Guest Post, Character Types: The Twins by Sarah Fluegel

Welcome to the latest post on Character Types in fiction. Today, I’m featuring a post by a guest writer and a dear friend of mine. Please welcome Sarah Fluegel as she writes about twins and their common tropes in fiction!

There’s something about twins that’s naturally intriguing to people—something about their similarities and the way they act around their twin draws people in. A lot of this curiosity and interest overflows into books and media. Whether they are identical or fraternal, the same or different genders, the interest exists whenever twins appear in a story. The thing is, though, that just like any other character, twins can fall into common tropes. They can even become a trope themselves. Though interesting to read, these common tropes can become boring for viewers or readers but oh so easy for the writer to fall into.

The first trope that often goes along with twins is the overly identical trope; this is when characters go beyond being biologically identical. This is creepy identical, like the twins from The Shining identical. They look, dress, talk, and act exactly the same. They’re so similar that they might as well be the same person.

Twins who fall in to the overly identical trope are left with out much character development and gain most of their interest from the fact that they are twins. Tim and Jim from Kim Possible act almost exactly alike, and the only thing that really separates them is the color of their shirt. Padma and Parvati, like Fred and George in the Harry Potter movies, are even sorted in to the same house and dress in nearly the same dress for the Yule ball.

The problem that happens when authors take identical twins to the extreme is that they loose opportunity to develop character for each individual person. Not that any of the authors did a horrible job of writing their characters, but it also goes to show how easily this trope can be fallen into.

The second trope that pops up a lot in media is the polar opposite twins. They may look alike, but their personalities are night and day. This can be a good thing, but like the identical trope, it can easily go wrong. This trope is where when one twin likes something or does something really well, and the other likes or does the complete opposite. If one is artsy, then the other plays sports. If one can sing, the other is tone deaf. Or if one is suave and a romantic, you can bet the other one can barely even talk to the opposite sex.

In the Sweet life of Zack and Cody, Zach is the “cool”, athletic, ladies’ man while Cody is the nerdy, genius with no skills with the ladies. By playing into these stereotypes, writers can run the risk of flattening their characters. Instead of the rich characters that writers hope to create by creating opposite personalities for their twins, they can become one-dimensional. Their characteristics can become so reliant on the other person that it doesn’t allow the character to surprise you.

When you know that one twin is going to act a certain way and that the other twin will act in the opposite way, the plot and characters becomes too predictable. You lose a lot of what makes the characters seem real, that each person is unique, and their interest don’t always follow the status quo. Now all authors can fall into stereotyping, but it seems to happen more easily with twins because you have another character to use the “opposite” traits.

In the end of the major problems with twins is that authors often forget that they are not writing one character but two. In my own life, I’ve meet people who just don’t get that twins aren’t identical in everything. They each have their own brain and thoughts and experiences that are entirely separate from their “other half.”

Twins aren’t photocopies of each other and they also aren’t photo negatives of each other. There’s cross over in interests and in friends. There’s similarities in speech patterns and mannerisms. But they are each uniquely their own person.

George and Fred from Harry Potter are a good example of twins that are identical but still stand as their own person. Sure, they may look and act similar, but enough character development has gone into making them their own person.

There are also twins that have the polar opposite personality but still seem like twins. Dipper and Mabel from Gravity Falls are a good example of polar opposites who still seem like twins. Dipper is a smart and focused monster-hunter while Mabel is a sparkle-obsessed, joy filled ball of sunshine. Throughout the show, they display interest in the other twin’s passion and have a loyalty that can really only come from being a twin.

My favorite set of twins in media is Marvel’s Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. When you are first introduced, you don’t know they’re twins, partially because they are fraternal, partially due to good writing. They act like twins—truly they do—even though some audiences may disagree. They don’t wear similar colors or talk in the same way, but they have a loyalty and a connection that is something different than regular siblings have. It’s not that they are polar opposites or exactly the same, but they are people that just happen to be twins.

