PRP
Blog Feb. 2016
Letting
Go of a Beloved Character
Writing a series is a pleasure and a pain. When I
wrote HARMONICA JOE’S RELUCTANT BRIDE, I had no intention of writing a sequel,
much less, an entire series, but that’s exactly what happened. I wrote about
the wild young boy, Banjo, who raised himself until he was 16. After he saved
Lola Wilding’s wife and began to help Joe on the ranch, Joe’s father, Ben
Wilding, saw Banjo’s worth and adopted him. Of course, a bunch of adventures
and children have happened since then. Banjo has become a grandfather and so has
Joe. Ben has passed on to the other side while Wilding grandchildren have grown
into adults. The generations are moving on into the 1950’s.
While I find writing about the Wildings and other
people in the fictional town of Hazard, Wyoming is great fun for me, there are
some hard things, and some sad things. There are some dilemmas and there are
challenges to remember things. What color are the eyes and hair of each of my
characters? Who is related to whom? The worst dilemma of all is when is it time
to bring about the death of a character that has grown old? I mentioned that
Ben had died, saying only that he was buried alongside some of the family’s
beloved pets. He is positioned high on a hill above the soothing still waters
of a pond. But what about Joe and Lola Wilding? What shall I do when Banjo and
Maggie Wilding reach the end of their time?
I never actually wrote that Joe and Lola had passed
on. I couldn’t bear to write about that. In The BEAST OF HAZARD, a short story for
the Halloween anthology, I had the two of them on a long deserved trip. And
then I did not say another word about them. I let them quietly slip from the
pages of the Wilding stories.
And then there’s Banjo Wilding, the wise but tough
half Lakota who was introduced at the beginning of the series and still remains
along with the love of his life and the mother of his three boys, Maggie. The
boys have grown into men now. Sam has married and so has Hank. Hank’s story,
HOME FOR THE HEART, is waiting for edits at present. I’m currently writing
about his twin, Kit in IT’S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE. Of course, Kyle Red Sky who is a
cousin of the Wilding clan will get his story, too. But Banjo is a character
that has become like my own family. I can’t let him go. I can’t even allow him
to fade away. I have no one to take his place, to offer wisdom and comfort. Are
the cousins going to have to manage to care for each other on their own now?
I keep a notebook of the Wilding family tree and
special notes about each character, their gestures, looks, desires and dreams,
I don’t have a notebook that says when it’s time to let go of a beloved
character. It’s painful this letting go. For me, the most difficult part of
writing a series is letting go of a character and trying to figure out how to
let them go. I can’t allow Banjo to just slip away in silence. Banjo is 62 years
old in 1956 where I am presently in the Wildings series. He has been in every Wilding story since the very beginning. He even had his very own love story in FOR LOVE OF BANJO, my second Wilding book. I only have one
more story in the 1950’s before I begin writing about the next generation of
Wildings. I know the time is coming soon when I will have to find a way to say
goodbye to Banjo. Honestly, I think it
will be the most sorrowful thing I ever write.
Have any of you written a series or read a series
where a main character died? What was the most significant part of letting a
character go for you? How would you do it? Have you read the death of a main
character that meant a great deal to you or left an impression on you that
lasted a long time? I’m open to your ideas and suggestions.
I could face that with St. Louis in the Oregon series. He is a favorite of a lot of readers, was never a hero as such. I figured I could let him get really old though ;). It would be harder with a hero and heroine but if a writer stays with a series long enough, it does have to happen. Just letting go of names like Banjo and Harmonica for the joy of writing them would have to be tough.
ReplyDeleteIt is, Rain. I stopped mentioning Harmonica Joe and Lola after I put them on a vacation in The Beast of Hazard. I let them fade away. Banjo is now in his 70's and his time is coming. He is such a profound part of the stories. I don't know if I want to give him a funeral, a death scene, or maybe have a character visit his grave or just say something like "I wish he was still with us to help me with this problem." Maybe it's more traumatic for me than for any readers. I'm going to miss him so much. Thank you for commenting Rain.
DeleteHi Sarah! I admire anyone who can pull together a series, especially if it hasn't been outlined ahead of time. Yes, details that are hard to keep track of would be a challenge as well as the basic characters themselves. On the other hand, I hate saying good-bye to my characters and have often thought I should work them into a sequel. You have inspired me :-)
ReplyDeleteOh Gail, I think you should give a series a try. Of course you'll end up in my situation with a character I've come to love too much to let go. LOL I suppose if you limited the series to a trilogy, you wouldn't have to figure out what to do in the event that a character is getting too old to carry on.
