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Diane Whiteside | In Love With A Wandering Man
June 22, 2010
Here I am, on a cruise ship sailing across the Atlantic without a bit of land
anywhere in sight. That pretty much describes exactly where I was when I
started to plot THE DEVIL
SHE KNOWS - adrift without anywhere to place my hero. Usually we think of a hero - or heroine - as being firmly planted in a single
place. Where would Arthur be without Camelot? D’Arcy must have his Pemberly in
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE,
right? How could Harry Dresden live anywhere but Chicago in Jim Butcher’s THE
DRESDEN FILES? I, for one, refuse to imagine Sookie Stackhouse living
anywhere but Louisiana. Now put yourself in my shoes. I knew THE DEVIL SHE KNOWS was
going to be about Gareth Lowell. After all, he told me at the end of THE IRISH DEVIL that I had
to write a book about him. I just nodded and said, yeah, right, mister, you’re
maybe eighteen years old, you’ve got some growing up to do before you’ve got
enough angst to be interesting… Boy, was I wrong! Gareth reminded me he was still waiting during three more books. He only kept
his mouth shut during KISSES
LIKE A DEVIL because that one takes place after he’s married. (And I had no
idea how he and Portia had pulled it off. Very frustrating.) So there I was, completely determined to finally write Gareth’s story - but I
had absolutely, positively no idea of where his home was. None. Not a clue in
the world. Okay, I did know he came from Kentucky but how much did that mean in the wild,
wild West? Men crossed the Mississippi, never to see their birthplace again,
all the time. And this fellow sure did have a passion for traveling. THE IRISH DEVIL finds
him in 1871 Arizona. 1872 catches him in Omaha during the spring for THE RIVER DEVIL, Colorado
for the summer in THE NORTHERN
DEVIL. Whenever I thought about the state of transportation back then, my
admiration for his ability to get around grew and grew. But why on earth is he so determined not to stay in one place? Why is he
avoiding Kentucky? Where would he be happy to make a home? I pondered long and hard. Perhaps Gareth is like Aragorn, fighting battles to make other men safe while
enduring the pain of a deathless, unfulfilled love? Aragorn travels widely as a
Ranger and knows the hobbits’ Shire, the Riders’ Rohan, and the elves’ Lórien. The climactic battle should take place somewhere wonderful and memorable. Well,
maybe I don’t have a glamorous Minas Tirith up my sleeve but perhaps exotic
Constantinople might work. After all, two continents come together there,
Alexander’s heirs fought over it, the Roman emperors built fortifications which
stands to this day, Vikings guarded the Byzantine emperors, and Ottomans created
some of the most exquisite food - and bloodthirsty treachery! - amid its
twisting streets. Hmm... To finish THE DEVIL SHE
KNOWS, all I needed was a place for Gareth to call home. Perhaps golden
Santa Barbara And, of course, figure out what the heck problems lie inside Gareth’s heart
which keep him from falling in love with Portia! So tell me, do you like heroes who identify strongly with a single place? Or do
you prefer one who travels from town to town?
Comments
14 comments posted.
Re: Diane Whiteside | In Love With A Wandering Man
A traveler is more mysterious, but I like to know where a guy hangs his hat. Where there are roots to anchor, I'm more inclined to become attached myself since the setting plays more of an important role and is almost a character itself.
(Alyson Widen 12:59pm June 22, 2010)
I really don't have a preference. It depends on the story and his overall background that help to tell why he stays put or travels.
(Leni Kaye 2:11pm June 22, 2010)
Traveler, they are kind of mysterious and surprise you with their knowlege of different places!
(JoAnn White 2:57pm June 22, 2010)
Alyson - As an author, I like the way
you think! Travelers are very
mysterious but I do tend to handle
setting as another character.
Yay, Leni! You make me feel so much
better. It does all seem to come down
to motivate, motivate, motivate as to
what will work for a hero, doesn't it?
Jo - Ooh, sometimes travelers just do
tall, dark and sexy the best because
they're so mysterious. Yum.
(Diane Whiteside 4:49pm June 22, 2010)
At one time I would have preferred a someone who stayed in one place, but now I think a person who travels makes a storyline much more interesting and exciting. There's much more to tell about their life. They experience more in their life as well, as they travel from place to place.
(Peggy Roberson 4:49pm June 22, 2010)
My hero would have to be a little bit of both..a traveler as well as someone who settles in one place. While he is trying to find himself, I would want him to wander a bit, but once he figures out who he is, I think I want him firmly planted.
(Robin McKay 5:53pm June 22, 2010)
I could go happily with either. I love a steady man but a drifter, as it were, intriguing.
(Mary Preston 6:24pm June 22, 2010)
It really doesnt matter to me. As long as he is a good guy, strong character and if he is a drifter, the love of a good woman will change him. LOL.
(Pat Lieberman 6:37pm June 22, 2010)
A hero can trsvel, but it is nice to know where he calls home. But don't make the whole story about locations and no plot. I like to finish a book one I start it and I suffered through a recent one. The author spent so much time describing the background that there was very little plot. I had read over 100 pages before there seemed to be any action. I was relieved when I finally finished the book.
(Gladys Paradowski 8:39pm June 22, 2010)
It truly depends on the hero. With
some, their identity is tied to a place,
as in your examples. With others,
their personalities and sense of
purpose is so strong they are bigger
than a place. No matter where they
find themselves, they will take over
and do what needs to be done. Either
one works, it all depends on the story
and the character.
(Patricia Barraclough 8:40pm June 22, 2010)
Peggy - That's a very interesting
advantage to a traveler! Gareth
certainly supplied more resilience to
meet Portia's needs, thanks to his
travels, than he would have had if he'd
spent all his life in Kentucky.
Robin - Ah, that's a nice bit of wisdom
and one Gareth certainly agrees with!
Mary - IMHO being courted by a drifter
is more interesting but marriage to a
steady man is more relaxing. Usually.
Pat - Oh yes, he really does need to be
a good man more than anything else,
doesn't he?
Gladys - For a writer, balancing action
and description is always hard. And
we must, must always keep the
emotion coming! Thank you for
reminding me.
Patricia - I agree that both work.
Maybe it's because his setting builds
one type of hero's purpose, while
another type of hero is so strong in
himself that he doesn't need a specific
location. Who knows? Sometimes I
think readers just gravitate to one type
of hero or another; or maybe we seek
different types out at different stages
in our own lives.
But they are both satisfying.
(Diane Whiteside 9:18pm June 22, 2010)
Gareth certainly knows his own mind. It would be fun to match wits with a man so stubborn.
(Rosemary Krejsa 9:43pm June 22, 2010)
I would have to say that I would find a wandering man interesting but would only want to attach myself for happiness sake to a more stable man!
(Brenda Rupp 10:20pm June 22, 2010)
I don't think I would want a hero that travels, I like a man who is dependable, stable and always close.
(Diane Sadler 11:36pm June 22, 2010)
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