Bringing the past to life

[John Dean]

I have written before about the way that characters evolve and I am being given a striking example of that the more that I write of the latest DCI Jack Harris novel.

Main characters fall into two categories – rounded (also known as changing or dynamic) who change throughout the story, and static (flat) characters who don’t. Both can work well as techniques. For the latter, think Sherlock Holmes, in my view, the finest fictional detective ever created, but one who undergoes little personal growth in the stories and yet remains compelling.

Jack Harris is a character who has undergone change – when he appeared in Dead Hill, the first book in the series published by The Book Folks, he was a tired, washed-up and disillusioned detective more interested in walking the dogs in his beloved hills than doing his job.

Since then, he has changed into someone who is re-energised and is more prepared to reveal details about himself and his past life, even if he does usually need prompting.

The latest novel shines light on parts of his past which he has tended so far not to discuss. I knew some of the broad details, of course, but it is only through the writing process that the gaps have been filled in. That’s the fascinating and organic nature of writing, even authors are surprised by their own characters.

As I have said in previous blogs, characters are our major tools as writers. They drive narratives and reveal things to the reader, and what particularly fascinates me is the way that they assume lives of their own. The trick for the author is to make sure that the back story they reveal does not slow the ongoing story, which must always remain the number one priority.

Back story must always be relevant, rather than an exercise in nostalgia that will only turn the reader off. The key is to ensure that the reader has a sense of things yet to happen in the story rather than things that have already occurred.

You can find out more about, buy and see the 91 Amazon reviews/ratings for, Dead Hill at

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DEAD-HILL-featuring-Detective-Inspector-eb...