Eccentric Characters: What I Learned from Elaine

This was one of my favorite older blog posts that I had a lot of fun writing because it deals with one of my favorite parts of a story -- crafting eccentric characters.  Yep, I kept the comments too, but I'd love any new input! 

I caught a Seinfeld episode the other day and that explains the title. The gang was at a party where they didn't know anyone and neither Jerry or Elaine were thrilled to be there. The two had a signal of tapping their head to get the other to rescue them from a conversation, but it never worked. So, "poor" Elaine was sitting on the couch while a woman talked and talked in a nasal voice with the phrase "my fiancée" liberally sprinkled throughout. Finally, the quiet Elaine looks at the woman and says in a thick Australian accent, "maybe the dingo ate your baby."   (Click here for the YouTube video of this scene.)

I'm still cracking up, even though I've seen this episode many times. The woman says, "what?" and Elaine repeats her famous line. The woman gives Elaine the "you're crazy" look and walks off. Elaine gives a self satisfied smirk. Mission accomplished.

Now, two things interest me about this. Obviously, I'm amazed at the nerve, but when I think about it, I want to break down what makes this scene so great. How did she pull it off? What could I learn for creating my own outrageous character?

First, there is NO APOLOGY. In no way does Elaine regret her words. She doesn't clasp her hand over her mouth in a "did I say that out loud?" moment. She doesn't run to Jerry and say, "you won't believe what I just did." Nope. What she does is smirk. It was a purposeful tactic. Premeditated, with the eye on the result.

Now, we've all wished to say something like this or at least thought of something outrageous to get us out of a conversation, but it's not likely it would actually happen. Like most people, we suffer through party chatter and nod politely. If, by some stretch of the imagination, the words escaped, there would have to be an excuse.  What kind of excuse would you come up with?  Maybe alcohol loosened inhibitions. Maybe it was "the last straw" kind of thing. (This one gives Elaine a possible excuse, but her fuse was very short!) Or maybe it was as simple as accepting a bet to do something outrageous.

But for a truly outrageous character, this is over thinking. This is giving the character something he/she doesn't have; the embarrassment gene.

Second, there are NO WITNESSES. Elaine did not do this to impress her friends. The only participants were herself and the annoying woman. Okay, granted, the audience - US! - were the witnesses, but her character did what she did for her own amusement. And just as she didn't tell Jerry out of embarrassment, she didn't tell Jerry to brag.

A truly outrageous character follows his/her own agenda.

I'm going to keep these two things in mind for creating outrageous characters. There is something so liberating about writing a character who seems to be lacking the embarrassment gene. And besides, I've always been a little jealous that my son seems to be missing this gene!  Somehow, I get to be the one to face the consequences and that's really not fair.  So I need to create those characters to act on my behalf.

And while I think my hero or heroine might need more reasons/excuses for blurting out "the dingo ate your baby," I'll always aim for a secondary character that can get away with it. I can't say I understand them, but maybe the key is not to over think their motives and jump to the end result. Ask simply if they would do what they do with no apology and no witnesses except the reader.

Do you write outrageous characters? Who are they performing for?

Secondary Characters: The Sidekick

I love secondary characters. The more the merrier. Family, friends, acquaintances. Anonymous crowds and mysterious strangers. Ah hem. This tendency, especially in a romance, can definitely get me in trouble. To state the obvious, the relationship between the hero and heroine is the central concern. Too many distractions, including secondary characters, will dilute the emotional connection the reader feels with the love story. Understanding this, I still find I have many secondary characters. There is no escape. I imagine even if I put the hero and heroine on a deserted island there would be people in their memories and dreams. Instead of trying to avoid secondary characters, I let come who may but try to look at the role they play to enhance the hero or heroine.

For me, the secondary characters seem to initially appear like paper characters in a pop-up book. They are exactly that, cardboard figures whose purpose is known but they're not fully fleshed out. Eventually, I know I need them for tasks large and small. Especially the sidekick. I can't imagine not having one for either my hero or heroine or both.

I think of a sidekick in dueling terms; the hero's second. A true friend. Faithful and loyal, the second has the hero's back. Or the heroine's. Heroines need seconds too. The sidekick might also be comic relief; a needed contrast to a brooding hero. The sidekick can also shine a light on the hero or heroine. Friendship says a lot. It means validation. The hero or heroine must be a true friend to have a true friend. And the love interest of the hero or heroine might need to prove to the sidekick how worthy he or she is of the hero or heroine. This makes for an excellent source of conflict. The sidekick's opinion says a lot that the hero or heroine's own introspection and dialogue might not accomplish.

In my current WIP, I find the sister of the hero a helpful sidekick. Who knows the hero better than his sister? He's the big brother who slayed dragons for her. By showing her belief that the heroine is worthy of her brother's love, I hope it gives a boost to the heroine.

Beyond the characterization, she really come in handy for the plot. Heroine needs to be broken out of a mental hospital? Bring in the sidekick. Need a computer expert? Bring in the sidekick. Yes, she's a useful character to have around! When I delve deeper, the sidekick has a huge purpose.

So does your hero or heroine have a sidekick?

P.S.  Announcements coming up!  Not one but two!