DeleteThanks so much for coming by and commenting.
Oh Sarah, it's just like losing a part of ourselvees. Even when Doyle tried to kill his character, his readers just wouldn't let it happen. I don't know that I could do it, but I'm early in a series of stories of Agate Gulch. May Banjo continue to be vital into the century mark. Doris McCraw
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, Doris. Doyle had Moriarty and Sherlock go over a cliff to their deaths--but later, brought back Sherlock. He just stopped writing about Sherlock.
DeleteWhat's the name of your series, Doris?
I could have another character become the patriarch full of wisdom and common sense advice. It wouldn't be the same though.
Thank you so much for visiting my blog and commenting, Doris.
Make him a ghost who visits the next generation leaving little tidbits of sage advice. what's the old saying, "times change people don't." We could all use a little bit of help from the other side now and again.
ReplyDeleteThat's an idea, Barb. Or I could have him come in dreams sometimes with sage advice. His sons really know what their dad would say, they just might need reminding. They could also comfort themselves with things like :Dad used to say..." Thanks Barb. I'll give this some thought.
DeleteI appreciate you coming and sharing your idea with me.
I think we remember Banjo more because of his name. A unique name for a unique character.
ReplyDeleteNo, I've never let anyone die. When the offspring grow up, they might get their own story, but I cannot let the older ones die...they just disappear?
I have written novels or short stories about an offspring that was not included in the series. Maybe that's a mistake, because a series--in my opinion--always sells best.
I also don't like to write into the 20th Century. I did with Texas Dreamer, and it confused more than one reader. It begins in 1915 in Houston--big oil--where there are cable cars, and the city is so big there are 80 cars in the city!!!! Then we move west to the ranch, where people live as their ancestors did..no cable cars or any kinds of cars-- out there. So,a couple of younger female readers found it confusing because...they knew nothing of this way of life in Texas. Even when I explained to one, she still didn't get why Houston could have elevators in multi-story buildings, and ranches farther west couldn't have indoor plumbing. Sigh.
Some of this confusion is more about the lack of historical knowledge on the part of your readers than about your writing. The Wildings, including Banjo, have already crossed over into the 20th century. I remember my dad talking about how it was living in a world (1920's) with people riding horses and automobiles. When Banjo left the ranch in Wyoming to look for his father in NYC, he too, made that transition.
DeleteBut now I'm faced with losing Banjo. To write how he or Maggie died, or when, or go into the details of their loss would probably bother me more than the readers. Perhaps I should just begin writing stories without him and refer to him in the past tense. Maybe his boys could visit his grave and have a talk once in a while. It never occurred to me that I would write these stories without Banjo and Maggie, or Joe and Lola.
I read Texas Dreamer...a great story, and I was not confused. My grandparents didn't have indoor bathrooms for a while. My paternal grandfather never had one, but my maternal grandmother, who was married to a plumber on her second marriage, did make the transition.
Thank you for your experience and advice, Celia. I know I can always count on you for some insight.
I've generally avoided the death of a main character. In some ways, I like to believe that they live forever because in that other world where stories reside, I think they do.
ReplyDeleteKristy, I love the way you said this. As I have begun to read what you and others have to say, I am becoming convinced that a fade away is the best way to go. The characters can always remember him and even quote him as the series moves further into the future.
DeleteThank you so much for your input, Kristy.
Hmmm...good question, Sarah. I have not written a series such as your Wildings so I've never had to face having one of my characters die. I do remember, in Rosemary Rogers's series (Sweet Savage Love was the first in the series--I think there were 3 of those with Steve and Ginny) she wrote about their granddaughter in a later book, not really part of that series, and brought Steve and Ginny into the story in cameo appearances, showing they'd aged, but letting them remember certain things that had happened in the past in the series--which I thought was a really clever way of tying that book about their granddaughter to the original stories. We never saw them die, but through their memories and "But that was so long ago..." kind of comments, we knew they'd aged.
ReplyDeleteAll this is food for thought, for sure!
Well I have a little time left with Banjo, Cheryl. I'm writing his son, Kit's story right now. Banjo's cousin, Kyle, is facing the death of his father, Teekonka, as well. You have Hank Wilding's story on your desk. Banjo played a very important role in that one. But after Kit and Kyle, it will be time for me to let go. Although the elders are fading from the series, their kids and even grandkids are going to remember them once in a while. I'm getting some great ideas here from those who have answered the question I posed.
DeleteIt's difficult to leave some of my characters, but I'm determined to do it in some meaningful way without becoming too morbid or sad.
Thank you so much for coming and offering some advice, Cheryl. It's always appreciated.