Hey little helpful people trapped inside my computer, I'm writing a book (no surprise there then!) and I want to give my main character some extra deep depth. Can anyone suggest something unusual that my character could do that is not linked to the main plot in any way. I thought a hobby of some sort? And if you give me a good answer, I promise to let you guys out as soon as my books finished, by putting a brick through my pc monitor! Cheers little buddies sprirj xxx
A rather protracted pun, Wrey. A hobby would work. Nero Wolfe cultivated orchids. It was a passion that rarely impinged on his sleuthing, but it was a side of him few would expect. Prepare to learn a lot about the hobby yourself. To successfully portray the character's deep interest, you'll need to know more about it than most of your readers, enough to show his or her enthusiasm convincingly.
Bonsai? I was going to suggest something gardening related, but it was already mentioned! By the way..."protracted" Zing!
I'm glad it wasn't too obtuse. I wanted to get straight to the point without being acutely obvious. Was it the right angle?
you guys are a hoot!... your badinage gave me a badly-needed burst of belly-laughs... thanks for the life-extender... hugs, m
...How did this go from a discussion of hobbies to a wonderful play on geometry? I'm deeply amused. ~Lynn
One of the best ways to add depth is to show past events that made him who he is in the story, called back story. Another is showing his weaknesses and strengths. A strength could be a talent he has, which could be a hobby as well. Maybe he plays an instrument. My favorite is showing his personality with interaction and dialog. I like to reveal dark secrets about them.
Dont believe everything you read.... I hate this way of thinking, that 'if it doesn't advance the plot, then it should be left out'. This is what terrible books and films are made of, you know the ones, the horrid hollywood blockbusters that have dialogue like 'lets go here!' and in the next scene they are 'here'. This way of thinking seems more pointless to me. I much prefer books to go off and avoid the main plot, and its there for the hell of it. Because thats a sign of a decent writer isn't it? Look at Quentin Tarrentino and his use of dialogue, its utterly pointless conversations that his characters have and it is not something the viewer needs to know, its not linked to the main plot, but it adds something, that makes him, as a film maker stand out from the pack. NB I hope its ok to hijack my own thread? I'm sure Cog will be first to let me know if not.
No, the sign of a decent writer is decent writing. Developing characters is equally as important as advancing the plot, but that doesn't mean you should have plotless work, that'd be boring.
I disagree that keeping subplots tied in to the main story leaxds to simplistic storytelling. In addition to the plot, subplots can advance character, which contributes in a more subtle way to main storyline. But putting in a subplot about the MC's brother going off on a quest that in no way affects the MC or the main plot within the time frame of the main story? That's te type of irrelevancy that should be avoided. If you really want to use it, make it a completely separate story. Don't just stick it in to bolster the word count or to add variety. It doesn;t have to be a straight line connection, but keep it relevant.
I don't really understand where you are coming from. You want to develop your character by exhibiting his hobby? Why does this have to be a seperate thing. Can't you integrate it into the story? As mentioned before, sub-plots are okay, but you don't need to trail of on an irrelevant tangent just to show us your MC loves baseball or whatever. You can tie everything in with the main story if you try.
Tarantino is my favorite screen writer, and his dialog serves a purpose. It usually is to develop the characters, but a lot of it advances the plot and develops the characters. That’s what makes him such a brilliant screen writer. The conversation in Pulp Fiction at the restaurant about the milk shake might seem pointless, but it’s not. It really develops the characters nicely. And plot development is thrown into that conversation about her husband. Another thing that conversation does it shows the sexual tension between the two. This advances the story as well. Dialog should affect the characters in some way.
