Although I don’t do it on purpose, I’ve realized that all my beliefs emerge within my writings. After actually considering that I might impose my beliefs subconsciously upon my audience, I realize that I typically write myself into the main character in a story or the speaker in a poem. In a detective story that I am currently writing, the main character is a lot like me—if I was a middle-aged man. Although he wanders the streets of San Francisco, he really is just a vagabond of myself within my own mind. He doesn’t drink, smoke, curse, sleep around, or bully—well, the scenes in which I write him don’t contain any of those things. Who knows what my detective does when I put my pen down and leave him alone for a while? I guess I write these characters with my beliefs because I want to like them. I realize that I’m going to be spending a lot of time with them, sculpting them a style and giving them a voice among other things. When I think about it, what I really do is create a temporary best friend on paper, one who agrees with everything I do, likes my favorite color and song, and voted Republican in the last election. I don’t do it on purpose, but now that I’ve realized it, it makes a lot of sense.
Now that I’ve become aware that I can limit my audience by including my own views, however subconscious they may be, I see that sometimes I should try to write characters who are different from me. Chances are, my audience isn’t going to be like me, so they won’t necessarily enjoy my created best friend like I do. Perhaps I will make my detective a smoker, or maybe he will like cats…
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I also feel I see myself in my main characters. It is so much easier to stay with a main character that you like, rather than making him/her out to be someone you don't agree with. I am not sure, limiting or not, that would be a story I could finish.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about writing yourself into the main character. I've had to work against that at times. But I found that it actually strengthens (or alters) my point of view when writing a character that goes counter to what I believe. I think it's good exercise to see the world through a different set of eyes and also vigorously test your beliefs.
ReplyDeleteHeather, you need to give him a cigar. He doesn't have to light it! And don't forget the Columbo-style overcoat.
ReplyDeleteI wrote something similar in my post - I tend to make my characters too much like me. Thinking about it, though, I realized how fun it would be to create a character different from myself, sort of a freedom to be however I wanted to be. Like you, I intend to try some new things in my writing now that I'm more conscious of what I'm doing!
ReplyDeleteYes, Heather, he should definitely like cats! Seriously, though, good writing thrives on contrast, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteConflict is the heart of writing.
ReplyDelete