My blog entry this week deals with an interesting topic: is the author of a book a character? Conversely, are all the characters the author? The reason I bring this up is due to a recent review that was posted on Smashwords for "Jupiter Symphony," in which the reviewer rightly points out that the novel carries "quite strong right-wing ideology." Now, I don't know if this was in reference to the novel itself, which I feel ultimately takes a libertarian path, or to a specific character. All I know is that a lot of passion and emotion was used to drive the writing of my first book, and in many cases those feelings did align with aspects of what we term the "right-wing."
I find it particularly interesting in the fact that the character who is the most right-wing is one of the main antagonists, while the primary protagonist takes a much more gray approach to his handling of life and politics, especially as he ends up being thrust into a world he was in no way prepared for, having to feel his way through at each turn.
Now, if I would say I had to relate to any one character in "Jupiter Symphony," that would certainly fall on this main character. His views are largely in line with mine, and I feel that I would react in much the same way he does if I were, God forbid, ever faced with the same challenges and moral quandaries he ultimately must tackle. That being said, is this character and my own person one and the same?
In this case, I would say no, we are not. While I drew on my personal experiences, travels, and interests to craft the character, he is only a minor offshoot of my psyche. More than that, after I create characters and set them loose in my world, I leave it up to them to make their own decisions, to hold their own beliefs, and to pursue what they feel is the best path in life. It is in this regard that I can most certainly say that Ash (the character) and I have marked differences that go beyond the superficial.
Ash is, at his core, a viewing piece into the world I created. He knows how to survive in a harsh environment, and he ends up discovering that he is a functionally smart tactician and worthy adversary in combat. Once faced with the political aftermath of the world he helped create, however, he finds himself unable to function. In effect, he is used up, and indeed has to go off to find his own war to continue his usefulness. Perhaps it is in this war, that takes place in Washington D.C., that the right-wing effect is most felt, but I am unsure in that regard.
Now, if we take the pieces of Ash and put them back into his creator (me, for those of you taking notes), we find some large gaps and discrepancies. Where Ash takes up arms and leads voraciously and actively, I observe and absorb, only guiding when necessary. Ash cannot function politically, while I can discuss the politics of modern America or feudal Japan with equal fervor. Ash can bring a crowd to its feet with a stirring and dynamic speech. I deliver concise reports to a room full of co-workers. It only ever resulted in one coup. I've actually seen the horrors of war in visiting Hiroshima. Ash only discovers these things when he is attacked by a terrible weapon, one he must ultimately decide if he himself will use.
In summation, there are many commonalities with Ash, and, as the main protagonist, he was created first, drawing the most from me as he went through his conceptual stage. Beyond that, however, he is his own individual. There are pieces of me sprinkled through all of my characters, and I suspect that, depending on my mood, I can exhibit behaviors and habits similar to any one of them. The point is that fictional characters are limited, while an author is dynamic, ever changing and growing. If this was not the case, each character would be the same, each novel staid and boring. I think a great example of this is my second book, "Unto Persephone," in which the anti-hero finds himself slowly losing his humanity, which often had me writing things I couldn't personally believe or even found repugnant.
I can already tell that I'm pushing myself as a writer when it comes to character creation, as my final novel in my trilogy, "The Long Night," is so far removed from my reality that I am drawing heavily from outside sources, or else thinking very deeply, before committing anything to the page.
So no, in the case of my writing, the author is not a character. He is simultaneously creator and observer, a watch maker that sets things in motion and then records the details as they transpire. Hopefully my characters don't haul off and do something too offensive, but they're mostly pretty harmless.
A.C. Harrison
Like what you see here? Spread the word and support indie authors! Follow me on Facebook or Twitter. Find me on Smashwords and Kindlemojo.
I find it particularly interesting in the fact that the character who is the most right-wing is one of the main antagonists, while the primary protagonist takes a much more gray approach to his handling of life and politics, especially as he ends up being thrust into a world he was in no way prepared for, having to feel his way through at each turn.
Now, if I would say I had to relate to any one character in "Jupiter Symphony," that would certainly fall on this main character. His views are largely in line with mine, and I feel that I would react in much the same way he does if I were, God forbid, ever faced with the same challenges and moral quandaries he ultimately must tackle. That being said, is this character and my own person one and the same?
In this case, I would say no, we are not. While I drew on my personal experiences, travels, and interests to craft the character, he is only a minor offshoot of my psyche. More than that, after I create characters and set them loose in my world, I leave it up to them to make their own decisions, to hold their own beliefs, and to pursue what they feel is the best path in life. It is in this regard that I can most certainly say that Ash (the character) and I have marked differences that go beyond the superficial.
Ash is, at his core, a viewing piece into the world I created. He knows how to survive in a harsh environment, and he ends up discovering that he is a functionally smart tactician and worthy adversary in combat. Once faced with the political aftermath of the world he helped create, however, he finds himself unable to function. In effect, he is used up, and indeed has to go off to find his own war to continue his usefulness. Perhaps it is in this war, that takes place in Washington D.C., that the right-wing effect is most felt, but I am unsure in that regard.
Now, if we take the pieces of Ash and put them back into his creator (me, for those of you taking notes), we find some large gaps and discrepancies. Where Ash takes up arms and leads voraciously and actively, I observe and absorb, only guiding when necessary. Ash cannot function politically, while I can discuss the politics of modern America or feudal Japan with equal fervor. Ash can bring a crowd to its feet with a stirring and dynamic speech. I deliver concise reports to a room full of co-workers. It only ever resulted in one coup. I've actually seen the horrors of war in visiting Hiroshima. Ash only discovers these things when he is attacked by a terrible weapon, one he must ultimately decide if he himself will use.
In summation, there are many commonalities with Ash, and, as the main protagonist, he was created first, drawing the most from me as he went through his conceptual stage. Beyond that, however, he is his own individual. There are pieces of me sprinkled through all of my characters, and I suspect that, depending on my mood, I can exhibit behaviors and habits similar to any one of them. The point is that fictional characters are limited, while an author is dynamic, ever changing and growing. If this was not the case, each character would be the same, each novel staid and boring. I think a great example of this is my second book, "Unto Persephone," in which the anti-hero finds himself slowly losing his humanity, which often had me writing things I couldn't personally believe or even found repugnant.
I can already tell that I'm pushing myself as a writer when it comes to character creation, as my final novel in my trilogy, "The Long Night," is so far removed from my reality that I am drawing heavily from outside sources, or else thinking very deeply, before committing anything to the page.
So no, in the case of my writing, the author is not a character. He is simultaneously creator and observer, a watch maker that sets things in motion and then records the details as they transpire. Hopefully my characters don't haul off and do something too offensive, but they're mostly pretty harmless.
A.C. Harrison
Like what you see here? Spread the word and support indie authors! Follow me on Facebook or Twitter. Find me on Smashwords and Kindlemojo.
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