Which Candidate is the Best Character?

 For those of you who enjoy the political process, or just those of you who live within the borders of Florida and have seen an endless stream of campaign commercials on your television over the past week, you know that today is the Florida presidential primary.  The four men who are still contenders for the Republican nomination are hoping for votes from the panhandle down to Miami Beach.

Politicians are featured in all of my novels, as I find their egos and their grandstanding to be fascinating and they make for great literary characters.  So, here is my question for today.  If you could select one of the four men on the Florida ballot to use as a character in your next book, who would it be?

Will you choose former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who seems to be the favored candidate although no one seems too excited about it?  He's got that clean cut, conservative appeal that makes him a stately patriarch for a family.

How about Newt Gingrich?  His critics argue that you are never really sure what is going to come out of his mouth next, and that could make for some great moments in a novel!  And, of course there is the marital history that is simply a literary goldmine.

Another option is Rick Santorum.  He is calm and consistent.  You probably aren't going to dig up a bunch of dirt on this guy, so perhaps he would make a good straight man next to some of your more wild characters.

And, of course, there's Representative Ron Paul.  If he ever showed at the clubhouse in one of my novels, I'm sure that some of the regulars would love to sit around and rail against the government with him!

So, who's your pick?  I'm not asking for the one who would get your vote; I just want to know which one offers the most writing inspiration!

James Ross
Author of Lifetime Loser, Finish Line, Tuey's Course, Opur's Blade, and Pabby's Score
jamesross@authorjamesross.com
Website: http://www.authorjamesross.com/
Publisher Websites: http://www.xlibris.com/ and http://www.nightengalepress.com/
Blog: http://www.authorjamesross.blogspot.com/
Purchase: http://golftwitt.com/46ey

The Meaning of Names: Football Edition

Tomorrow, there will be two football games played to determine who gets to participate in Superbowl XLVI in Indianapolis on February 5.  Even though golf is my game of choice, I love all sports and often incorporate athletics into my books.  Thinking about the teams who will be involved in these two matches, I had some thoughts about the "what's in a name" concept and how these four organizations can tap into their own personality traits based on their team nickname.

The 49ers -- The name conjures up images of the Wild West, of rugged men who took to an unknown part of our land in hopes of striking it rich.  They don't use the traditional playbook because they are looking for new ways to win, and they will elbow the opposition out of the way to end up with the spoils at the end of the day.

The Giants -- Men on this team are expected to stand above the rest.  Whether 5' 7" or 6' 3", they just somehow appear larger than most with their bravado and their talent.  I picture large human shadows covering the field when these guys run out of the locker room. 

The Patriots -- These guys stand for something.  They are looking to establish a team that is stronger, braver, and smarter than the rest.  And, apparently, if they look to their head coach as an example, they are fighting for the freedom to cut of the bottom halves of the sleeves on every sweatshirt they own.

The Ravens -- Despite the fact that this team is led by a defensive player who allegedly attacked someone with a knife, their name actually is one that makes me think of quiet introspection.  They are named for a poet who looked deep into the human psyche and forced his readers to confront terror.  So, maybe the guy with the knife is fitting after all!

Don't worry.  I won't watch the games tomorrow analyzing the teams, but it is interesting to think about the meaning of names. 

What is the meaning behind the name of your favorite sports team?  What images does this create for you?

Great Characters on the Screen

I have written several blog posts recently about what makes for an interesting character.  One of my favorite parts of crafting a novel is coming up with men and women who evoke a strong reaction from the readers.  This can be both a sense of pulling for a character to succeed and cheering when he triumphs over life's greatest battles, or rooting against a person who displays despicable behavior and embodies some of the worst stereotypes he hold in our society.  Either reaction means I have done my job!

Today I want to step outside the world of literature.  Whether or not we want to admit it, many of us have thought about what it would be like to have the characters in our books brought to life on the large or small screen.  So, I want to know -- who is a character either on TV or in the movies that has made a lasting impression on you?  Who have you absolutely loved or loathed?  Who made you think, "I wish I had come up with that guy"? 

How about Gordon Gekko from the 1980s classic movie Wall Street?  Just try putting a poster of him in front of the Occupy protesters!  More than twenty yearse after the film was made, he represents everything they despise, and he does it brilliantly. 

What about Barney from How I Met Your Mother?  He's a character who on the surface seems to be nothing but a womanizer, but also reveals himself to be a dedicated friend with a soft side.  I like when different layers of a character are exposed seamlessly and work together to make the person more "real." 

Or, there's Olivia Benson from Law and Order: SVU.  We slowly learn of her troubled childhood and the emotional walls she must create now in order to do her job, and I try to take the same approach with my characters.  Revealing parts of the character a little at a time keeps the reader engaged and replicates our experiences with people we know, as we slowly build relationships in our own lives.

Now it's your turn.  Share with us a character who you think is particularly well crafted and why!

James Ross
Author of Lifetime Loser, Finish Line, Tuey's Course, Opur's Blade, and Pabby's Score
jamesross@authorjamesross.com
Website: http://www.authorjamesross.com/
Publisher Websites: http://www.xlibris.com/ and http://www.nightengalepress.com/  
Blog: http://www.authorjamesross.blogspot.com/
Purchase: http://golftwitt.com/46ey  

Marion "Mayor for Life" Barry Will Have His Story Told on HBO

Those who have read any of my books know that political corruption is a theme that is recurring through all of my work.  I am frustrated with the abuse of power that is so prevalent in our country and the fact that these actions often come with little or no consequences for the perpetrator.  I recently read an article about a famous politician with a background so controversial that he would make a great character for my next book if he wasn't already an actual person.

D.C. Council Member and former Mayor Marion Barry is preparing for reelection in Ward 8 of his city, where he remains immensely popular despite his temporary fall from power back in 1990 when he was videotaped smoking crack cocaine as part of a FBI sting.  "The b***h set me up" instantly became a part of the nation's popular culture and still probably remains the most quoted statements by a politician in recent history.

For those who may be too young to remember the incident or whose memories have faded, Spike Lee is looking to change all that with a movie about Barry for HBO starring Eddie Murphy titled "The Nine Lives of Marion Barry."  It will be interesting to see how Lee portrays Barry on screen, as he is both revered and reviled, depending on who you ask.

Whatever you may think of the man, it's difficult to argue against the fact that his story will make for fascinating television.  He returned from national disgrace and serving time to prison to once again hold a place of prominence in his hometown's politics.  Maybe Blagojevich will be allowed to watch from prison and take some notes! 

James Ross
Author of Lifetime Loser, Finish Line, Tuey's Course, Opur's Blade, and Pabby's Score
jamesross@authorjamesross.com
Website: http://www.authorjamesross.com/
Publisher Websites: http://www.xlibris.com/  and http://www.nightengalepress.com/
Blog: http://www.authorjamesross.blogspot.com/
Purchase: http://golftwitt.com/46ey