The Active Hero and Thoughts on POV

In my last post I put a spotlight on the character Corwin of Amber and talked a bit about how he's a great active hero. After writing that post, I felt an urge to reread the Amber books. Some books just get better every time you read them. This morning I came across a passage from the first book in the series, Nine Princes in Amber, that ties into that post very well.

Corwin and his brother Bleys are discussing their family and each sibling's respective claim to the recently vacant throne of Amber. Bleys says to Corwin:

"I wish Benedict were here. I wish Gerard had not sold out."

Corwin responds:

"Wishes, wishes. Wish in one hand and do something with the other, and squeeze them both and see which one comes true."

This struck me as being very applicable to writing. Every character has wishes and things that they want. Their desires are what make them who they are. But a story happens when a character does something about it.

Right before the above conversation Corwin was in a position where he had just gotten back his memory and was able to use a certain magic to go anywhere he wanted. He knew that he brother Eric was trying to find him and kill him. He could easily have reacted to that danger by hiding in Shadow until he was safe. But Corwin doesn't use the magic to run away. Instead, he uses it to take himself to the city of Amber its self, Eric's stronghold. While there he fights a sword duel with Eric and tries to kill him. Only when the situation is beyond hope and Corwin is about to be captured does he retreat. But he doesn't let his defeat stop him. Immediately after this conversation Corwin raises a freaking army of 100,000 soldiers to attack Amber.

That, my friends, is an active hero.

I'm glad I've taken this opportunity to study Corwin, because I think a strong, active POV/Main character like him is extremely important. But it's also something I've really been struggling with.

My WIP has multiple "main characters" though there's one in particular that drives the plot forward. Kamose is a forceful personality with strong desires and he goes to some very extreme lengths to see his goals accomplished during the story. However, he is not my POV character.

My POV character is his friend and close companion, Setekhpenre. Setekh basically gets taken along for the ride as Kamose carries out his plans. Uh oh. Did you hear the warning bells going off in your head? Gets taken along for the ride. Yeah, talk about a passive character.Now, Setekh isn't always passive. He's very involved in eventually rectifying the destruction that Kamose unleashes, but I can't escape the fact that in the beginning he's pretty darn boring. And I don't know what to do about it.

Some might say, just make Kamose the POV character. But I don't want to do that because I don't want his voice telling the story. Kamose is... a bit crazy and his perspective isn't the one I want readers to see through. Setekh's role in the conclusion of the story is important and he's the one who will be able to illuminate the themes I want the story to explore. So how do I make him more interesting in the beginning? How do I make him more active but still a good foil for Kamose?

The answer is probably in what I mentioned before. Our characters' desires make them who they are and give them the goals that drive them forward. So what does Setekh want? What drives him forward? I'm note really sure. This is something I'm going to need to spend some time thinking on. I think I need to get to know Setekh better. Time for a week of character exploration.

In addition this week I'll be participating in the Power of Tension blogfest hosted by Cally Jackson Writes and Rachel Morgan Writes. This cool blogfest give us 5 whole days to post a snippet of writing that showcases  strong use of tension. My post probably won't be until Friday, the final day, because I am a procrastinator of epic proportions. Still, be looking for that. I'll have a scene from my WIP to post.

Character Spotlight: Corwin of Amber

Before the A to Z Challenge, I intended to do a series of posts on an occasional basis about various characters from my reading that struck a particular chord with me or helped me learn something about storytelling. In honor of the birth of my son on March 30th, I'm going to pick up that series with a post about Corwin of Amber, whom we named the baby after. (Yes, really.)

*The following post may contain spoilers.*

Corwin is the main character and hero of the first five books in the Amber Chronicles series by Roger Zelazny. These books are some of my favorite fantasy novels though my enjoyment of them is nothing compared to the deep and somewhat disturbing love my husband bears for Zelazny in general and Amber in particular. During a lifetime of critically acclaimed writing, Corwin is certainly one of Zelazny's greatest creations. Here's a quick summary for those unfamiliar with the series:

The  world of Amber is a sort of focal point of reality. Amber is the one true world and from it are cast  shadow worlds, including earth, of every conceivable kind. Amber is ruled by Oberon, but before the story begins Oberon has disappeared and his children (9 sons and 4 daughters) have begun to fight over his throne. Corwin has a strong claim to the throne, being the oldest legitimate son of Oberon that actually wants it, but his older (illegitimate) brother Eric conspired to banish Corwin to shadow earth with a bad case of amnesia. When the story starts Corwin has woken up in a health clinic where he is being kept sedated with no memory. Corwin escapes, makes contact with some of his family, and eventually gets back to Amber where he's able to regain his memory. Then he begins the long struggle to remove Eric from the throne. Along the way he uncovers a sinister plot against Amber its self which ultimately leads to a battle with Amber's polar opposite, the Courts of Chaos.

What makes Corwin such a great character?

Corwin is, in my opinion, the consummate hero. He is not pure, but he is good. He is not morally ambiguous, but he is flawed. He is brave, but a bit reckless. He is intelligent, but still makes mistakes. He has a strong, confident voice, but can still be self deprecating at times. He spends much of the series trying to win the throne of Amber for himself, but when it's clear that the existence of Amber is in danger he is willing to sacrifice himself for his beloved home. And in the end he does not take the throne.

What can writers learn from Corwin? 

Corwin is a man of action, a hero who never sits back to let things happen to him. The only idle time that Corwin spends in all 5 books is the period when he is imprisoned by his brother. But even then, as soon as a method of escape presents its self he does not hesitate before jumping at it. At all other times he is moving, making plans, fighting for the things he wants. And likewise, our main characters need to be active. A character who waits for things to happen to them instead of taking action is less sympathetic and harder to get invested in.

Furthermore, Corwin is a character who totally owns all of his actions. Not everything he does is nice or right, and he takes responsibility for everything that he does, good or bad. He doesn't make excuses for himself. He freely admits that he hates his brother Eric and that his quest for the throne is somewhat selfish. At the same time, throughout his quest he is growing and changing as a result of his experiences and the new knowledge he gains. In a genre recently awash with morally ambiguous characters and authors who think "conflicted" means "complex", Corwin is a breath of fresh air. He is a hero we can root for without a qualm.