August 19, 2022

Daily Diary, Day 718: I’ve come to the last day in this week of writing, and it is very clear I will not have met my goal of finishing four chapters. But, I did go back and write two new scenes to add on to the first chapter yesterday, total of 688 words.

Today, I should finish the chapter I am on, but I doubt if I will do more than that because I have to spend some time fleshing out two characters—which means writing mini biographies--before I can start the next chapter. However, that is a fun task and will save me time when I start back writing.

On my walk today (another successful hour despite the heat) I thought about how important characters are to me, both as a reader (and watcher of TV shows) and as a writer. One of the reasons I like both mystery and science fiction series is that a series gives the author time to develop multiple characters, and me as a reader to get to know them. Often it is the secondary characters that make or break a series for me.

And of course, my love of secondary characters is why I write so many novellas and short stories. In these shorter works, I can develop these minor characters in depth without worrying about slowing down the mystery plots in the full-length novels. Now that I think of it, for my mystery series I have 8 full-length novels, but 12 shorter works—featuring the secondary characters, but not a lot of plot!

I can see the same pattern in my TV watching. Last night we watched the newest episode of Reservation Dogs (young Native American teenagers), as well as the next to last episode of The Detectorists and I was struck by the fact that not much happened in terms of plot in either show, but my enjoyment is all about the characters and how much I have become invested in them.

With The Detectorists, each 30-minute episode has several scenes of the two main characters, Andy and Lance, walking slowly in fields with their metal detectors, brief scene of them at work, brief scene with their loved ones, and a brief scene at their metal detectorist club and then at the pub afterwards. And over 3 seasons the minor personal plots for both men (and the club) build in a slow arc. And I care so much now about all the characters that my heart breaks for them, just watching them swing those detectors back and forth.

With this second season of Reservation Dogs, I can feel the same thing happening.

Do you have similar shows where it isn’t the plot but the characters that make the shows work for you?

Here is another pink set of blossoms for you from today's walk.