Recently, I received an e-mail from a reader commenting on the quirky pig herder my hero crosses paths with in the opening scene of Nelson in Command (Jan 07), the second book in my McKade Brothers series--in stores now.
I love goofy characters--probably because I come from a long line of oddball family members--a seventy-year-old aunt who showed up at a family graduation barbecue in a bikini top and shorts, and too many others to mention here.
The reason I use quirky characters in my books is because they're believable. Every one of us knows or has met an "oddball" at one time or another. We come in contact with these kinds of people every day of our lives, so why shouldn’t our characters?
The antics of quirky characters provide a bit of humorous relief that lends the story a light-hearted feel, even when there are more serious issues at stake. Putting the hero or heroine in situations where they're out of their element and forced to interact with individuals they would normally never encounter helps demonstrate their true character. Achieving the balance between deep emotional concerns and cheerfulness isn't always easy, but something I strive for in my writing.
If you love zany, weird, funny, ridiculous…tell us about a quirky character from a book you've read recently.
Happy Reading!
Marin
Check out Marin's Quirky "Rooster Contest" http://www.marinthomas.com
4 comments:
I loved the pig herder. Maybe because I grew up in SW Indiana and had family in the diary farm business. And my brother-in-law worked briefly on a pig farm. So I can safely say I might have met a pig herder, very similar to the pig herder in Nelson in Command. *gg*
Cindy
Years ago I went up to Oshkosh, WI with a high-school girlfriend to her relative's farm. They had a bunch of pigs and that was my first introduction to the smells, the sounds, and the pig fights in the pens. We had a blast that weekend chasing those curly tails around--then again, I'm easily amused. lol!!
Glad you enjoyed the pig herder in Nelson in Command :-)
Marin,
I think we have the same aunt. Mine was married five times and thought she was still in her twenties, or at least she acted that way. Lots of colorful oddballs on my family tree too. And do they show up in my books? Of course not! Not.
Linda, you mean you never write about your relatives? LOL!! Me neither :-)
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