Monday, April 4, 2011

A to Z Challenge Day 3: Characters in books

For those of you who are just tuning in, this is day 3 of the April A to Z Blogging Challenge.  I've decided to try to do somewhat of a literary theme, but I don't know how long that will last or if I'll really be consistent with it.  I tend to go with whatever pops into my head at any given moment.

Today I decided to write about characters in books.  We all have our favorites - those we relate to, sympathize with, laugh with, love, or even love to hate.  Since I love to read, I have many favorite characters, but I think my all-time favorites are Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger from JK Rowling's Harry Potter series.


I love all three of them for different reasons, but the core reasons are the same.  They each have their own unique qualities that make them relateable and lovable, and make me wish I had the three of them in real life and not just on the pages of a book.

Each of them is so human - they make mistakes, have their quirks and faults, and because of this, because JK shows their weaknesses, it makes them seem so real.  They're not perfect characters that you find in some books, who rarely make mistakes, have flawless personalities and who everyone loves because they're perfect.  Harry, Ron and Hermione have other friends, but for the most part, it's just the three of them - they're sort of misfits who were thrown together by circumstances, and that's more realistic to many people than popularity.

They balance each other, love each other unconditionally, and understand each other.  They have fights and disagreements, but when it comes down to it, they'd fight to the death (literally) for each other.  These three characters are extraordinary in my mind, and I don't think any other characters will ever compare to them.

Then there are characters that writers create themselves.  I've written countless stories and several novels, and I'll admit, I get attached to some of my characters to the point where they're almost real to me.  When I finished writing my second novel - the one I'm working on now with the hopes of eventual publication - I had gotten so attached to the main characters that I actually missed them when I had finished writing.  It felt like losing a couple of friends.  It may sound ridiculous, but anyone who has ever gotten attached to a character, whether in a book you've read or one you've written, will understand the connection you can make with a fictional character.  

My main character was so real to me because I put so much of myself into her - in many ways, she was me, and now going back and re-working the book with the hopes of having it published, it's like being reunited with an old friend.  My only hope is that other people will someday feel the way about her and my other characters as I do, and that maybe one day, someone will write a blog about their favorite character and it will be one I've created.

****************
Totally unrelated, but I have to throw in a little self-promotion here, as I'm used to using this blog to update my writing.  I've written two new articles for HubPages in the last couple of days:

Prince William and Kate Middleton: Bringing the Monarchy into the 21st Century

Harry Potter: The Exhibition - A Harry Potter Fan's Dream Come True

I hope you'll check them out!  Have a great Monday!
 

8 comments:

  1. Great post, I am reminded I need to work on my character bios for my new series!
    aloha
    Toby
    http://www.tobyneal.net/

    ReplyDelete
  2. yes the three are a great combination and they are very real. She does this with so many of her characters though. My favorite Sirius Black was one of the most real characters in the books for me.

    Teresa
    Fangirl Next Door CLICK ME

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is a great blog about characters. You make it sound so simple, but from experience I know it's not that easy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. To have readers feel the same way we feel about our characters would be awesome. Great post.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you so much for stopping by and becoming a follower! I really appreciate it.

    Can't wait to explore your blog as well!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nice post. I have actually never read Harry Potter in my life! I just never saw what the hype was all about.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great characters are so important. They need flaws, they can not be perfect. Liked the post a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I agree, the characters are so loveable that in many ways they made the movies a success.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting Ramblings of a Daydreamer! I love hearing what you have to say, and I appreciate every single comment. I hope to see you here again soon! ♥
~Marie

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...