This is a really good post on characterization, and David Coe's process of using Secret, wall, loss, desire to develop character.
The vast majority of us have read the Harry Potter books, and Harry is a perfect example of a hero who fits this framework. In the first book, Harry’s secret is fairly obvious, and it fits in the King Arthur/Luke Skywalker model. He’s a wizard (“A thumpin’ good’un!”), but he doesn’t know it, at least not at first. In subsequent volumes, his secret changes — he’s hearing odd voices that speak of killing people, or he’s part of the Order of the Phoenix and the leader of Dumbledore’s Army, or he’s using the Half-Blood Prince’s book, or he’s helping Dumbledore look for horcruxes, or . . . well, you get the idea. The wall, though, remains the same throughout the books. Harry is THE Harry Potter, and his celebrity is both a blessing and a curse. There’s no doubt though that it sets him apart, isolates him, even from his closest friends. He has lost his parents before he even knew them (as you’ll see, this is a fairly common source of loss), and this serves not only as the loss, but also as a means of making the wall that much higher and stronger. And his loss also feeds his deepest desire, which is not only to defeat Voldemort, but also to find happiness with a real family. He enjoys hints of this with the Weasleys throughout the series, but [Spoiler Alert] it is only with the ending of the final book that he truly achieves it.
Lots more good stuff if you follow the link.
I have written more blog tour entries but am so far behind on writing and sharing them. Will post links soon!
The vast majority of us have read the Harry Potter books, and Harry is a perfect example of a hero who fits this framework. In the first book, Harry’s secret is fairly obvious, and it fits in the King Arthur/Luke Skywalker model. He’s a wizard (“A thumpin’ good’un!”), but he doesn’t know it, at least not at first. In subsequent volumes, his secret changes — he’s hearing odd voices that speak of killing people, or he’s part of the Order of the Phoenix and the leader of Dumbledore’s Army, or he’s using the Half-Blood Prince’s book, or he’s helping Dumbledore look for horcruxes, or . . . well, you get the idea. The wall, though, remains the same throughout the books. Harry is THE Harry Potter, and his celebrity is both a blessing and a curse. There’s no doubt though that it sets him apart, isolates him, even from his closest friends. He has lost his parents before he even knew them (as you’ll see, this is a fairly common source of loss), and this serves not only as the loss, but also as a means of making the wall that much higher and stronger. And his loss also feeds his deepest desire, which is not only to defeat Voldemort, but also to find happiness with a real family. He enjoys hints of this with the Weasleys throughout the series, but [Spoiler Alert] it is only with the ending of the final book that he truly achieves it.
Lots more good stuff if you follow the link.
I have written more blog tour entries but am so far behind on writing and sharing them. Will post links soon!