Which is how twins should be written, whether they are identical or fraternal—just as people who happen to have another person running around who either looks startling similar to themselves or simply shared a room since before they were born.

***

Meet the author:

Sarah Fluegel is an artist, English major, and art editor at her university’s literary magazine. She grew up with two older sisters who happen to be identical twins. When she’s not in class, she spends the rest of her time trying to keep her dragons from burning down her university.

Let’s chat! Be sure to give Sarah a warm welcome! Who are your favorite sets of twins in fiction? What are your (least) favorite twin tropes?

Similar posts: Character Types: Best-Friend-Turned-Evil-Villain, That Guy Who Just Won’t Die, and The Socially Awkward Cinnamon Roll

Character Types: The Socially Awkward Cinnamon Roll

I admire characters who can spew forth witty dialogue, characters who are dashing and brave, but I’m still drawn to those who don’t know how to handle social interaction. As an introvert with a touch of social anxiety, I can totally relate. Seriously, I’d rather deal with a 2,000-pound horse, a dragon, or a bookshelf, than a 140-pound human being.

When it comes to a lot of socially awkward characters, I want to shout, “My people!” Then go stand by them awkwardly, pull out a book, and read in silence until I can work up the courage to make eye contact.

Why cinnamon roll, you might ask? For those unfamiliar with this term, such characters are precious and fun and must be protected at all cost.

Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit

Bilbo: *as four dwarves start rearranging his kitchen, his doorbell rings again* Oh no. No. There’s nobody home! Go away, and bother somebody else! There’re far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is. If this is some cluthead’s idea of a joke, I can only say, it is in VERY poor taste!
*He opens the door, and eight dwarves fall in a heap in front of him*
(The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)

Bilbo Baggins is a homebody. He likes the comforts of a good book, his armchair, and his garden. But he’s also an adventurer who relishes the excitement of the road, which he gets from the Tookish side of his family. In many ways, I can relate. Like Bilbo, I enjoy a good cup of tea with some peace and quiet, and often it takes another person, not necessarily a party of dwarves, to drag me out of the house.

Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon

Gobber: See, now this right here is what I'm talkin’ about!
Hiccup: It, it... mild calibration issue, I...
Gobber: Don’t you... no, Hiccup! If you ever want to get out there to fight dragons, you need to stop all... this. *gestures to all of Hiccup*
Hiccup: But you just pointed to all of me!
Gobber: Yes! That’s it! Stop being all of you!
(How to Train Your Dragon) 

Hiccup is awkward when it comes to conversations and handling himself. Yet he’s brilliant at engineering, having been an apprentice to a blacksmith. That and he’s empathetic, willing to take the time to understand dragons while everybody else just wants to kill them. He’s both relatable and admirable.

My sister and I recently re-watched the first movie, and I realized how resilient Hiccup is. How many characters could take such a slew of insults from friends and family and still want to save them? Then again, he is a Viking. They have stubbornness issues.

Auri from The Kingkiller Chronicles

“She felt the panic rising in her then. She knew. She knew how quickly things could break. You did the things you could. You tended to the world for the world’s sake. You hoped you would be safe. But still she knew. It would come crashing down and there was nothing you could do right. And yes. She knew she wasn’t right. She knew her everything canted wrong. She knew her head was all unkilter. She knew she wasn’t true inside. She knew.” 
(The Slow Regard of Silent Things)

Auri isn’t quite like the other characters in The Kingkiller Chronicles, as she lives underground and isolated from most of humanity. The protagonist of the main books, Kvothe, theorizes that she was a former student at the University and the stress drove her to madness, but her backstory isn’t definite. She’s a little eccentric but rather sweet, believing that many objects have their own personalities, thoughts, and place in the world.

Gil from Pandora Hearts

Now I’m really getting obscure! But I can’t help but mention one of my favorite characters from a graphic novel series I’ve gotten into lately. Gil likes his personal space, but he’s incredibly devoted to protecting his friends and his master, ensuring their safety and happiness. Unlike Hiccup, he knows how to carry himself, but he doesn’t know how to handle a bunch of girls fawning over him at a social event. It’s kind of adorable.

