Wednesday Chatter (and whatnot) - February 4
Good morning to all of my friends in the Flame,
Today I am here to ask the question - what brings out the character loyalty in you?
I’ve mentioned before that I have an affection for detective novels that began when I was a small child. (If you have small children who like to read, find them some Encyclopedia Brown books. The character was first published in 1963, 29 novellas followed and a movie is in the works. It’s a great series for teaching deductive reasoning to your little Sherlocks. /promo)
Though I love my fantasy novels with faeries and magic, and my science fiction novels with aliens, robots, and space exploration, I have never outgrown my first love for a good Who(AndWhy)Dunnit.
A few years ago, a friend introduced me to the television series Veronica Mars. Yes it is a high school setting and I am far from high school age, but the stories were solid and the character wise beyond her years. I watched every episode in a DVD marathon. Then sqeeeed with joy when the movie came out last year and gobbled that up. Recently, my Audible account served up an audiobook that continues the series from where the movie left off (read by Kristen Bell) and I spent three sick days listening to Veronica solve the case of “The Thousand Dollar Tan Line”.
I tried to explain to Boyfriend why I enjoy this detective so much even though she started out as a nosy teenager. I don’t think I did her justice and I’ve been trying to put it into words ever since. Why is she such an appealing character to me? Well to start, she’s sarcastic. Veronica is street smart and book smart. She has a great relationship with her father, but she does what she’s gonna do whether he allows it or forbids. Veronica is highly observant and the writers do not allow her to miss obvious things for the sake of furthering the story. (I can’t tell you how many times I have yelled at characters in books for missing the obvious.) She is witty, loyal, stands for the underdog, chooses her friends wisely (although I think her first boyfriend was a questionable choice), and she is a little bit broken. The writers/creator made her very relatable and truly realistic (if a teenage, unlicensed PI can be realistic).
Some of these traits can be found in other characters I have loved over the years, so as I spell it out a type begins to emerge that includes Gregory House, Mal Reynolds, and Harry Dresden (just to name a few). Oh and Boyfriend himself, though he doesn’t solve any mysteries; smuggle cargo through space; and (sadly) is not a wizard.
What’s your type? Share some characters you get excited over and involved with; tell me what you love about them? Do you find yourself building your own characters with their traits or voice? Can you draw lines from these fictional people to the RL people you have folded into your inner circle?
Talk to me.
A few reminders -
Be sure to vote on our January week four submissions - Utopia: Search For Meaning
Join in February's story soupçon - dash off those drabbles and drop them here. Curiouser & curiouser is your prompt this week. There is a related workshop space reserved for those who want to crunch their words in good company.
Have you followed our Instagram feed yet? Do you get your Brigit's Flame notifications through Twitter or Facebook? You can follow us just about anywhere now, we are even across the street at that bus stop watching you when you think you are alone...
Today I am here to ask the question - what brings out the character loyalty in you?
I’ve mentioned before that I have an affection for detective novels that began when I was a small child. (If you have small children who like to read, find them some Encyclopedia Brown books. The character was first published in 1963, 29 novellas followed and a movie is in the works. It’s a great series for teaching deductive reasoning to your little Sherlocks. /promo)
Though I love my fantasy novels with faeries and magic, and my science fiction novels with aliens, robots, and space exploration, I have never outgrown my first love for a good Who(AndWhy)Dunnit.
A few years ago, a friend introduced me to the television series Veronica Mars. Yes it is a high school setting and I am far from high school age, but the stories were solid and the character wise beyond her years. I watched every episode in a DVD marathon. Then sqeeeed with joy when the movie came out last year and gobbled that up. Recently, my Audible account served up an audiobook that continues the series from where the movie left off (read by Kristen Bell) and I spent three sick days listening to Veronica solve the case of “The Thousand Dollar Tan Line”.
I tried to explain to Boyfriend why I enjoy this detective so much even though she started out as a nosy teenager. I don’t think I did her justice and I’ve been trying to put it into words ever since. Why is she such an appealing character to me? Well to start, she’s sarcastic. Veronica is street smart and book smart. She has a great relationship with her father, but she does what she’s gonna do whether he allows it or forbids. Veronica is highly observant and the writers do not allow her to miss obvious things for the sake of furthering the story. (I can’t tell you how many times I have yelled at characters in books for missing the obvious.) She is witty, loyal, stands for the underdog, chooses her friends wisely (although I think her first boyfriend was a questionable choice), and she is a little bit broken. The writers/creator made her very relatable and truly realistic (if a teenage, unlicensed PI can be realistic).
Some of these traits can be found in other characters I have loved over the years, so as I spell it out a type begins to emerge that includes Gregory House, Mal Reynolds, and Harry Dresden (just to name a few). Oh and Boyfriend himself, though he doesn’t solve any mysteries; smuggle cargo through space; and (sadly) is not a wizard.
What’s your type? Share some characters you get excited over and involved with; tell me what you love about them? Do you find yourself building your own characters with their traits or voice? Can you draw lines from these fictional people to the RL people you have folded into your inner circle?
Talk to me.
A few reminders -
Be sure to vote on our January week four submissions - Utopia: Search For Meaning
Join in February's story soupçon - dash off those drabbles and drop them here. Curiouser & curiouser is your prompt this week. There is a related workshop space reserved for those who want to crunch their words in good company.
Have you followed our Instagram feed yet? Do you get your Brigit's Flame notifications through Twitter or Facebook? You can follow us just about anywhere now, we are even across the street at that bus stop watching you when you think you are alone...