Book Review: Game Face

Over the holidays, I downloaded and read Game Face by Mark Troy. Game Face is a collection of 8 short stories featuring Val Lyon, plus a sample chapter from Pilikia Is My Business, the novel Troy wrote which stars her. (If you want to know how to pronounce “pilikia,” just read the preface in Game Face.)

One great thing about Game Face is that through this book, we get to know more about Val Lyon. The thread tying all the stories together, other than that they each star Val, is that they all focus on some type of sport. Some people may think female PIs aren’t believable because … how tough can a woman be? Read Game Face and Val will show you.

Game Face will allow you to see deeper into Val Lyon. Even if you don’t plan to get Pilikia Is My Business, each story in Game Face stands alone and each one shows Val in a different sport, from skydiving to open-ocean canoe racing to beach volleyball to professional basketball to golf to rodeo to surfing. As a bonus, they’re all set in Hawaii! Plus, in one of the stories, you get to meet Moon Ito. Troy refers to Moon as Val Lyon’s “sidekick.” Since reading Pilikia Is My Business and the short story Teed Off in this book, I think of him as a brick wall – one I would not want to run into. ‘Course, I would not want to get crosswise with Val either. I would, however, like to read another book about her. Hint, hint.

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I give Game Face a rating of Hel-of-a-Character.

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FTC Disclaimer: I know Mark Troy online and as a friend. I also was invited by him to speak at a workshop/conference put on by the Brazos Writers. None of this influenced my review. Another thing that did not influence me was his bio, or “About the Author,” in the back of the book. I was impressed, though. He served in the Peace Corps in Thailand, attended graduate school in Hawaii, and is now an administrator and researcher at Texas A&M University. But, hey, I have a bio, too. I swam as a mermaid, I went to graduate school in San Marcos, Texas, and there’s a teeny bit of a chance I might get to go to Hawaii this year. If it happens, I’m going to look for Val and Moon. See if they know what’s holding up the next book in the Val Lyon series.

Pitfalls

How many bad things do you throw at your protagonist before you begin to think that perhaps you’ve hit them so many times the readers won’t believe s/he could still get up? You want to throw roadblocks in the protag’s way. Things can’t be too easy, be your book a mystery or a romance or sci-fi/fantasy. In order to be worthy of the prize at the end of the story, though, the protagonist must have gone through the “fire” to prove their worthiness.

I thought about this as I sat at my son’s computer and pondered the roadblocks popping up in my pathway. I’ve recently had a couple of big roadblocks, such as being called up for two months of federal jury duty. Then I’ve hit a couple of smaller bumps, like totally screwing up the front end of my husband’s car (long story) and having my computer die on me for the third time in four years and being stuck without a computer, which explains why I’m on my son’s computer at the moment.

Since this is real life, my life, I think I’ve had enough road blocks thrown my way. But probably not if I were a character. We throw more at them, more than we ourselves would want to handle. If we didn’t, readers would think, oh that was too easy … or they’d think, why did I waste my time on this book, I had it figured out after five pages … or, quit whining for heaven’s sake, just tell her you love her and move on to happily ever after since there’s nothing in your way.

Our characters not only can, they must take more. True, we have to make those small and large disasters believable and eventually overcome-able, but if your character is on a quest, be it for love or truth or the capture of a killer, then they must solve the problems, save the day, give something of him/her self in order for us to cheer and feel they deserve the reward (and for us to feel that we, too, deserve the reward, since for that short time, we are the protagonist).

Are you throwing enough at your protagonist? Are you making things difficult? Have you set up this character with enough inner and outer strength to persevere and become the hero? Are you, the author and god of this story, strong enough to test your protagonist?

The Protagonists

The main character in your novel, short story, or screenplay is your protagonist, the hero. The protagonist is the primary focus of the story. He or she is the one we identify with, empathize with, care about. The protagonist must be sufficiently intriguing to keep our interest throughout the book or movie. That doesn't mean protagonists are ideal or perfect. Most of the great protagonists have some character flaw. That's what makes them "human."

There are exceptions, of course. Sherlock Holmes is too perfect. Does he ever make mistakes? Not often. But then, as readers, we don't have to live in his head throughout the book. We see him through another's eyes. And James Bond is not real, nor do we expect him to be. He's a fantasy--sort of like Cruise in Mission Impossible. Does anyone really believe it's possible to leap from your speeding cycle and ski along beside it down the road while dodging bullets?

And there are a few literary heroes who are rather negative. Take Scarlett in Gone With The Wind. She's not terribly likeable, but she is fascinating. She may not command our sympathy, but she does demand our attention.

