Would you and your main character get along?
(This question was asked about my novella Fearless, the first in the series of Dark Tales from Innsmouth).
The main character in Fearless is Dr Ellie Green. Ellie is a professor of English Literature at Innsmouth University and she doesn’t take bullshit from anyone. She is one of those individuals we describe as someone who ‘doesn’t tolerate fools.’ This usually means that the person is rude to people and condescending.
And, whilst Ellie isn’t technically rude to anyone in Fearless, I don’t think she’d put up with my shenanigans. I’m the sort of person who will change his name during Zoom meetings, usually to something highly inappropriate. I have comedic backgrounds for Teams meetings that either promote my books or suggest I’m reclining on a nude each. I display signs on the bookshelves behind me with pithy observations such as ‘I don’t want to be in this meeting’ or ‘crying inside.’
And I’m fairly confident Ellie wouldn’t tolerate my bullshit. I have friends and colleagues who teach English Literature and I know the subject requires a level of authority and discipline that demonstrates far more professionalism than I have ever mustered.
This is not to suggest that I don’t like Ellie: I love her. I love the way she approaches the issues in Fearless and I’m currently thrilled that I’m getting to write about her again in the fourth book in the Innsmouth series. She seems a little more forthright in this title than she was previously, but that’s just adding to her charm.
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