Character in Characters

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Those words define what we mean by character. They are words that remind us of  the difference between a leader and a con-man. For writers like me, these words are a guide to crafting characters who inspire readers through stories. Characters with character are more important today, than ever before.

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The Hunger Games & PTSD

I just finished reading Mockingjay the final book in The Hunger Games trilogy. I could say something about how Suzanne Collins kept the story moving at breakneck speed, or how immediate a story can be when told in first person (even better in present tense). I could even complain about the graphic violence, but that complaint is only valid when it’s gratuitous. Here it wasn’t. It was just the unvarnished truth about human beings. But, I digress…

(Part 2) How writing is like practicing Jungian psychology … or …

It’s not writer’s block. Two characters are arguing in my head and I’m waiting for them to finish.

There are three characters in the scene, only two are arguing. 

How writing is like practicing Jungian psychology … or …

It’s not writer’s block. Two characters are arguing in my head and I’m waiting for them to finish.  

Why Couldn’t McGyver Be a Girl?

Female protagonists often take on one of three equally unsatisfying personalities – WonderWoman, Nerd or Clueless. Why don’t we see more girl McGyvers?

McGyver wasn’t an action hero – he was an overcomer. But he wasn’t a geek, just resourceful. And he was neither a fool, nor a brainiac. Aren’t there girls who fit the same mold?

Making a female McGyver – that’s what I tried to achieve with Sarah Sue Morgan, the protagonist in LINCOLN’S DIARY – a novel. If you’ve read it, let me know if I came close.

Earmarks of a Psychopath

One of my characters in Ripples is a psychopath. A retired CEO from a major financial services company. 

More Reader Feedback

Is it shameless self-promotion when you repeat what readers say?

Here’s what one reader said:

What a bold theme ! It takes nerve to write something like this and make readers swear it is the truth. The pace is right as is the structure. The prose is tight and the dialogues realistic.

And if that’s not enough, watch Emily’s reaction.

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Reader Reviews #1

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be on the road doing book signings and talking to readers about Lincoln’s Diary – a novel by DL Fowler. Today I’m posting videos of reviews by two readers, Richard Heller, an author, and Charity who sees herself in the story’s heroine, Sarah Sue Morgan.

Look for me as I make stops in Newberg, OR and in Folsom, Lincoln, Stockton, Fontana, Redlands, Pasadena and Bakersfield CA.  Details of the tour are on my website.

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Strange Addictions & Habits–Do They All Have to Have Meaning?

Strange Addictions & Habits–Do They All Have to Have Meaning?.

Kristen is one of my favorite bloggers. And the comments on this one are great, too.

What’s Special About Female Protagonists?

I was recently asked the following question in an interview on PaperBackSwap’s blog.  You can read the entire interview here.

In your new novel, Lincoln’s Diary, the protagonist is a female. Was it difficult for you as a man to write a book from a woman’s perspective?

Not really.

As a writer I like to show my characters’ emotions by describing how their feelings play out on their faces, in their gestures and through their actions. Women make my job easy because they tend to be quite aware of their emotions and telegraph their feelings through facial expressions, body language and movement.

Men aren’t nearly as versed as women when it comes to understanding their own emotions. As a result, they find it harder to express themselves not just verbally, but through their bodies, generally.  And when they do understand what they’re feeling, their instinct is to mask it. That makes it hard to follow the writers’ rule, “Show, don’t tell.”

That said, a main character in my next novel is a man who has focused his whole life on keeping his emotions a closely guarded secret.