about The Mandalorian. The Disney+ series and lead Mando (Pedro Pascal) are based on the old Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns. A gunslinger with no heart - because his parents were killed and he was raised by mercenaries - also has a severe lack of trust. This mercenary gets roped into saving the ranch (or in this case, Baby Yoda).
Dr. Smith (played with gusto by Ally Sheedy in a brilliant twist on the original Lost in Space series) is a wounded alpha. Continuously misunderstood and betrayed, Dr. Smith learned to outwit everyone before they "get" her. But she's never truly happy.
Dex (Cobie Smulders) blames herself for her lover's death and she's been betrayed by his mother - repeatedly! But this alcoholic sleuth with PTSD from Stumptown makes us want to root for her, even when she makes bad decisions.
Amelia Wren (Felicity Jones) is a wounded alpha in The Aeronauts. The decisions she made in a balloon ride led to the death of her husband. This failure drives every decision she makes throughout the film.
Have you watched the Virgin River series on Netflix? Based on the books by Robyn Carr, the heart of the story revolves around Melinda Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), a former emergency room nurse who blames herself for her husband's death and suffers PTSD from the event.
Have you noticed any examples of coming of age or the anti-hero/wounded alpha in what you're watching? Drop me a note if you have!
Does this interest you? If so, check out my writing craft book (chock full of conflict, character journeys and happily-ever-afters from movies and TV). Not sure if it’s for you? Sign up for my writing newsletter and receive a free workbook.
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