He’s back, only this time he’s female. I have a recurring character, and quite frankly, he is beginning to get on my goat.
Since I read this article, I’ve been constantly aware of a recurring character in most of my stories. His age changes in each story, but he’s basically the same:
At first, he’s always called Sam or Pete. Then I think of a more interesting name and change it about 500 words into the first draft. He’s miserable: he doesn’t enjoy his job and his relationship is probably bitter and riddled with problems. Either that or his girlfriend has recently left him. He is melancholy, directionless, and feeling sorry for himself. He wants to get down onto his knees into the flowerbeds and bury his face in the dirt. This is because he lives in a smoggy city and he needs to feel the countryside. He wants to stand on top of a hill and scream into the wind.
Sometimes, he’s not even a character at all. He can be a general feeling of pervasive melancholy or a whimsical sentence… but he’s always there. Sam/Pete is indulgent, repetitive, boring and irritating and he won’t go away.
In the story I began tonight (draft 1 of TMA05), the main character is a girl of my age. She is also Sam/Pete. So is the story.
On the plus side, I think the Sam/Pete Effect tends to dissipate between Draft 1 and Draft 2. Perhaps it’s just something I need to get out of my system. I’ll keep you updated.
Does anyone else have a Sam/Pete?
I recognise this recurring character in my writing who is very alientated from society, doesn’t feel like they fit in. She/he reminds me of how I felt as a kid, like I had to pretend to belong to a group. Top be honest, I’m still not very good in a group, though I’m a really good facilitator and teacher (and so modest!). Not a party animal and I don’t do small talk! Maybe my extremely isolated characters don’t give in to society and pretend – maybe that’s what I’d do if I didn’t have a husband, six children, friends and colleagues, nice neighbours, four cats and five chickens. Did I mention both goldfish? Maybe I’m over connected and I’m rebelling through my characters!
Is there a bit of freedom or expression that Sam/Pete has that you would like? Or are you attracted to/want to rescue the broody, miserable types?
Hey Rebecca,
That’s really interesting…. perhaps these recurring characters do reflect a section of yourself which you feel doesn’t have an outlet another way, i.e. you can’t isolate yourself but there is a part of you which is like that.
I think Sam/Pete is definitely a part of me: directionless and yearning for the country, with the melancholy which you can’t show publicly. I find him really annoying, too, which I always do with people who remind me of myself!