Does a weak moment make a weak character? (Updated)

Just like real people, the strongest of characters have weak moments. Why should the reader see this contrast? As a writer, how do you demonstrate it?

First of all, the best characters are often complicated and full of contradictions. This gives them many layers and makes them seem more 3-dimensional and therefore, realistic. After all, most of us are also complicated and full of contradictions. This helps to make characters relatable to the reader. We like seeing that we aren't the only ones who are a bit messed up. Also, witnessing a strong, larger-than-life character falling apart makes them much more humble. We like that. 

A perfect example would be Jolene Silva, who is my current series. Jolene is strong, confident, powerful, and someone I would describe as a femme fatale. However, at one point in this series, the Colombian bombshell reveals a weak side to her personality that no one saw coming. She makes a series of bad decisions that places her in a dangerous position with Jorge Hernandez and his crew. After a long, difficult road, she finally is trusted by la familia again and comes back stronger than ever. 

I love this because it shows how the strongest characters can fall apart but can bounce back under some of the worst circumstances that life puts them in. There's something very reassuring and comforting about that fact. 

Never assume a weak moment makes a weak character. In fact, it actually makes them more human. 

Animals and Devils 🐺😈(Updated)

If you're familiar with my series, you probably already know that the books have an animal and devil theme in the titles. But why is that?

As I said in previous videos, this became the series that wasn't meant to be a series. It started with a book called We're All Animals in 2016 and took off with the follow-up, Always be a Wolf, a few months later. This portion of the series follows protagonist Chase Jacobs, a naive, small-town boy who tends to try to do the right thing.

And that's when things take a bit of a turn.

In the fall of 2017, the devil-themed titles start appropriately with the blood-thirsty thug Jorge Hernandez as the protagonist. The Devil is Smooth Like Honey followed the life of the Mexican narco who's about to take over the legalized pot industry in Canada. While Chase was very much the boy-next-door, Jorge is the complete opposite, demonstrating the vast differences in characters. Having Chase as an employee, both men tend to have an influence on one another as the series continues with A Devil Named Hernandez and And the Devil Will Laugh. (Since this blog was posted, there are MORE books with animals and devils in the title. Go HERE to learn more.) 

I've always said that I love character contrasts in books and feel that extremes have a way of balancing each other out. I'm curious where this will go in the future because I predict a shift in both of these characters in my next book. Will Jorge bring out the bad in Chase and Chase bring out the good in Jorge, or are certain aspects in their DNA to stay? What do you think?

Should characters ever be based on people you know? 🤔(Updated)

I recently stumbled across a video recommending that writers base characters on people they know. I cringed.

I never pretend to be a writing expert. I do feel that after a few books, I've learned a couple of things along the way. Basing characters on people I know never seemed like a good idea, and therefore, I never did it. To begin with, I'm assuming there would always be a paranoia of someone 'discovering' that a character was strangely like them, not to mention hurt feelings, potential arguments, and maybe even a few Facebook rants...as much as we all love those.

Most importantly, I feel that characters create themselves. You might have a few ideas of who they are or what they're about, but in the end, characters tend to form as you write the story. It's kind of like having a child and assuming the personality you think they'll have; chances are, they'll soon show you that you never had a say in the first place.

Characters are complex. As a writer, you'll probably have a deeper understanding of your characters than most people in your life. You can see inside their heart and understand what makes them tick. This makes sense because you're on a long journey together.

The interesting thing about characters is that they often are a piece of you. Just like every songwriter inserts a piece of who they are in their songs, every author tends to do the same with their characters. It's not something you think about, but rather it just happens. Maybe one of your characters shares your fears in life or your fixation on a specific pet peeve. The characters are unique, but they're also you.

And really, isn't that what makes the writing process amazing?