Other notable Socially Awkward Cinnamon Rolls include Newt Scamandar from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Barry Allen (The Flash) from Justice League, Caitlin from Mockingbird, Peter Parker from the Spider Man movies, and Finn from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Let’s chat! Who’s your favorite Socially Awkward Cinnamon Roll? Did I leave any of their attributes out?

***

Similar posts: Character Types: The Bookworm, Christ Figures, and The Best-Friend-Turned-Evil-Villain

Film references: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, How to Train Your Dragon, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Justice League, the Spider Man movies, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Literary references: J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicles, and Jun Mochizuki’s Pandora Hearts. 

Character Development vs. Character Roles

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you might have guessed I like to categorize things. If this is your first time here, surprise! I like to organize, to categorize, to figure out how things work. Such categories apply to character too. (This year I even started a collection of some of my favorite character types.)

The only problem with categorizing characters is that they’re supposed to be like people, and if you’ve ever met one, you may have discovered people are hard to put in a box. Trust me, I once tried to put my sister in a box, but she did not like that. I even hid in a box, but within the first ten seconds, I was getting awfully sweaty. Okay, so you can put an actual person in a box, but they don’t belong there. Moral of the story: you can’t always categorize characters.

Today, I’m here to write about the difference between developing a character and assigning them a role. 

I did something different when I plotted out my last novel. Instead of going with notecards to plot out my story—which is incredibly time consuming to say the least—I wrote out the plot in a notebook. I discovered the plot and the characters as I went along and because I was writing everything down instead of typing it up, I discovered my characters as they appeared in the story rather than throwing them in there.

This gave each character a little more freedom to be themselves. One character turned out to be a bookworm who lugged around a backpack full of books, and another turned out to be obsessed with coffee and music. Come to think of it, I don’t think I labeled any of my characters “villain”, and I definitely didn’t include “love interest” in my plotting like I usually do. That isn’t to say these types of characters didn’t appear in the story, but that I allowed them to establish their personalities before they revealed their roles. It was as much of a discovery process for me as it should be for readers.

Character Development: What is it, and why do writers need it?

          “Who are you?”
          “No one of consequence.”

          “I must know.”

          “Get used to disappointment.”

          (The Princess Bride)

Character development is the way writers make their characters seem more human. Writers give their characters dreams and aspirations, heartbreak and vices just like in real life. Typically, the best developed characters are the protagonists and their allies, but you’ll occasionally come across a well-developed villain.

Writers need character development because it helps readers connect to the story. If a character is poorly developed or “flat”, readers won’t care about them.

Have you ever connected with a piece of paper?

How about a paper airplane, each crease pressed by the fingers of a five-year-old who dreamed of flying?

Which example did you connect with? You can make people care about your story if you take the time to choose the right words.

There are many ways to get to know your characters, and they’re not unlike getting to know people. You have their appearance and general small talk questions—their name, hometown, age, etc. Then you have my personal favorites, the deeper questions—their philosophies, passions, and motivations.

Some people like to jot down the basics, and others like to interview their characters, asking them questions they can answer for themselves. Personally, I like to throw my characters into a situation and see how they react. Maybe they’ll freak out, maybe they’ll strike up a conversation, or maybe they’ll turn into a dragon and blast somebody with fire. It’s a tossup.

Character Roles: Again, what is it, and why use it?

“‘Inkheart.’ Fenoglio rubbed his aching back. ‘Its title is Inkheart because it’s about a man whose wicked heart is as black as ink, filled with darkness and evil. I still like the title.’” (Inkheart)

Most stories have a protagonist and an antagonist, at least when it comes to adventure stories. Identifying these characters typically isn’t too hard. But a well-developed character should transcend character roles and their stereotypes. Not all protagonists (the main character) are heroic, and not all antagonists are villainous.

