What Would Your Characters Do?
Terry Odell
In my last post, I talked about some of the mishaps on our recent European trip, and how a writer might use them. “Only Trouble Is Interesting.”
What do your characters do when things don’t go the way they want them to? You don’t need to be writing about travel. Stuff happens anywhere and anytime.
Take our neighborhood. We live in a rural area, in a housing development established back in the 70s. It was designed for weekend getaways. Time marched on, and more and more people decided this was a great place to live. Now, almost everyone lives here all the time, which puts a strain on the water system. Pipes from the 70s are wearing out, developing leaks. Cutting to the chase, there was a major leak that drained the entire system. We have people in charge of this, and they haul water as needed, but between how much water was needed, and the freezing temperatures and snow, we had no water for about five days. The loss showed up late on Christmas afternoon, and I feel for the people who were left with the aftermath of a Christmas dinner and no way to wash the dishes.
Most of us take it for granted that when we turn a tap, water will come out. That toilets will do what they’re designed for. Take all that away, couple it with a community Facebook page, and people’s true colors are waved for all to see.
There were those who said, “This is what rural mountain life is like. The people in charge are working long hours in miserable weather searching for the leak. They will find it, and all this will pass.
In a show of community, nearby RV parks, even though closed for the winter, opened up their showers. Places like Walmart donated cases of water.
Was this enough for some? There were those who demanded minute-by-minute updates. Wanted immediate solutions. “Threatened” to put their homes up for sale. (Good riddance, IMHO). Ranted and raved about how nobody was doing their jobs (they’re all volunteers, btw) and they should be replaced. These were probably the people who made no efforts to conserve water year round, I’ll bet.
Image by César Mota from Pixabay
Other colors were waved when one company’s trash pickup didn’t happen on schedule because of extreme weather (the first time they’ve missed since we moved here 13 years ago), posted their fury and immediately changed trash companies.
Regensburg
An example from our recent cruise. Because of a lot of recent rain and snowmelt, the Danube waters rose to the point that the riverboats couldn’t get under the bridges, even though they had wheelhouses that could be lowered to some extent. The authorities closed the river.
(You can click on the images to enlarge them)
Our ship couldn’t get to its next stop. A sister ship was coming the other direction and faced the same problem. Our cruise director—who probably had very little sleep for several days—and the other ship’s crew coordinated a swap. All our passengers would be bussed to the sister ship, and vice versa.
Yes, it was an inconvenience. We had to pack, but the cruise line took care of transporting our luggage. We got to our scheduled cities, but it required longer bus rides. The ships were in canals now, not in the Danube proper.
I’m glad to say that most of the passengers accepted this as something nobody could have predicted, and praised the crews of both ships for their efficient handling of the unexpected swap.
Historische Wurstküche
The cruise line did offer compensation. They gave us vouchers for lunch at a landmark restaurant. The next day, as we disembarked for the buses to the Nuremburg Christmas Market, they gave everyone thirty euros in cash. And, they refunded everyone the equivalent of 25% of one day’s travel, which was realistically about the only time we lost.
Yet there were some passengers who thought the cruise line should have known about the river rising and should have refunded everyone’s money for the entire trip.
Melk Abbey Courtyard
And then there are the rule breakers. We toured the Melk Abbey, and taking pictures inside was prohibited. Yet there were two people in our group who felt that this rule didn’t apply to them, because … they were photographers with expensive cameras? The guide was very polite, and said, “Please, no photography” but did nothing to stop them. Part of me thought she should have demanded their memory cards (or taken their cameras until the end of the tour), but she let it go.
What about your characters—or people you know—TKZers? Can you use the way they respond to “times of trouble” or “rules” in your stories? What about how other characters react to them? Have you already done so? Have you read books where this was handled well? Or not?
And two more things, totally unrelated to this post. Character naming caveats. Don’t name a character Al. I’ve read two books recently with this name, and my brain insists on reading it as AI, as in Artificial Intelligence. Depending on the font, the reader might not be able to tell the difference. At least if that reader is me.
