Character background ideas for TW fic: Owen Harper
As some people might know i'm taking part in fanfic50's 25icons 25fics challenge, with my choice being Torchwood.
One of the fics that i'm planning on writing for this is an Owencentric one, well actually I've already started writing it as of a couple of days ago. Although at the moment it's mostly just a list of scenes/events that I want to take place in it.
So what do we actually know about out Owen?
Not that much really, but then we don't know that much about any of the Torchwood characters.
We know that Owen was orginally from the London area, that he trained as a Doctor, at some point moved to Cardiff and was eventually was employed by Torchwood.
So this will be my take on Owen's background for the purpose of this fic and what will probably be my own fanon for him until actual canon (if it ever bothers) tells me otherwise.
I think that Owen was from a financially poor family background, probably growing up in a fairly run down or rough area, quite possibly a council estate.
Familywise the guy seems (to me at least) to have major issues. The main one that occurs to me is issues with his mother, based on his attitude to women and relationships in general.
Owen relationships towards men (and I don't mean in a slashy kind of way) seems to based on competition and desire for recognition. Although I would not neccessarily say he's looking for a father figure, he is looking for somebody to look up to, a role model, somebody he can aspire to be like. The problem with that is that nobody is perfect and ultimately whoever he chooses will eventually do something that disappoints him and loses a little more of his trust in people.
Owen's attitude towards love/affection does seem to be somewhat screwed up and very much revolving around the idea that if you love somebody all they will do is end up hurting you.
I imagine that he was probably the sort to get into a lot of trouble at school, fights and such.
I think that Owen has got where he has purely by the fact that he will never quit, not while he thinks there is a remote chance he can succeed. If he sees a way of improving his lot in life he'll take it, no tricky moral question asked, he seems to thinks the world owes him big time. Although by the end of series one that attitude seem to be changing.
Although maybe not a particularly good example I see Owen a a kind of Scarlett O'Hara character. As someone who very much subscribes to the idea of "if I have to lie, cheat or steal I will never go hungry again" that quote may not be exactly right, but I think Owen is somebody who has fought hard to get where he is, and he will do almost anything not to lose it.
I don't think that there was any majorly traumatic type stuff ( that is a staple of so many fan fics) in Owen's childhood, just the ordinary everyday misfortunes that happen to a lot of people.
Whether I will use many/any of these ideas in the fic i'm not sure, but it gives me a reference point to how he might react in certain circumstances.
One thing I want to point out before finishing this post is that I do not have a down on broken homes, single parent families or people who live in council housing - for one thing it would be bloody hypocritical of me, being as that was my own family background.
If there is anyone out there reading this feel free to comment, discuss my idea's, tell me that i've got it all wrong, ask question about the fic that i'm trying to write. I'm always interested in hearing what people have to say.