The difficulty with categorization comes if one considers the adage “each character is the hero of their own story.” In other words, when writing characters, writers shouldn’t just treat one character like the love interest and another like the villain. If characters are to seem more human, they should be treated like people, not chess pieces. 

To Steal Walk in a Character’s Shoes

“Don’t judge a man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins.” (Walk Two Moons)

Funny story, in my latest novel, I actually stole my main character’s shoes wrote a couple chapters where she had to go barefoot. Writers, even if your character has to go without shoes, put yourself in their place and try to understand their perspective. I’m not saying your protagonist has to think and act exactly like you, but it’s always interesting to get into the heads of your characters. Once you establish who your character is and what they think about, it’s a lot easier to write about them.

Who before what.

           “I’m Agatha Jordan.”
           “What does that mean? Who are you?”
          I’m the daughter of divorcees, a part-time mechanic, and a high school graduate who has no idea what to do with her life. Who am I? I don’t even know. But I’m not about to say that.
          (Just Breathe)

When I took journalism in college, they taught us when conducting an interview to focus on “The Five W’s and an H”, also known as who, what, when, where, why, and how. When it comes to developing your characters, whether or not you choose to conduct a character interview, make sure you establish who your character is before that what role the character plays. Just as the who comes before the what in the Five W’s and an H, so the development should come before assigned roles.

Give your characters a chance to be human before you try to shove them into a box. Focus on writing about people. Supersede stereotypes. And your characters just might surprise you and your readers.

Let’s chat! Which do you work on first, character development or character roles? How do you develop your characters? Do you interview them or just jot down the basics? Which is your favorite character type to write about?

Want to get it on more offers and updates for writers? Be sure to sign up for the Word Storm Newsletter! Next newsletter coming Dec. 15. 

Sign me up for more bookish news!

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

***

Similar posts: 5 Ways Journalism Taught Me to be a Better Creative Writer and 3 Methods for Outlining Your Novel

Literary references: William Goldman’s The Princess Bride, Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart, and Sharon Creech’s Walk Two Moons. 

Character Types: The Character Everybody Detests

Bookworms and book dragons alike tend to be a very diversely talented group. From carrying twenty-five books at once and ordering five more books online that we don’t need to travelling halfway across the world to visit the inspiration for a fictional setting, it seems like we know no bounds!

And we all have differing opinions on our favorite characters and stories. I like Star Trek; my sister likes Star Wars. I like Han Solo; she likes Kylo Ren. You get the picture. Sometimes it seems like disagree on everything.

Until we inevitably come across that one character…

If you’re looking for a blog post that’s full of benevolent characters and their happy endings, I 

suggest you close this tab. Today I will be focusing on three examples of The Character Everybody Detests, though it is certainly not limited to these: Q (Star Trek: Next Generation), Umbridge (Harry Potter), and Lord Denothor (Lord of the Rings). Here are just a couple of the traits that they seem to share:

1) The Character Everybody Detests can turn even the kindest bookworm into a book dragon and make them want to drop said character off a cliff or at the very least stab said character with a fork.

Please tell me I’m not the only one.

And the very thought that I might actually want to stab somebody with a fork is disturbing. After all, I’d never want to purposefully hurt somebody. What are these characters doing to me?

Because let’s face it…

2) They delight in the suffering of others.

And when they do, I’m not very sympathetic.

Every time Q shows up, he ends up putting the crew of the Enterprise through some bizarre challenge.

Umbridge makes Harry write using his own blood and torments the entire school.

Denothor might be the exception to this one. He may make people suffer, but he certainly doesn’t seem to take delight in anything.

3) They have at least one incredibly annoying trait.

For Q, it’s his arrogance and hypocrisy. Not only does he have immortality and god-like powers, but he also flaunts it. Constantly. Then gives everybody a hard time for being mortal and being poor decision makers. It’s no wonder nobody wants him around.

For Umbridge, it’s her like for the color pink. Just kidding. Pink is okay in and of itself, I just don’t care for it. Rather, it’s the way she tears everybody down and enjoys it.  