And don’t give your male character a last name that’s a female name if you’re going to refer to him by last name. If you call Bob Patricia ‘Patricia”, you’re likely to give your reader the hiccups until they adjust. At least if that reader is me.
How can he solve crimes if he’s not allowed to investigate?
Gordon Hepler, Mapleton’s Chief of Police, has his hands full. A murder, followed by several assaults. Are they related to the expansion of the community center? Or could it be the upcoming election? Gordon and mayor wannabe Nelson Manning have never seen eye to eye. Gordon’s frustrations build as the crimes cover numerous jurisdictions, effectively tying his hands.
Available for preorder now.
Terry Odell is an award-winning author of Mystery and Romantic Suspense, although she prefers to think of them all as “Mysteries with Relationships.”
Rules/laws – the difference is enforcement.
I’m surprised they weren’t escorted off the premises when they took pictures – many admission tickets state penalties. To do nothing makes the rule-observant visitors look foolish.
Maybe they’ve had fewer visitors due to the pandemic, and have been instructed not to offend them.
But it looks like the bold rule-breakers get pictures they want. Hmmm. One of my characters firmly believes it’s easier (and more reasonable) to seek forgiveness than ask permission.
Always a judgment call.
I’ve had characters with that same outlook, Alicia, but I don’t think I’ve ever had one be as rude as these photographers were. I’m wondering if they’re going to display their pictures–or even sell them.
Terry, great examples of how people show their true colors.
The cruise line showed imagination and initiative by coming up with the solution of swapping ships. Too bad some passengers didn’t recognize that. The ones quickest to criticize never seem to offer solutions to solve the problem.
Given the nature of Nature, I believe the cruise lines have dealt with this kind of situation before. But coordinating everything last-minute must have been a nightmare behind the scenes. We passengers never saw it, which is a testament to their professionalism.
Crazy about that couple who was taking pictures in a no-picture area. I’ve also read “Artificial Intelligence” when a character’s name is Al.
Agreed, Priscilla. If I were the tour guide, they’d have been out on their (r)ears. Of course, I don’t know what the company policy was, so maybe I’d have been the one thrown out for offending paying customers.
And I read that entire book and NEVER read the name as “Al” first. Had to readjust every single time.
I’m selling short on Alfred, Albert, Aloycius, and even Alcibiades as baby names, whether M or F, in order to spare all concerned the ignominy of his/her being confused with “AI.”
This is perhaps worse than being named “Norman Bates,” who endured a youth of being introduced with his family as “Mr. and Mrs. Bates, little Miss Bates and little Master [long pause]. . . Normie.” O, the horror! Small wonder he went bad.
Thanks for the smiles, JG. Have a great day.
I needed that his morning, JG!
Your neighborhood story of the “out in the country summer home became year round housing” and all that goes with it, reminded me of Times Beach, MO. Don’t look for it on a map. It isn’t there any more.
The St. Louis Times newspaper (it isn’t around any more either) offered summer cottages on the banks of the Meramac River. They were cheap, even back in the day. Over time, they became year round homes. Homes built for pre-air conditioning St. Louis summers, not St. Louis winters. It is 12 today. The warmest it has been in a week.
Times Beach flooded in the spring. People froze in the winter. The roads were gravel. That last one is what killed Times Beach.
Oil was sprayed on the gravel roads to keep the dust down. One year the oil sprayed was waste oil from Monsanto. It was full of dioxin. Times Beach is now known as Route 66 State Park.
Wow. Alan (won’t ever call you Al). Thanks for sharing. There’s a lot of water property that’s not there anymore because people have the “If I CAN build it, I will” attitude, ignoring the reality of high water. When we were touring, there were a lot of homeowners dealing with high water.
Even the dioxin has fled Times Beach. The culprit who sprayed the contaminated oil on the roads was named Bliss. For several years, you could see bumper stickers in the area that read: “Ignorance is Bliss.”
Great perspective, Terry, on characters’ character. I agree. The ones most likely to criticize are the ones least likely to help in solving the problem.
