Leonardo “Leo” Salvatore Townsend, the protagonist in my series, is attractive (okay, he’s hot), a womanizer (particularly in Carpe Diem, Illinois and an award-winning journalist with a strong sense of justice. He also has a phobia and a fatal flaw, but he didn’t always have those imperfections.
While working on the second draft of Carpe Diem, Illinois, I realized that Leo was a cardboard cut-out character, very two-dimensional and uninteresting. The problem I had, as do many first-time novelists, was that I wanted the reader to like him as much as I did so I made him perfect. The problem with perfection is that it’s boring. Characters need flaws to be interesting, to be human.
But I struggled with finding his flaws so I tried one of the tricks writers use to understand their characters better — I interviewed him. I’m not a seasoned journalist like Leo, so my questions weren’t prepared and neither were his answers:
Leo’s Interview – January 2, 2010
K: Hi Leo, how are you today?
L: Hung over, why do you ask?
K: Well, to be honest, according to your description, how people describe you, you’re supposed to be gorgeous and right now you’re not fitting this description.
L: Gee, thanks.
K: Actually, I was concerned that you weren’t up to this interview.
L: No, I’ll be fine. Let’s just get to it.
K: How old are you?
L: 38
K: And you’re from . . .
L: I was born in a little town in Wisconsin called Endeavor. I lived there until I was old enough to leave.
K: How old was that?
L: Seventeen.
K: Why did you leave?
L: I didn’t want to end up married at 18 and raising a family on the income of a farm hand.
K: Where did you go?
L: I went to the University of Illinois in Chicago to study journalism.
K: Why journalism?
L: I love books, putting words together. I love the effect I have on people, particularly women. I know how to talk to them, to make them relax. They naturally want to open up to me. I love people. The little old homeless lady on the park bench turns out to have been a Vaudeville singer. The gangly teenager is a whiz at all things computerized. People continually surprise me. Journalism lets me intrude on people’s private lives, their secrets, while still having an air of respectability.
K: So, basically you’re a Peeping Tom?
L: (laughs) Or in my case, a Peeping Leo.
K: What do you do for fun?
L: I’m a runner and a triathlete.
Well, that was a complete surprise to me. When I told my daughters that I never knew Leo’s a triathlete, they looked at me as if I were crazy and said, “But . . . you wrote that, Mom.”
Because of this new discovery, I created an incident at a Chicago Triathlon which causes Leo’s phobia making him sympathetic, likable, and much more human. Success! And that Chicago Triathlon incident is important in the sequel, God on Mayhem Street, and is central to the third book in the series.
All because I asked Leo what he does for fun.
I’d love to hear who your favorite characters are and why (are they flawed?). Let me know!
Where you can find me:
Next Thursday! — Books & Beer, Columbus, WI, January 25, 2018, 7 p.m. I’m looking forward to another lively discussion of Carpe Diem, Illinois. This book club is open to the public — join us! If you would like me to talk to your book club, simply contact me.
Upstate Eight Literary Festival, April 6, 2018, South Elgin Illinois High School. I’m honored to be judging the short fiction category and teaching two short story workshops to young writers.
UW-Madison Writers’ Institute Pathway to Publication, April 12-15, 2018. I’ll be busy helping writers practice their pitches to agents, presenting how-to write information, and more. Writers — registration for this premier writing conference is now open!
Thank you for reading!
