Complex Characters (or where I fangirl George RR Martin)

I've decided my favorite characters--heroes or villains--are the ones that I'm not really sure about.

In the last few months, I read all five of the books in George R. R. Martin's series A Song of Fire and Ice. One of the main plotlines revolves around The Game of Thrones because 15-20 years before the book opens, there's a rebellion, the former ruling family is overthrown and most of them killed off, and the leader of the rebellion makes himself king. Only he was a better solider than he is a king.

I could say I devoted a lot of sleepless nights to the several thousand pages in the series so far because I love the worldbuilding. (I do, it's the closest thing to Middle Earth I've ever read). I could say it's because I love the fact that no one is safe that I know GRRM won't pull any punches. (Sometimes, I don't love that, though.) Or I could say that I love the twists, the gasp inducing scenes that always convince me I have to read just one more chapter. (There are some big ones).

But really, it's the complexity and moral ambiguity of all the characters. Because for each character, everything happening in the books relates to that rebellion, to what happened to them in their past. They remember events differently and their actions are based on those memories. When I first started reading book one I was convinced who the good and bad guys where, only when I got to book two and started reading from some of those "bad" guys' points of view, I realized they weren't all that bad. In fact, in some instances, my opinion was completely turned on its head.

There are other great examples of really complex morally ambiguous characters that I've loved. When I was reading Harry Potter my opinion of Snape and whether he was good or bad changed with each book. And it took me most of The Hunger Games to figure Haymitch out. And that's why I found them so interesting.

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Liz Norris briefly taught high school English and history before trading the southern California beaches and sunshine for Manhattan's recent snowpocalyptic winter. She harbors dangerous addictions to guacamole, red velvet cupcakes, sushi, and Argo Tea, fortunately not all together. Her first novel, UNRAVELING (Balzer+Bray April 2012), features a 17 year old girl who mysteriously comes back to life after dying in a car crash. She sets out to avenge her father’s murder, solve the case he was working on, and stop the rapidly approaching apocalypse. And unravel the mystery of the boy responsible for bringing her back to life.

Heroic qualities

I can't say I have a favorite hero. I hate picking favorites! It makes me feel so guilty. Instead, I will tell you about the qualities of my favorite type of hero.

Smartsiness: They don't have to be a brain surgeon, but I do like to imagine the character possesses a brain. My ideal hero doesn't forget things when it's convenient for the plot, or struggle with simple plot problems because it makes their head overheat. My ideal hero is reasonably clever.

Common sense: Similar to smartsiness, but different. This is the character who decides not to go into the basement during a midnight thunderstorm because they heard a noise. This is the character who takes warnings into account and knows that if the sky is cloudy it might rain.

Wit: I love characters with a sharp sense of humor. This is hard to pull off, because humor is so subjective, but yeah, I like it when they're funny.

Strength: To do what is right, even when it hurts. Especially when it hurts.
Wisdom: To know what is right. To consider other people's feelings. To make difficult choices. To step up to a challenge when no one else will. To question things others won't.

Good heart: For me, this is a must. It doesn't have to be obvious -- even darker anti-heroes can have good hearts -- but it must be there. It must inform their choices, their sense of duty, and give them honor.

This may seem like a pretty strict set of requirements for my ideal hero, but it's really not. There's room for all kinds of characters with all kinds of personalities. It's unreasonable to expect a character to have all that all the time. It leaves no room for growth if they're already perfect, and character growth is one of the things that makes characters fascinating. I love watching a hero develop the strength and confidence to take on the world. I love watching their wisdom expand, their wit evolve.

Flaws make characters interesting. They make characters relatable because who here is perfect? (You with your hand up -- do you fart rainbows? YES??!?? There's medication for that. Seek help now.)

What about you? What quality do you admire most in a hero?

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Jodi Meadows is the author of INCARNATE, book one of the Newsoul Trilogy. (January 31, 2012 - HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books.)

She lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, with her husband, a Kippy*, and an alarming number of ferrets. She is a confessed book addict, and has wanted to be a writer ever since she decided against becoming an astronaut. You can find her on her website and blog.

*A Kippy is a cat.

The Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic Hero

Considering I'm deeply immersed in Dystopian August, a whole month on my blog dedicated to spotlighting past, present and future dystopian and post-apocalyptic lit (and featuring interviews with many of us Brave New Worders), I have been thinking a lot about what makes a good hero in these types of novels.

Let's make a list, shall we?

1. Questions the status quo
This is especially important in a restrictive dystopian society.  Our heroes want to know why writing by hand is forbidden (MATCHED by Ally Condie), why everyone uses forgetting clinics (MEMENTO NORA by Angie Smibert) and why love needs to be eradicated (DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver).

2. Sacrifices self for a loved one
Like Katniss volunteering to fight THE HUNGER GAMES in Prim's place, our heroes have a higher calling than mere self preservation.

3. Good at finding food
The post apocalypse is all about finding food and of course our heroes share their bounty with others, whether it's a rare can of pears (THE ELEVENTH PLAGUE by Jeff Hirsch), a forgotten can of cherries (ENCLAVE by Ann Aguirre) or a whole underground bunker (THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy).

4. Can run really fast
Especially helpful for surviving zombie-induced apocalypses or the monsters of the glade (THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner).

5. Takes the time to get involved in a love triangle
Because dystopias are not only about freeing society and post-apocalypses are not only about survival, they are also about becoming a person who can love and be loved.  And the reader needs a "team" to root for, don't they?  #teampeeta

What would you add to the list?

Lenore Appelhans is the author of LEVEL TWO (Simon & Schuster BFYR/Fall 2012), an dystopian afterlife thriller.  Visit her blog and/or follow her on twitter.

The Antihero

I know what you're thinking...Emily loved talking about villains so much, she thought she could get away with it for her heroes post too. ;P

Tempting as that is, I really did have every intention of having a nice down-home discussion about heroes today. Except then I got thinking about the main character in my book and I had to ask myself...is Camden Pike really a hero? If a character can barely save himself, let alone anyone else, can he still be a hero? When does he become an antihero?

The jury is still out for Cam (hey, I'm not done editing--anything could happen). But I love the idea of a boy (or girl) balancing on the edge of good and evil. They're dastardly, selfish, and immoral (Scarlett O'Hara from GONE WITH THE WIND), but somehow you find yourself rooting for them because there's just enough honest love, ambition, or sympathy to their characters, you often can't help yourself (Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, or *swoon* Alex Krycek from The X-Files).

Of course, antiheroes don't have to be awful people. Sometimes they simply exist in a world where they have very little control over what happens to them. They may feel helpless, and doing little or nothing to help themselves or others seems like the path of least resistance. Just as with villains, heroes and antiheroes are often best when they're most complicated.

So who are your favorite antiheroes and why?

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Emily Hainsworth is the author of THROUGH TO YOU, (Fall 2012 Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins), a sci-fi novel about a boy grieving for his dead girlfriend until he discovers she's still alive in a parallel reality--one where he's the one who died. For more information, visit her website.

What Do Heroes Mean to You?

The stories I tend to love best are those that center around a good hero journey. I think the widespread Harry Potter love of the past decade shows that this story structure continues to be powerful and meaningful to us both as individuals and as a society. Fascinating, because the hero journey is as old as the first literature we have access, and now, thousands of years later, it's still such a powerful storytelling paradigm.

These especially were meaningful to me as a kid: Luke Skywalker, Willow, and John Conner from Terminator (especially T2).

Outline of the classic hero journey structure:

• Destiny chooses a young child who grows up NOT knowing they are special.
• When the hero reaches a certain age, circumstances bring this slowly to their awareness, and they get to chose to answer the call to be a hero or not.
• Often they reject this call for awhile (ex. whiny Luke Skywalker),
• but eventually the hero comes around,
• faces tremendous and impossible trials,
• and saves the world (or the galaxy!)

What hero stories have been meaningful to or left a lasting impression on you? Why do you think we continue to find this a meaningful story?

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Heather Anastasiu is the author of GLITCH (St. Martin's Press/Spring 2012) Glitch in three words: Dystopia, Superpowers, & Love :) Check out my website for more info, news, and updates.