I can’t think of any good examples of characters emoting vs. solving problems. I’m more intrigued with those river boats not being able to get under the bridges when the river is high. That would seem to be a seasonal problem. Why don’t they build drawbridges? Or taller bridges?
I hope you can use those two photographers in one of your books, taking pictures and missing the obvious danger seen by everyone else.
I hope your water problem is fixed quickly. Have a great day!
The wheelhouses are designed to raise and lower–to a degree. Rebuilding all those bridges would be cost prohibitive, I’m sure, when weighed against a short time of inconvenience.
What’s that old saying? “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.”
What was fascinating to me were (was?) the locks they have along the river. There was one amazingly high one we passed through, and the crew announced that we might want to go topside and watch the process. I did. And I took pictures, of course. Video would have been better, but it would have been long, and probably boring.
This post hit on my biggest pet peeve, though that sounds tame for what I feel. At the volcano in Hawaii, there was a barrier with signs warning people to stay outside. Of course there were two people near us who decided the Park Service was being overly cautious. They believed that right up until the soles of their shoes melted and stuck them where they strayed. I’d have left them (and what does that say about me) but the NPS got them out. One of them had the audacity to ask, “What about my shoes?” The stuck and melted shoes were more effective than the warning signs. Those photographers should have been fined and their pictures destroyed. Their getting away with it only makes them do it again..
We have traveled the world and have had many experiences out of the ordinary. Those are the ones we remember, the ones we laugh through, the ones that show us what we’re made of. I may include characters who are entitled jerks, but only to show how full of integrity my main characters are.
Thanks for sharing that, Becky. I think of the lives lost because people didn’t obey (or think) signs at zoos and other animal exhibits. A kid dangled his feet over rail over a crocodile/alligator exhibit and lost his balance. What was his father thinking? Or the people who think animals are “cute” and want to pet them. People, I worked for the Zoological Society of Florida and those animals are wild. WILD. “Don’t feed them” or “Stay behind the line” are there for a reason.
Having to switch ships in mid-voyage sounds like an adventure. It’s certainly an experience most river cruisers haven’t had and one you’ll always remember.
How rude for those people to continue to take pictures after being told it was against the rules. The guide should have escorted them out of the building.
I can’t remember having a “rule-breaker” as a character, but that’s a great idea.
I don’t know how many of those complainers even considered the cruise company saying, “Sorry, we can’t finish the trip.” Even with refunds, it was about visiting the destinations, and if we had to ride a bus for a while, so be it.
I think a ‘rule breaker’ (as opposed to a ‘law breaker’) would make a great secondary character. Give your protagonist a chance to react, and reveal their own character.
Those are two telling examples of human. behavior, Terry, both good and bad. This last week’s arctic blast knocked out power for many here in the Portland metro area, and patience was a true asset.
Funny you should mention the name Al, I have a character in my second mystery, Albert Greene, but he goes by “Bert.” Whew!
My hero, Meg Booker, is a rule-follower who has to break a few rules as a cozy sleuth. All part of the fun 🙂
If people know they’re breaking the rules, it can reveal a lot of their own character. Do they feel guilty? Entitled? Do they get caught? How do they react? Justify their actions?
I know the two photographers I mentioned felt no guilt. They were just more discreet after being called out.
I think the attitude is “Hey. I paid for my ticket. Get stuffed.”
Any retail worker can tell you.
I spent a lot of time behind the counter of an auto parts store. This guy calls up, he wants a set of shocks for an Alfa Romeo Spyder and I say “You’re sure it’s a Spyder?” he says “of course.” two hours later he shows up driving an Alfa Romeo sedan. “Is this the car you wanted the shocks for?” “Yes.”
Me. “It’s not a Spyder. They won’t fit.” “But you said”
“No, I didn’t. A Spyder is a two door convertible. You’re driving a four door sedan. I’m sorry you made the trip and I can order them.”
Then the guy says, in all seriousness, “I want you to pay me for my time coming all the way here from Rutherford.”