For Denothor, it’s his favoritism towards Boromir and hatred of Faramir. And poor leadership. And misery. And the time he told Faramir he wished he were dead. Not. Okay.

4) Sometimes, they may seem right.

In one of the opening episodes, Q puts humankind on trial for its crimes against the universe, and the crew of the Enterprise has to acknowledge that the humans on board are not perfect.

Even in all his misery, Denothor was trying to lead Gondor against the armies of Mordor, even if he was going about it all the wrong ways.

5) Yet they still avoid the truth.

Q’s refuses to acknowledge his arrogance and often blames other races for the problems in the universe.

And Denothor refuses to acknowledge that he actually cares about Faramir until it’s too late.

6) They can still teach you.

Q’s arrogance and games led to belief that mortals and immortals alike can learn to be more open-minded.

Umbridge’s oppression led Harry to teach his peers about Defense Against the Dark Arts. Despite her tyranny, the students came together in a way they hadn’t before.

Denothor’s bitterness almost killed Faramir, but it helped Pippin find the true meaning of courage.

In the end, the Character Everybody Detests can teach us a lot of things, like what it means to be cruel and what it also means to stand up against such cruelty.

***

Related posts: That Guy Who Just Won’t Die and The Pessimistic Mentor

Film references: Star Trek: Next Generation

Literary references: J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and J. K. Rowlings’ Harry Potter series.

Let’s chat! Who are some of the characters you detest? What have they taught you?  

Character Types: The Pessimistic Mentor

I recently added a new type of post to my blog: character types! So far, it seems to be a success. Last month, I wrote about The Best-Friend-Turned-Evil-Villain (aka. BFTEV). Another one of my favorite character types is the Pessimistic Mentor. You know the one. They’re typically condescending and will point out every single way the heroes fail.

Some examples of the Pessimistic Mentor include Puddleglum (The Silver Chair), Hamish (The Hunger Games), Han Solo (The Force Awakens), and Hub (Secondhand Lions). But there’s more to the Pessimistic Mentors than just being down all the time. In fact, they tend to have some admirable qualities.

They’re straightforward.

They tell things the way they are. If they think the protagonist is going to die or at the very least be mortally wounded, they’ll tell the protagonist. After all, what else would they do? No sugarcoating involved here.

I really like the scene when Jill and Eustace first talk to Puddleglum, and they can’t tell if he wants to come on their adventure or not because he sounds so pessimistic about their prospects of success:

“Now a job like this—a journey up north just as winter’s beginning looking for a Prince that probably isn’t there, by way of ruined city no one has ever seen—will be just the thing. If that doesn’t steady a chap, I don’t know what will.”

Pessimistic Mentors tend to be honest.

Because they tend to be so blunt about the truth, it means more. If they tell the protagonist there’s a 99% chance of death, the protagonist will take EXTRA caution (hopefully). If they praise the protagonist for something, it may come as a surprise, but it means so, so much.

Of course, there are exceptions. Hamish isn’t exactly honest. Not if you consider he lied to Katniss for basically the whole of Catching Fire.

They’re stubborn as a rock.

Chances are, if a character ever lives long enough to be a mentor, he or she is probably going to be set in his or her beliefs. This character is no exception. When it comes to cheering them up, forget it.

But they tend to teach the protagonist from lessons they learned themselves.

Walter helped teach his great-uncles that there’s more to life than just hording wealth. Sometimes you have to experience life. Not that it got rid of Hub’s crazy nature.

Walter: “Why not see what he’s selling? …what’s the good of having all that money if you’re never gonna spend it?”
Hub: “Well. “We’ll see what the man’s sellin’. Then we’ll shoot him.”

Okay, that… works?

Pessimistic Mentors tend to have interesting backstories.

Which may be why they’re so stubborn.

