Characters

I have always thought it interesting, the number of authors who state that their characters speak to them.  I have never had a character speak to me.  Perhaps I'm too much of an egoist in that all of my characters are me, at least completely in my mind.  I control them, they do not control me.  This may also be why all of my stories are in first person voice.  I have a very difficult time writing in third person, and perhaps that is why I do not let my characters speak to me.

I love the movie "Stranger than Fiction" with Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, and Will Ferrell.  I love the fact that it is narrated by someone who is controlling the story but is not a part of the story.  My intention is to write a story from this third person omniscient narrative.  And let's face it, who wouldn't want Emma Thompson narrating their life?

Another point... I just read Suzanne Brockmann's latest book "Born to Darkness."  Before I read it, I made the mistake of reading some reviews of the book.  So I was expecting to hate the book, or at least be disappointed by it.  And yet, I enjoyed it.  No, it was not anything like her other books, but it was a great story.  And for all the nay-sayers, I just want them to realize that for an author, every once in a while, you want to write something different.  To take a vast leap sideways from what you normally write.  That is the purpose of art, to stretch and grow.  Perhaps I am biased, after all, being a gay man and having a mainstream author not only include gay characters but actually go so far as to have kissing and sex between two men in the story is a true boon.  But I also enjoy her themes of heroism, strong females, strong but loving men, and some kick-ass action as well.

So... in conclusion, a character is a part of the author, reviews are just as personal and unique as the people who actually write the review, meaning that one person's "hated it" is another person's "loved it."