In order for your protagonist to not be a stereotype, he or she must be dimensional. He has different character traits--he loves and he hates; he trusts and has suspicions. She has different roles--she is the mother of a two-year old and the CEO of a company. Protagonists have emotions and values and attitudes.

Some of these paradoxes within the protagonist may be negative (they're only human, after all), but overall the hero needs to be positive. The protagonist needs admirable qualities so the reader will want to identify with him or her. We want to root for them to win. We want their arc to be one of positive change, of reward and accomplishment. For the time it takes to read the book or watch the movie, the reader is the hero. And we, naturally, want to win, to be liked, to grow, to be successful.

The protagonist has to move the story forward. Very rarely are protagonists inactive or always acted upon. In most cases, they drive the plot. They make the decisions, take the risks, and accept the responsibilities. They give up something of importance, but are rewarded in the end. They may not always want to make sacrifices or make changes, but if they are to become heroes, if they are to have an emotional arc within the story, they must do the inevitable.

Usually, the protagonist knows what he wants. But what he wants is not always what he gets - or even what he will ultimately come to want. The detective wants to solve the murder of his brother. He wants to find out who killed him and why. At least that's what he thinks he wants--it is his conscious desire. But he eventually realizes that what he really wants is to accept his brother's death and to forgive himself for being late to their appointment. That is his unconscious desire. And that unconscious desire must be met by the end of the book or movie, even if the original conscious need is never answered.

A woman wants to find a husband who will take care of her. But after many trials and ordeals, she grows and matures and comes into her "own." She becomes independent and learns she can take care of herself. She may marry, but that is not her goal anymore.

Protagonists don't have to be superhuman. Generally, readers like their heroes to be "flawed" because it makes them more like us. The protagonist has to learn in order to grow. We can learn along with him. The protagonist has to adapt, and we change with her. We see things in a new light or from a new angle. Heroes jump the hurdles in life, like we do as well. We pray for them to leap high enough to make it over unscathed. If they don't make it, we silently urge them to get up and try again.

On the other hand, we don't want them to be stupid. If they go into the dark basement after hearing a noise, we scream at them to turn on the light and take a weapon. We may even throw down the book in disgust. If they go into the alley where even shadows are frightened to go, we yell, "Don't you hear the scary music, you idiot?" True, we like to be scared and we want to fear for our protagonist. But when we read a book or watch a movie, we ARE the protagonist. And we don't want to be stupid or do idiotic things.

We don't want an invincible hero, but we don't want her to be boring, either. Perhaps we want them to be just slightly above the ordinary, with something inside them that says they could be extraordinary. Not an Einstein, but clever and intuitive enough to overcome the antagonist or the wall they're up against. Not stupidly brave, but daring, with an adventurous spirit, and willing to act bravely even if they're trembling inside. We want them to grow and learn. We want them to be winners.

We want them to be us.

Character Growth

Today, I’m posting over at The Blood-Red Pencil It’s Ask the Editor day and I’m answering a question by award-winning author Carolyn Howard-Johnson about character arcs, especially for female protagonists. Is it realistic to have a weak character? Is it realistic to have a strong character with no weaknesses? How does a weakness affect the character’ arc? Will readers put down a book where the character’s weakness, although relevant to the time period, doesn’t resonate with today’s readers?

I’ll be addressing those questions today on The Blood-Red Pencil, then tomorrow, come back here again for a post on protagonists, in general.

Do your protagonists have weaknesses? 

Book Review: Three Weeks to Say Goodbye

I just finished C.J. Box’s standalone novel, Three Weeks to Say Goodbye. Both my husband and I are fans of C.J. Box’s Joe Pickett mystery series. As soon as the newest in the series comes out, one of us picks it up. When this standalone came out, I got it and generously gave it to my DH for his birthday. (Knowing he’d tear through it and I’d get it next.)

Three Weeks to Say Goodbye is different from the Pickett series, yet holds some similarities. In both cases, the protagonist is “everyman.” Clearly, I’m not a park ranger, but when I read a Pickett book, I can identify with the life, struggles, and dreams of Joe Pickett. And like the protagonist of Three Weeks to Say Goodbye, Jack McGuane, I have children and would do anything to protect them.

Jack and Melissa McGuane spent years trying to have a child before they adopted a little girl. She’s been there daughter for nine months when the birth father decides he wants her back. Unbeknownst to the McGuane’s, the birth father never agreed to the adoption or gave up his rights. The father of the birth father is a powerful judge and he wants his granddaughter - in the worst way. The McGuanes cannot give up the girl. She is their daughter. And they begin to believe that if they did, it would indeed be the worst thing that could ever happen to the little girl.