I pointed to the door and used a line I’d heard somewhere: “Oh your way rejoicing, brother.”
This was in 1974. They’re still here.
Hope your water problem is fixed soon, Terry. Not expecting any sympathy here, but both our condo pools were out of service at the same time — one had a filter problem and on the other the heater didn’t work. Most people understood and swam in the ocean. Others raised holy hell. Why? the staff was working as fast as they could.
Self-centered much, Elaine.
I fear there will be water issues to some degree for some time to come. Homes built in the 70s and 80s have pipes that have outlived their lifespans, some of them twice over. There will be another uproar as they discover that they might be responsible for the water “used” by their house when their pipes leaked, and also for repairing/replacing them. The Water District’s responsibilities stop at the point the pipe shifts to the house line.
Great topic and examples, Terry.
Sadly, humans often show their true characters in times of stress. And so should our characters. There’re too many “rules don’t apply” people in this world, IMO.
I agree with you about rule ignorers, Sue. Thanks for stopping by.
My dad’s unspoken motto was “It’s not an inconvenience, it’s an adventure.”
Some of my adventures have been pretty dang unpleasant, but I push through because of the way I was raised.
All my main characters just handle the crap because I can’t stand writing them if they whine.
There’s really not much else you can do but deal. Too bad others think that yelling or complaining will solve the problem. And yes, I feel sorry for those who work the service desks. I’d last about forty-three seconds on that kind of a job.
Great examples, Terry. Just went through a hard freeze here. I’m on a well for water. The pump froze. No water. First time that happened years ago I panicked; I knew nothing about how this worked. Called the well people, along with I’m sure a ton of others. They were so busy they didn’t get back to me until things had thawed. I heard tales of the things some people had said to them, particularly those in a certain area, from nasty to downright threatening, demanding they get there immediately and fix it, at 2AM. They thanked me for not being one of them, and told me what to do if it happened again.
This time I grabbed the space heater and extension cord and hauled it up to the well house and plugged it in. Waited ten minutes and heard water running. Got through four days until the weather shifted yesterday and things went back to normal. I felt pretty pleased with myself for having learned something. And sorry for the people just doing their jobs who had to put up with abuse because of other’s ignorance and sense of entitlement. And I’ll bet not one of them felt bad afterward. I’ve written a few of those people into books, because it’s true, how you react to the relatively minor problems tells so much.
Learning how to deal with things is part of being a grownup, I think.
We moved from Florida to 9100 feet in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Prior to that, my only experiences with snow were on ski trips at UCLA.
Learning how to drive on the LA freeway system doesn’t prepare you for driving on snow and ice.
I so enjoyed reading this article and the following comments. It resonated on so many fronts. The locks were the best and most exciting part of a canal cruise on a long boat in the UK. What sheer engineering genius in devising them to let the boats make way. Of course, back then I was strong enough to work them. Now I’d end up docked.
Rule breakers: Parochial school taught us not to break the rules; but more importantly, if you did…DON’T GET CAUGHT. A lot of my stories are based on people breaking rules, or at least skating close to the line, but I hadn’t even thought too much about it. I love gutsy rule-breakers, but with many caveats. The rules should be archaic, meaningless or the need to break them, a preservation of some sort.
I LOVED the melted shoes story. OHHH justice! But it is too bad that a lot of people who flaunt the rules that benefit the welfare of others do not have enough consequence. Karma will have to sweep up that mess.
Thanks, Susan and glad you enjoyed my thoughts. Karma. One can only hope.
That’s the great thing about fictional characters: they can serve as proxies for us. For instance, on seeing the two photographers breaking the rules, my journalist/sleuth Brenda Contay might contrive some way for the expensive cameras to end up in a vat of battery acid. I see the shutterbugs jumping up and down, outraged. Brenda shrugs and says, “It’s an abbey, why don’t you pray for them?”
Oh, I’ve done things to my characters I wouldn’t have the nerve to do to “real” people. (Not that my characters aren’t real.)
Thanks for having Brenda take care of my two rule breakers.