MY WRITING DNA
Posted on July 29, 2018
Two of my beta readers were discussing my use of talking weapons in my work, and it got me thinking about what elements I lean on in my writing time and time again. What features of my writing emerge in every creative outing?
It struck me that every author has a creative DNA, storytelling markers that are evident in almost all of their works. Basically our creative output has similar traits embedded in them, hallmarks that unite a writer's work in terms of character archetypes and plot elements. I wondered what my markers would be, so I went all introspective and came up with this character list. I'll explore my tried-and-true plot elements in another post.
Characters
The Square Peg Archetype: My protagonists are introverts, always geeky or nerdy. They don't quite fit in, often because they remove themselves from experiencing life. They exist on the social fringe and are content to observe from afar rather than wade in to the mess that is everyday life. This archetype comes easy for me as its a mirror held up to my own experiences. I invest a little of my self-doubt in each of my characters. In the Graham the Gargoyle series, the young gargoyle must overcome his fear of flying and later go beyond the confines of his village into the larger world. He doesn't do this alone. He finds his cast of friends expands as his world opens up to him. The shy gargoyle begins to appreciate needing others to help him along. Even his nemesis, Blord, eventually wiggles his way into the young gargoyle's life and concerns in a supportive fashion. All of my leads are a variation on this. I do feel I bring a creative nuance to each permutation of this archetype.
The Bully Archetype: This one is also greatly informed by my own experiences. I have had a handful of bullies assail me in my teenage years and each left some scars. Working with the bully motif helps me to understand what forces shaped my own path and demeanor. The brute in The Powers That Flee is based heavily on a bully from my high school days. The various villains in the Irving Wishbutton series creates a rotating assault of imposing lugs for Irving to manage and tame. One, Sir Gared, winds up redeeming himself through his author's fickleness. Having the bullies reform themselves is something that happens a lot in my works. Blord becomes a steadfast friend by the third series in the Graham the Gargoyle series and Mitch Trick from Tagalong also evolves to become a better person as well.
The Exasperating But Supportive Sibling or Cousin Archetype: The importance of family as a support system is prevalent in my work. I think this one has been inspired by my own journey to becoming a strong father to my own children. Our family stresses always being there for each other, and I weave this into my projects by showing the same care with how the characters interact with their families. Graham finds his sister, Flenn, a tad exhausting in her enthusiasm for learning and sharing her knowledge, but he appreciates her gifts and affection. It helps that her knowledge of volcanoes and local flora and fauna winds up helping him to avoid perils in his first two books. Gideon Thump from Here Is Where I . . . Wield a Really Big Sword learns to live with his visiting cousin, eventually bringing her into his strange and magical world as a vital part of his team. Ghost Coast has Reece Narrows butting heads with his outspoken cousin Laney. In the end, they learn to lean on each other.
The Gruff, Authoritative Father Archetype: My rocky relationship with my own dad in my teens and twenties is to blame for how often I till this fertile narrative soil. We do much better together now, but during that time I felt misunderstood and lashed out at him more than I tried to understand his role in my life. Thankfully, there are no signs of that strained relationship in my bond with my own son. Believe me, I feared I'd become his personal ogre, but so far that's not the case. The Graham series has this archetype in spades. It does bring Graham closer to his father in the end. The father in The Powers That Flee is a pretty strong parallel to my own experiences. It's a straight rendition of the persecution I heaped on myself and blamed unfairly on my dad . . . if you take away the super powers.
The Obtainable, Girl-Next-Door Archetype: I blame my crush on Lea Thompson for this. I've never felt totally assured around girls, especially during the emotional roller coaster that is puberty. I was fortunate and found and married my girl next door, but that hasn't stopped me from tinkering with this archetype over and over again. Sarya, from the Irving Wishbutton series, is probably the most large-and-in-charge version of this archetype. Sweet and with a hidden strength, this fairy gets Irving's heart racing. My two rom-com novels written using the pen name D. Spangler also delve into this archetype.
The Talking Tools of Destruction Archetype: The Curse Hammer in Tagalong, the sword Irving relies on in his third book, and Knarl's wife cursed to live in a battle axe from the second Irving book are all examples of how often I use fast-talking, street-savvy weaponry in my tales. Gideon Thump also has a rather sarcastic sword in Here Is Where I . . . Wield a Really Big Sword. Bring On the Magic is a variation on this motif as well. in that instance, the tool of destruction is an untrustworthy spellbook.
The Steadfast Best Friend Archetype: The friend who follows the hero down every rabbit hole is a motif I love to exploit. Ot is perhaps my most obvious example. This little troll is always there for his gargoyle friend in the Graham the Gargoyle series. The Star-Trek-obsessed Craig in The Powers That Flee is another who brings on the support in spades.
Each of these archetypes has been heavily explored by other authors, but my own experiences have informed my renditions and allowed me to create authentic characters that the readers can invest in.
Now my challenge to my writer friends is to post their explorations of their own character archetypes. I'd love to see what they share.