Monday, November 22, 2010

Why I Love Harry

Harry Potter of course. I thought I'd do a post in honor of movie number 7 coming out. I saw it the other day, worried they could never do the book justice, but was pleasantly surprised. But this isn't a movie review. I'm taking a page out of my blogging/twitter buddy Susan's (or Harry Potter for Writers) book and relating Harry Potter in a way that writer's can understand. Now I know people go crazy trying to dissect the success of HP and Twilight, but this isn't about that either.

It's about Character.

Plain and simple, I LOVE Harry. I love all of them really - even those with smaller parts in the story. But why? Why do I think of Harry as a real flesh and blood person? Why does my heart break for this boy who has to endure so much?

This is a question I keep coming back to, the more books I read. I realize that if I don't care about the characters - don't buy them as real - I could care less about the plot, no matter how incredible it is. So below I've listed a few things we should strive for as writers when creating our characters and I give examples using dear dear Harry.

1. The reader should be able to identify. Not an orphan raised by uncaring relatives? That's okay. I'm sure we've all felt the odd man out on occasion. Who hasn't felt like second fiddle? Who hasn't experienced loss?

2. The Character should be likable, but flawed. I know it sounds counter-intuitive. How can someone be both at the same time? Well, how many perfect people do you love? Are you perfect? Harry has a big heart which he wears on his sleeve. He's loyal to the extreme and brave (Not just anyone can pull the sword of Gryffindor out of a hat). But he's also, as Hermione puts it, got a hero complex. He doesn't want others to get hurt because of him, and he sometimes tries to shut them out because of that. He thinks he can do it on his own, but we know he can't. He's also stubborn. Think of book 7 where he refuses to agree to use the killing curse even though he's told he's being naive. Is this good or bad? Well, we see how it turns out, but there's that question in our minds.

If your character is obviously perfect, where is the character arc?

3. The Character has to suffer. My critique group will probably get on me for this one because they know I tend to torture my own characters terribly. I really put them through the wringer, so to speak. But that's what forces them to grow before our eyes. It's what makes us (the readers) grip the edge of our seats. Think of Order of the Phoenix. Harry's torturous fifth year. Dumbledore who Harry idolizes and depends on seems purposely distant through the whole thing. Delores Umbridge - need I say more? I physically cringed when Harry wrote in his own blood and stubbornly continued to do so, so she wouldn't see how much it hurt. He became more of a hero to me because I know I probably wouldn't have been able to handle that. Making sense? Why does Harry have to lose so many people he loves. So many people WE love? Because his reaction shows us who he really is, and helps drive him to accept his destiny in the end.

4. The Character must be believable. If we didn't see those smaller moments with Harry falling for Cho, or eating piles of chocolate frogs with Ron, or enjoying the twins' pranks, we might not buy that he's a real kid. No matter how epic the adventure, we have to know the person we're rooting for is human. And I don't care if you're writing about an alien, he still has to feel HUMAN. Harry has dimension. We are with him while he goofs off from homework, has to dance with a girl, and forces down Hagrid's fudge to be polite. These little details mean everything.

25 comments:

  1. Great post, great point! I love HP too, but you're absolutely right, if I can't connect with, and believe in the character, pretty much right from the get go, I won't be loving the book.

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  2. All great reminders. Some of my characters come complete with interesting character flaws, but others I have to really work at fleshing out. I'll have to remember to let HP guide me. :-)

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  3. Brilliant post, Lisa! I especially loved the point about the little things that remind us he's a regular kid. :)

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  4. Matthew - Thanks. I know they're basic points, but I thought looking at how they apply to Harry might be interesting!

    Anna - Great to see you!! I think if you're stuck using a favorite character or book as an example might be a good starting point.

    Stina - Thanks!! :D Yup, making him real is REALLY important

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  5. Lisa, you're so right. I love it when I read a book and the emotions of the character linger in my mind. That's when I truly appreciate the hard work of the author. I'm a sap, and it's all about emotions for me.

    And don't worry, us (we?) in your critique group know you're torturing your wonderful characters for a reason. It makes us love your books even more!

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  6. Julie - Yeah, character is always number one with me! Now off to work on world building... :D

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  7. Great job of breaking down why we love Harry. Oh, we should all be able to inject such humanity into our characters. This is a good reminder that a great plot alone can't carry a story--it's the characters who do that for us!

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  8. Suzanne - thanks! That's precisely my point. :D

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  9. Fantastic post and spot on! It is all about character. I don't know why people think these phenomenal books are such a mystery because it's that simple! You're absolutely right, as always. ;-)

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  10. Heather - thanks. Of course the other stuff has to be good too, but I'm going with Character as numero uno.

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  11. I think getting others to care is hard because we already care

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  12. Bekah - so true! It's hard to see from a different perspective. That's another reason having critique partners is a great thing.

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  13. I just watched it last night and thought it was marvelous. Yes book to movie translation is hard because so much is cut out or lost somewhere in the transition.

    I love when you can relate to a character, feel their emotions and just really connect with them. It makes you go back for more every time.:D

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  14. Lisa -- wonderful analysis! And thanks for the shout-out to my blog.

    You're so right that characterization is the #1 thing that made Harry Potter such a phenomenon. I think #2&3 are world building and mystery plotting thru the series.

    I loved your last line on the importance of the detail. JKR excels at this. The Dark Lord's definitely in the detail! :-)

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  15. Great post! I'll remember that while I'm working on my own characters. I love Harry, too, although I think I love Snape even more.

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  16. Susan - Thanks! I appreciate that, because I know you've really thought it through and studied it. I like that quote: "The Dark Lord's definitely in the detail!"

    Shelli - Snape is very cool. He's one of those tragic characters and he has so much depth to him. Don't know if I love him MORE than Harry though!!

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  17. I agree. I love Rowling's characters. They are all likeable, even the bad guys! And it's wise to carry that wisdom to our own work. Thanks for tweeting it.

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  18. Laura - thanks! So glad you saw that and stopped by. :D

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  19. I adore Harry and company. Every character in the series resonates with their own unmistakeable truth. JK Rowiing created a brilliant Everyman in Harry, that kids identify with. My own children have grown up with Harry. Now when I see a whole new generation in my classroom reaching for THE SORCERER'S STONE, I get a tear in my eye because I know they are starting off on the adventure of a lifetime.

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  20. Leslie - that gets me all choked up!! Thanks for the wonderful comment.

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  21. That balance of likeability and flaws...so hard!
    This was a great post. I could talk about Harry Potter all day.
    :)

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  22. Lydia - thanks! I loved your post a while back on the legitimate medical research JKR did. It was really interesting.

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  23. I LOVE this breakdown - and they are all key elements. Making sure we keep them at the forefront of our minds while creating (and re-creating) our characters is the trick. :)

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  24. Susan - Thanks! The more we recognize these elements in others work, the better we'll be able to call them to the forefront for our own.

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