How far will Jack go to protect her? What will he do? What won’t he do? And what is the horror that awaits her if he fails?

It’s a suspense that builds and shocks. It’s a fast page-turner. And in the end, it’s satisfying. And not. I won’t give away the ending. You’ll have to read Three Weeks to Say Goodbye and tell me what you think.

Bitten by Charlaine Harris

To be fair, I, myself, wasn’t bitten by the wonderful author Charlaine Harris. As far as I know, she hasn’t actually bitten anyone. But her Sookie Stackhouse series has bitten a lot of people.

In an age where vampires run amok in books, her series is running ahead of the pack, er, coven, er, flock. What do you call a group of vampires? Never mind. Back to Harris.

In yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg interviewed Charlaine Harris. I can’t get cable where I live, but the HBO series, “True Blood,” is based on Harris' “Southern Gothic” series. The latest in her Sookie Stackhouse series is called Dead and Gone, and Ace Books has issued 400,000 copies. According to Ace Books, “there are more than 8 million copies of the nine-book Sookie Stackhouse series in print.”

Trachtenberg asked Harris what she thought about the show’s racy material.

The sex scenes startled me very much. There are sex scenes in the book, but not as many as in the show. The books are all written in the first person, so when Sookie's brother leaves a scene [for a romantic encounter], you don't see what goes on. But you do with the show, and that took some getting used to at first.

Harris said that once Sookie became a hit on TV, her own life changed. Her sales went through the roof.

When Trachtenberg asked her to define the appeal of genre fiction, she said:

I think we enjoy seeing the familiar become unfamiliar. Also, it's an escape, which people need, especially now. They need to get away from the very real troubles and confusions of everyday life and they need to escape to a place where justice triumphs.

It’s an interesting interview, so pop over and read the full article.

It seems to me that there is almost an overload of vampire books. But that means the door is open for some new twist on the protagonist. What do you think the next big theme will be?

After you leave a comment here, zip over to The Blood-Red Pencil where I'm talking about cutting the bland and mundane from your manuscript. I mean it, Cut It Out!

Seniors Rule

The big fiction sellers these days seem to be aimed at young people -- Rowling’s Harry Potter series … Meyer’s Twilight series. Those two authors have young people and teens reading. Everyone agrees, that’s a good thing.

But the majority of readers are adults. And a big part of those adults are baby boomers. And seniors read. They read a lot.

Yet, we don’t hear a lot about senior readers, let alone senior protagonists.

We’re going to change that - you, me and Straight From Hel readers. This coming Thursday, author Jean Henry Mead is going to guest post and she’s not only talking about senior sleuths, she’s writing them! Plus, she’ll stop in during the day to answer any questions you have. And I hope you’ll have a lot of them. Her latest book is A Village Shattered. Check out her website, then come back Thursday to read what she has to say and join in the discussion in the Comments section.

Can I Get Some Support Here?

You may have the most fascinating, debonair, capable protagonist of all time, but he still can't carry the story on his own. He needs help. He needs supporting characters.

What would James Bond be without the people behind him? Who would Sherlock explain his theories to if Watson wasn't there? How effective would Big Brother’s Danielle have been if she hadn’t had the totally wacko Evel Dick to do her bidding?

But you can't just stick people into your story willy-nilly. They have to have purpose and importance.

You probably already have your protagonist. You know why he's there and what's he's going to do over the course of the plot. You know his or her arc and how it fits into the theme of the book. Now, who does he need to accomplish all you've set out for him? Who will mirror or contrast her? Who will take on the task of giving the reader information so that the main character doesn't end up lecturing or pontificating?

Think first of who would naturally be around your protagonist. A teacher needs students; a father has kids; a CEO oversees underlings; a produce clerk has managers and customers. Then think how these people can be used to show the status of the main character, how they can shine the light on him or her that illuminates the qualities you want the reader to see.

Subordinate characters do more than just reflect the importance of the protag, though. How do they convey the theme of your book? Keep in mind that they can help demonstrate the theme, while also representing different sides of that theme. No theme has just two sides. It's not all black or white. You know the theme of your book; now consider the different angles to that idea, the varying statements each secondary character could make about that theme. Once again, they are helping the protagonist carry the story. But, while they're doing it, they don't have to all be just like the main guy or clones of his beliefs and emotions.

You want variety in the make-up of your story people. They don't all look alike or sound alike. Each has a different background or upbringing. It's only logical that each would also have his or her own attitude and value system. Consider your theme or message. How would the protagonist see this theme? What would he think or do? How does it affect him? How does she change in relation to this theme over the course of the plot? Now, do that same thinking for each character. See it from each one's viewpoint and personality. Sure, some characters are similar to the protagonist -- we tend to be drawn to people who hold a value system akin to our own. Remember, though, opposites attract. But while we have the extremes of black and white in our lives, we also welcome all the *gray* in-between.

