What literary character would you like to hang out with?
The best fiction is character-driven. Plot matters, of course, but if I don’t care about the characters, the best plot in the world won’t make me enjoy a book (see: Gone Girl. Amazing plotting/storytelling, but the characters? Not so much.) So let’s talk about characters–specifically, a literary character you’d like to hang out with. But before I get to that:
This post is part of the Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG) blog hop. On the first Wednesday of every month, we IWSG-ers share our doubts, fears, struggles, and triumphs. Our awesome co-hosts this month are Jennifer Lane, L Diane Wolfe, Jenni Enzor, and Natalie Aguirre. Stop by and leave them some comment love. Each month our fearless leader (Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh) gives us an optional question to answer. This month’s question: What fantasy character would you like to fight, go on a quest with, or have a beer/glass of wine with?
The literary character I’d most like to hang out with
I’ve broadened the question to include any literary character, but the character I’ve chosen is, in fact, a fantasy character (sort of). She is: Claire from the Outlander series.
I’ll try to avoid spoilers in case someone out there hasn’t read or watched Outlander yet. Claire is a former WW2 army combat nurse who finds out the hard way that a stone circle in the Scottish Highlands is actually a time portal. By “the hard way,” I mean, she finds herself ripped through time and plopped into the 18th century. What follows are 9 (soon to be 10) very large books’ worth of adventure, sex, violence, and men in kilts.
But what draws me back to this series over and over isn’t the adventure, sex, and violence, or even the men in kilts (though they certainly help). It’s the characters (not just the hot male kilted ones). They’re rendered so vividly, they feel like family. I wouldn’t mind hanging out with several of them, but Claire tops the list. She survives all manner of terrifying adventures, sometimes rescued by others but usually saved, at least in part, through her own intelligence and resourcefulness. She isn’t perfect (who wants to read about perfect people?) but her grit, toughness, and boundless compassion keep me rooting for her.
I’d love to spend an afternoon with Claire in her garden, learning about medicinal herbs and how to carve a rewarding existence out of a frontier wilderness, then kick back on the porch of her 18th-century home and just talk. She’s like a grown-up Laura Ingalls with an English accent, a foul mouth, and a very high sex drive. I think she’d be a hoot to hang with.
Outlander is a great example of a series that succeeds because of its great characters. The books can be challenging and even problematic at times (lots of violent sex–including far too many rapes for my liking, overwrought descriptions in places, too many side stories in the later books and an overall lack of focus at times), but the characters are complex and remarkably well rendered. The writing is also gorgeous in places, so much so that I’ll reread favorite passages occasionally just to savor the language and imagery. But it’s the characters that have made these books beloved by millions.
How about you, dear reader? Which literary character would you like hang out with?
Writing News
My big writing news is that “Proof Text,” the first short story I ever wrote as an adult, is now published in King’s River Life! Details and a link are available in my previous post.
The Memery
I’ve been too busy playing in my garden lately to do much meme-hunting (and the main source of my memes–social media–is a shitshow, so I’ve spent much less time there), but I have a couple to share this month:
As long as we’re in wordplay mode:
I’d bet a substantial sum of money that a dad drew on that poor leek and stuck it under the sink.
March is my birthday month, so let’s celebrate in style:
This is entirely too accurate. I seem to sprout a new brown spot every flippin’ day.
Let’s just say I’m glad my mouse has a scroll wheel.
That’s it for me this time. Drop a comment and tell me which literary character you would like to hang out with–or just say hi. Comments reassure me I’m not just typing into the void over here.
13 Comments
ArleneS
Lady Sybil from the DiscWorld series. Sir Samuel is my fictional husband (one of two, I’m a fictional bigamist) and I suspect I’d like her a great deal.
Janet Alcorn
I’ve heard great things about DiscWorld. I’ll have to give it a try someday.
alexjcavanaugh
I’ve never read the books or watched the show though I certainly know about it. One would have to be tough to survive during that time.
Janet Alcorn
Yes, and especially tough if coming from modern times. If you’re raised in a given time, presumably you learn the necessary skills and accept conditions as they are because it’s all you know. But to go from the 20th century to the 18th would be challenging, to say the least.
Esther O'Neill
Hi Janet,
Sounds fun – with great writing too, but might neecd to become my entire TBR list… ?
Might even be too exciting for me, accustomed as I am to being hauled off in the small hours, to reach yet another stone circle by sunrise…
Fortunately, some of these journeys can be made by Lidar – but there’s no substitue for the Bronze or Neolithic ages at dawn – either side of the Border.
Esther
Janet Alcorn
Sunrise at a stone circle is on my bucket list!
Kim Elliott
Claire is a fun choice, but I don’t think I’d want to spend too much time with her. Traumatic events tend to happen when she’s around!
Janet Alcorn
That’s an excellent point! Maybe I should make sure I’m armed to the teeth before I visit.
Olga Godim
I read the first 2 or 3 OUTLANDER books but didn’t continue with the series. Don’t even know why, but I agree – Claire is fine choice for a fictional buddy. I certainly want such a woman in my corner.
Your meme about leek is terrific.
Janet Alcorn
Yeah, I’d definitely want Claire on my side in a fight!
Jennifer Lane
Claire is a wonderful choice! “She’s like a grown-up Laura Ingalls with an English accent, a foul mouth, and a very high sex drive. I think she’d be a hoot to hang with” is a PERFECT description hehe. I also liked your summary of the book series, which I’ve read. The most recent one was 49 hours on audiobook!
Janet Alcorn
Yeah, they are huge! But the audiobooks are so wonderful, I sometimes wish they were even longer. Davina Porter is the best narrator I’ve ever heard.
Rebecca Douglass
I’ve not felt the urge to read the Outlander books, but Claire does sound like someone to know! And agree about the need for relatable characters.