“Name your favourite all time fictional character”
I’ll guarantee you something else as well - the same old names will crop up time after time. Sherlock Holmes, Mr Darcy, Elizabeth Bennett, Heathcliff, Miss Havisham, James Bond, Harry Potter, Rebecca, Rebus, Rupert Campbell-Black, Hermione Granger ... they’re coming from all walks of life, and some are already a couple of centuries old, so you can say they’ve stood the test of time.*
One thing they all have in common though is their ability to be larger than life. Pick anyone of the above, and think about it. Isn’t Hermione cleverer than the cleverest girl you went to school with? Heathcliff could brood for an Olympic gold medal as for Campbell-Black, no woman between the age of eighteen to eighty is safe from him (and I get the feeling he’d make an exception outside those age ranges if the gel was pretty enough).
Conan-Doyle, Ms Austen, Dickens et al obviously aren’t available for interviews and I rather doubt even in my wildest dreams (it involves an elevator and power failure) either Jilly Cooper or J K Rowling would ever consent to being interviewed by little old me.
Nil Desperado - or something like that - when author Stephen Spencer dropped by for a chat, I lulled him into a false sense of security before springing the biggie: How do you create such realistic characters? If you’ve read any of his books, you’ll know immediately what I’m talking about. Like so many talented artists, he considers the answer to be simple. Stephen also modestly gives all credit to another author, whose advice he seized. Now in his own words, Stephen Spencer is “paying it forward”. So if you’ve ever wondered why some fictional characters manage to take on a life of their own, long after their creators have written “The End” click Author! Author! and you’ll find an exclusive interview with Stephen.
*In case your favourite character isn’t listed, instead of muttering under your breath about it, you can always tweet me @Tinksaid, or add a comment.