I'm having a minor crisis with my current book - 'two fags for Gus... The Alpha Sparky'. As you can guess from the title, it involves three characters - two fags and an Alpha Male. My difficulty is with the current structure. The Alpha is seen through the eyes of the fags, but we don't actually get to know him. We learn of the 'type' the Alpha Male via conversations and internet blogs, which is backed up by actions during sex - but this is the stereotype - I give nothing of his true personality. Perhaps that is best, because the Alpha characteristics are not particularly endearing - if I try to give him more depth then I might spoil the image by making him more human, more likeable.
At one point yesterday I was considering a complete revamp. I thought that the book could be extended into a trilogy, each of the three parts told from a different perspective - the final one being from the Alpha's point of view. It would be challenging, and perhaps very messy. And I think it would be wrong.
I have this tendency to make my characters likeable - or at least to excuse them for their bad actions, like Sparky Gus cheating on his wife. I did this recently in 'Christmas at The Wild Side' - I had to justify Paddy's action. I couldn't allow him to do what he does for pure gratification at the cost to some innocent party. But Paddy has depth and it would have been inconsistent to make him act otherwise - Alpha Sparky has little depth at present and I can do what I like with him.
But what to do?
I need to take a step back and think very carefully about which direction to go in now. Do I keep my Alpha Sparky as a shallow, selfish bastard... or do I break the Alpha stereotype, and in doing so make him less of an 'Alpha' but more of a human being?
Or should I take the view: 'It's a porn book, for goodness sake, stop worrying about personality and get to some rough sex!'
Sorry - I can't do that last one. It might be porn, but it's still my work, and I wouldn't put my name to it if it lacked proper characterisation.
Jack
At one point yesterday I was considering a complete revamp. I thought that the book could be extended into a trilogy, each of the three parts told from a different perspective - the final one being from the Alpha's point of view. It would be challenging, and perhaps very messy. And I think it would be wrong.
I have this tendency to make my characters likeable - or at least to excuse them for their bad actions, like Sparky Gus cheating on his wife. I did this recently in 'Christmas at The Wild Side' - I had to justify Paddy's action. I couldn't allow him to do what he does for pure gratification at the cost to some innocent party. But Paddy has depth and it would have been inconsistent to make him act otherwise - Alpha Sparky has little depth at present and I can do what I like with him.
But what to do?
I need to take a step back and think very carefully about which direction to go in now. Do I keep my Alpha Sparky as a shallow, selfish bastard... or do I break the Alpha stereotype, and in doing so make him less of an 'Alpha' but more of a human being?
Or should I take the view: 'It's a porn book, for goodness sake, stop worrying about personality and get to some rough sex!'
Sorry - I can't do that last one. It might be porn, but it's still my work, and I wouldn't put my name to it if it lacked proper characterisation.
Jack
No comments:
Post a Comment