And, of course, secondary characters can give out information. Just make sure that information carries the story forward, rather than bringing it to a halt. You don't want your protagonist lecturing the reader on things he or she already knows, nor do you want the secondary characters to do that. But if you've got to get stuff across to the readers, sometimes it's better to have a side-kick do it.

You want secondary characters in your story, but they need to have purpose. They're not just there to add color or fill in the background. They can give so much more to your book. They can shine a light on the protagonist (and the antagonist, incidentally) that highlights the good qualities as well as the faults. They move the story forward. They have importance.

We all want to feel important. Even if we're only side kicks. Maybe especially if we're side kicks

Nice Guys Get Forgotten

Think back to the characters you've met through books over the years. More than likely, the ones you recall are not the nice, even-tempered, straight-and-narrow characters. You remember the villains, the guys (and gals) with an edge, the ones teetering just this side of sanity, or the quirky, even volatile, people.

They caught your attention -- they made an impression. And a lot of the time, though you may not want to admit it, you could identify with them.

Remember that as you develop and write your characters.

We're all a little crazy, a little flawed. People are not black and white. Though some hearts may be a bit blacker than others and some souls a shade whiter, basically, we're all some hue of gray. And there's a wide range of gray in-between black and white.

Readers can resent a character who is too saintly. Yeck. Unbelievable. Uninteresting. They can also turn away from an antagonist who is too evil. Yeck. Unbelievable. Get real.

Nice, sane, likeable characters need a touch of insanity, something to make them interesting -- to keep them from being overshadowed by the counter character. And the bad guys need a likeable quirk or some almost redeeming quality or motivation to keep them from becoming cartoonish.

If you're not sure how to do this, check out books on psychology or abnormal behavior written for the lay person. You'll find personality models laid out for you. Look for books that profile personality types or the sociology of character.

Remember, though, that whatever *flaw* your character has, it will -- must either directly or indirectly -- affect the plot, the character arc, or the outcome. Your bad guy can't have the *flaw* of loving his mother while murdering innocents, without that bit of character likeability having meaning to the story or climax. Your protagonist shouldn't have the *flaw* of being rigidly judgmental of others without that crack in his armor being important to his development in the book.

Don't be afraid to write characters who are not like sane, centered, lovable you. Write the characters who are similar to the *other* you, the one you try to keep hidden. Now, I'm not saying write an autobiography. Just look inside yourself and admit that you're not perfect. And neither are your characters -- not perfectly good nor perfectly evil.

Characters who are edgy, flawed, or "gray" are more likely to be remembered. And if the characters are remembered, there's a strong chance the author will be as well.

Cutting Characters

As I work on more synopses from students in last month’s The Synopsis: Four Steps to the Ultimate SALES Tool, I’m coming across writers having a common problem. Their books are so full of interesting characters, each with their own story, and interweaving story lines, they’re having trouble cutting the story down to one or two pages. The synopsis will sound almost like a laundry list of characters and so many story lines, you can’t understand it all.

Of course you can’t! If you take 300 or 400 pages and condense it into two pages, you’ve got to kill characters and story lines. For such a short synopsis, focus on the protagonist, the opponent or antagonist, the main story line (protagonist’s problem), and one or two supporting characters. To get just this much in while making it read like a mini-me of your book both in story and voice, that’s all you’ll have room for.

And don’t forget to tell the ending. You don’t tell the ending in the query letter, but you DO in the synopsis.

Friends

It is so wonderful to have close friends. Had lunch today with a couple of good friends. What fun. The older I get, the more appreciative I am of friends.

One is an ESL teacher. ESL stands for English as a Second Language. She hasn’t told any “stories” about students, but it’s easy to imagine an ESL teacher as a lead character in a novel. I could see how such a protagonist could get into funny situations, thus a romping comedy. Or you could write a mystery with an ESL lead. Perhaps a romance.

The other friend is a freelance writer. She’s definitely into the writing scene. It was fun to hear about an article she’s working on now and the research she’s doing for it. There’s such a quick turnaround on articles. Quite different from working on a novel. I would think that would be rewarding, being able to see your words in print within a relatively short time after you’ve gotten the assignment or after you’ve finished writing the piece.

I would advocate for a Be Thankful for Friends Day, but I’ve decided that will be an everyday occasion for me. Thank you to all my friends, those close, those far, those new, and those who’ve stuck with me all these years.