Throughout the film, Secondhand Lions, Garth tells Walter Hub’s story. But Hub also sums it up pretty well in a fight with some rowdy teenagers:

“I’m Hub McCann. I’ve fought in two World Wars and countless smaller ones on three continents. I led thousands of men into battle with everything from horses and swords to artillery and tanks. I’ve seen the headwaters of the Nile, and tribes of natives no white man had ever seen before. I’ve won and lost a dozen fortunes, killed many men and loved only one woman with a passion a flea like you could never begin to understand. That’s who I am. NOW, GO HOME, BOY!”

Although the Pessimistic Mentor may not develop much as a character in the current narrative, he or she might have already done so in the past. Yet even for the stubborn one’s, there’s room for growth. Sometimes the protagonist may surprise them.

They’re loyal to a point.

Even though they know the situation may be helpless, they will stand with the protagonist to the end. Hamish advised Katniss when he had to as her mentor, then stood up with her against the capital as her friend. Hub and his brother Garth took their great-nephew under their wing when his own mother didn’t want him. Han Solo still loved his son despite everything that happened.

They get some of the best lines.

Whether it’s a funny or serious, mentors tend to get some of the most memorable lines.

In The Force Awakens, Han Solo knows a lot more about the Force than he used to.

Finn: “Solo, we’ll figure it out. We’ll use the Force.”
Han: “That’s not how the Force works!”

Thank you, Han. I’m sure we’re going to be hearing that line a lot now…

Then you have Puddleglum who stands up to the Lady of the Green Kirtle, even though his own mind is convinced she’s telling the truth:

“I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia.”

There are so many more lines I could reference, but I won’t here for the sake of conserving space.

Sure, the Pessimistic Mentor can be as annoying as an alarm clock, but at least they’re consistent. They may be as touchy-feely as a cactus, but at least you know where they stand.

***

Related posts: The Best-Friend-Turned-Evil-Villain 

Film references: The Force Awakens and Secondhand Lions

Literary references: C. S. Lewis’ The Silver Chair and Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games trilogy.

Who is your favorite Pessimistic Mentor? What’s your favorite quality or line by him or her? What type of fictional character do you want to read about next—That Guy Who Just Won’t Die, The Humble Heroes, or somebody else?

Character Types Intro: The Best-Friend-Turned-Evil-Villain

I’m adding to my regular blog posts! Surprise! Okay, for some of you, it’s not such a big surprise. I’m addicted to writing. Send help. No, really. Please don’t. I’m perfectly fine with the itch to put down words and stories and characters who won’t leave my imagination alone. Last year I added poetry, which was a success! Thank you, my dear readers. (I’ve added a whole page dedicated to poetry just for you). This year, I’m adding posts on the different types of fictional characters.

But I won’t just be discussing heroes and villains, love interests and mentors. No, it’s time to get more specific and include some wonderful examples. Anybody up for a session of fangirling/fanboying over your favorite fictional characters? Here we go!

Caution: because of the nature of this post, discussing characters, some attributes may be spoiled for the audience, though I have done my best to select well-known characters that people may already be aware of. Spoilers are specific to Captain America: Winter Soldier and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

The Best-Friend-Turned-Evil-Villain, here on referred to as the BFTEV. (Is it just me, or is that pronounced bef-tev in your head?) You think you know them. The hero and their friend have been on many epic adventures together—or ordinary ones depending on the genre. They have inside jokes, secret passwords, and great stories. They share a particular bond common among best friends. I mean, you can relate to their friendship so much! Then they stab you in the back. What’s not to like?

Okay, so it’s not always exactly like that. Usually the BFTEV is a product of brainwashing or some serious manipulation. And because this poor character is often forced to go against his/her hardcore beliefs, and his/her best friend, it makes for some excellent character conflict. How far would the hero go to save his/her best friend from the villain? Ah, but take it one step further. How far would the hero go to save his/her best friend from himself/herself?

Likable BFTEVs

Often times, this is either the character who was captured and brainwashed and/or manipulated. Although there are several characters I could list, I’ll stick with using Bucky Barnes as my primary example. He’s Steve Roger’s best friend. He was always there to get Steve out of trouble, but now he’s trying to patch his memory back together while running from various governments because Hydra turned him into one of the most notorious assassins.

