Last month plot development was discussed which I believe is essential to any mystery. If the story is not going anywhere, then the reader will put the book down. Besides, who wants to read a mystery without a “hook?”

Next to plot, one’s characters should be real—not action figures or heroes. The reader should identify with the main character, typically the protagonist, even if there are certain personality traits that are unsavory. For example, in High Rise and Symbiosis, Detective Mike Calvert is “rough around the edges.” He exemplifies a “B-cop,” one who learned about hardcore folks on the streets of Austin. Mike’s not a Harvard graduate, didn’t graduate first in his class, but comes from a family of cops. He meets up with Kim Barker, the antithesis of who he is and that’s what makes this book intriguing. One can rightfully ask the question, how does a blue-collar cop meet up with an ivy-league, intelligent biomedical engineer? And furthermore, why do they fall in love—what in the world do they see in each other? In order for the characters to be real, they have to have flaws—in Mike’s case, his drinking and cursing. He changes halfway through the book; he becomes softer and more sensitive from being with Kim. That’s what makes the characters believable. At the same time Mike is becoming more socially attuned, Kim undergoes the opposite transformation and becomes a cop—she and her father (with Mike’s help) track down the maniacal ex-surgeon, who wants to take head shots at CEOs of Managed Care companies. Besides the fast-paced plot, the characters should move the story along. Back story is important to understand what makes your characters click. In third-person omniscient, the storyteller has the responsibility to the reader to get inside the character’s heads. Tell us about their childhood, why they think the way they do—reticent, impulsive, impudent, etc. Your characters should be two-dimensional; they should undergo change in response to horrific events if one’s writing an action thriller.

In Symbiosis, Mike returns from his retirement to rejoin his partner, Frank Murphy, to apprehend a serial killer. The deranged assassin eludes the APD, FBI, and state law enforcement officials and Mike and Frank reunite to catch the killer. Their partnership becomes a paradox—Mike, the impulsive, wisecracking cop, juxtaposed against Frank, a family man, easygoing, logical, and thought-provoking. Their relationship becomes another back story that lends an underlying dynamic to the suspense. Together, they make a terrific team, far superior to either one trying to apprehend a deranged killer. Symbiosis is not a sequel in that the storyline is different, but the main characters remain—namely Mike, Kim, and Frank. In a sense, Symbiosis is a serial in that time has elapsed and a new plot develops. Many authors will use major and minor characters in serials that continue with another case. Stuart Wood’s Stone Barrington is but one example of changing plots around a central character, typically the protagonist cop, detective, psychologist, or forensic specialist.

Attention to detail is the sine qua non of good character development. Use speech, inflections, physical, mental, and personality traits to define your characters. Be careful to pay attention to the five senses to further refine and differentiate your characters. In most cases, dialogue, without tags, can define who is talking. If there is a cussword, then most likely Mike is trying to make a point; Mike’s dialogue is choppy and tangential, because that’s how he thinks. In contrast, Kim’s dialogue is usually longer, more logical, and polysyllabic. As the two characters merge, their dialogue becomes more similar and ends up being a compromise, as often happens when two people live together. It is important, however, not to merge too much, or your characters will lose their identity and uniqueness—therefore becoming unidimensional.

Next month I will discuss character development as it pertains to the antagonist or villain. Much of the same points remain, but the villain becomes an exaggerated sense of self; he or she is the dark side in each of us, in a Jungian sense and the closer we can identify with the villain, killer, madman, etc., the scarier the plot. True fiction mirrors reality. In action thrillers, one only has to look at today’s headlines for a wealth of material.