characters

Bad guys and good guys have a lot in common. And who is who may just depend on your point of view in a given situation. So as I reach the middle of my book and one of my main characters has undergone a terrible event, she’s left with questions about being the bad guy and being the good guy and what makes a person one or the other. She’s not quite sure what she is.

A number of authors are raising money for autism research. What are they selling? You get to become a character in an upcoming novel. Participating authors include Lee Child, Louis de Bernières, Christine Feehan, Ken Follett, Toby Litt, Elizabeth Moon, Jodi Picoult, and many others.

NPR just started a new blog dedicated to discussing fictional characters. "Among the things I'm looking forward to about In Character are the debates we're sure to have about whether a particular character is really important. It'll also be interesting to hear about different interpretations of the same figure. Can't wait to hear yours."

Abebooks has taken a survey to find out who we think is the scariest literary character of them all. Big Brother from Orwell's 1984 gets first place, which isn't too shocking, really. I was surprised to see that Bill Sykes from Oliver Twist made the top ten, though. A few authors chime in with some extras. Are they missing anyone do you think?

Sal Paradise from Jack Kerouac's On the Road makes #1 according to this blogger. Also showing up are Dora the Explorer, Lemuel Gulliver, and the original crew of the Starship Enterprise. See the post for the rest of the list and commentary. Who are they missing?

Socially unacceptable, yes, but smoking humanizes fictional characters. Memorable smoking moments in literature. For those who enjoy a drag…