Even when it means dying or fighting against his own team, Steve sticks to the catchphrase he and Bucky have, “I’m with you to the end of the line.”

Okay, so I listed Bucky as a likeable BFTEV, but that doesn’t mean everybody likes him. My sister surely doesn’t, but that’s because she’s team Iron Man. While not every BFTEV may be likeable, if they show up in a story, brainwashed, I find it really difficult to hate them despite their despicable actions because I know it’s not who they really are.

Unlikable BFTEVs

Then there’s the slimy best friend who turns into a villain either out of fear or greed or whatever motive and nobody likes him/her for it; aka the traitor. Unlike the likeable BFTEV, the unlikeable one is skilled with manipulating others and may even make some of his friends out to be villains. Take Peter Pettigrew for example—he betrayed James Potter, blamed Sirius for his crimes, and faked his own death. Nobody likes an outright traitor. Not even the villains they side with.

Mistaken BFTEVS

Finally, there’s always that character who people think is the BFTEV but actually wasn’t all along because the other characters confused their motivations. Take Sirius Black for example. He’s not a true BFTEV; he’s not a villain at all. But for years, everybody thinks he is. Maybe that’s why he’s one of my favorite characters. Unlike some villains, he truly is misunderstood. The mistaken BFTEV is a great illustration that jumping to conclusions about a person’s character before you’ve examined all the facts is never a good idea.

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” –J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

The BFTEV is one of my favorite fictional character types. I like the conflict, but more than anything, I like the potential for redemption and reconciliation.

***

Film references: Captain America: The First Avenger, Winter Soldier, and Civil War.

Literary references: J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Let’s chat! Who’s your favorite BFTEV? What type of fictional character do you want to read about next—the Pessimistic Mentor, That Guy Who Just Won’t Die, or somebody else? 

More than Just a Name

Picture of From Aaron to Zoe by Daniel A. Richman

Whether people acknowledge it or not, names still have great significance in culture today. If somebody’s name is “like Mud” or if a person is “no Sherlock,” often times, people may understand the meaning of such phrases even if they do not fully understand the source. In fiction, characters may have names with meanings that may reinforce or contradict their personalities or significance.

 

Many great books out there, not just Pilgrim’s Progress, have characters with significant names. In The Naming and in The Messenger, the protagonists receive new names that embody their roles in their societies. In The Kingdom Series, many of the characters’ names represent biblical characters. Even many of the characters in The Hunger Games are representational, and the places may be historical references. Most recently, some of characters in the Allegiance books have names that either reflect their personalities or names that the characters rise above.

 

In my own stories, I may spend days or even months trying to give a particular character a name with meaning. Villains are perhaps the most difficult characters to name, not necessarily because they are underdeveloped but because they are so vitally important. I can’t just name one of the most important characters John Smith, so my antagonist might go through half a draft with a name like (VN)—for Villain Name—or simply X. A successful writing day is one when I can name one character, and it's a superb day when I can name two.

 

Throughout Scripture, names have great significance both for God and for people. Abram, Sarai, and Jacob’s names were changed to Abraham, Sarah, and Israel. Naomi asked to be called Mara because she felt that her life was bitter. One of the apostles, Simon, was also called Peter. The list goes on.

 

Although not every writer may select names for a particular meaning, characters tend to embody a name and can even be memorable for them. Those characters with meaning in their names add layers of quality and depth to literature, which may be interesting to study when examining certain texts. Meaning behind a character name is not always necessary, but such names can hold power in both classical and contemporary literature.

 

Are there any characters whose names hold meaning that you view as significant? Do you think it is important for writers to give their characters’ names meaning?

 

Literary references: Daniel A. Richman's From Aaron to Zoe: 15,000 Great Baby Names, John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Alison Croggon’s The Naming, Lois Lowry’s The Messenger, Chuck Black’s The Kingdom Series, Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, L. Nicodemus Lyon’s Allegiance Series, and the Holy Bible.