Typecasting
March 23rd 2009 23:20
One of these things is not like the others... or is it?
In storytelling, it is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid stereotypical characters. Despite the fact that there are more subjects being covered in more ways than ever before, especially with the relatively new genres such as tech fiction, humorous fantasy, psychological thrillers and so on, creating a hero's personality that has not been seen or used a dozen times already is an enormous challenge.
Take the example of the three movie heroes above: John McClane (Die Hard), Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark) and Martin Riggs (Lethal Weapon). Looking at them as they began their celluloid lives, they were all based on one stereotype: the heroic tough guy - a sense of humour in the face of danger, gritty determination in spite of the odds and plenty of creativity. At the same time, they were all distinct individuals, with their own quirks and foibles - smokers, crazies, drunks, womanisers or suicidals.
This is where the challenge lies for writers: in taking a predefined character type and giving it a twist. As humans, we stereotype by habit. It's a recognised phenomenon and even has a clearly defined cycle which explains how it happens - many customer service training courses cover it in detail to encourage breaking that very cycle. So how can we use this knowledge to create better characters and better stories?
The most important step is to realise where the stereotype comes from. By sitting down and examining who a particular character is based on or what similar story has inspired certain aspects of the tale, an author can take a mental step back from their work and look for ways to make it more individual.
For example, when defining characters, does the magician have to be another Gandalf or Merlin? Does the heroine have to be another Kathy or Scarlett? Is it really necessary to have the unattractive girl or boy turn out to be gorgeous, or could they win the heart of their One True Love in some other way?
Going a step further and re-examining the story's premise and the narrator's point of view can even lead to some really off-the-wall ideas. For example, does the "hero" even have to be the hero at the centre of things? Could they not effectively be the sidekick or even just an observer, dragged into events? What if they really couldn't care less about the outcome, but can't find a way out of the situation? What if Die Hard had been told from the villain's point of view - or that of a hostage?
By asking ourselves some questions about how we're writing a particular story or why we have chosen particular character types, it may be possible to come up with an original idea which could change the whole feel of the work.
Go on, break the cycle.
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Comment by Carolyn Cordon
Light Within
How do You Express Your Creativity?
Food Leaf
Hmm, I'm going to have to think about this some more.
Comment by Spike 2
Qwerk
Peanut Butter
Comment by Carolyn Cordon
Light Within
How do You Express Your Creativity?
Food Leaf
Comment by Spike 2
Qwerk
Peanut Butter
Do you post yours anywhere, so I can feel inadequate?