Ben Westerham's Blog - Posts Tagged "books"
The Anti-Hero
There is a type of character in literature who manages to successfully fulfil what can seem at first sight a contradictory role, one which both readers and writers seem to turn to with great relish. The character of whom I speak is the anti-hero.
In this article, I’ll explore what it is about the anti-hero that appeals so strongly to both writer and reader alike, whilst also looking at the approach I take to my own example of the type, David Good, the protagonist in my private investigator series.
All definitions of the anti-hero boil down to describing a protagonist who possesses some major flaw in their make-up, such as being dishonest or violent, and who usually does good things because it is in their own self-interest rather than out of some sense of what is right and wrong.
There are, of course, plenty of well written examples to explore if you want to see just how appealing a character the anti-hero can be. I particularly like those created by Patricia Highsmith, whose Tom Ripley is a fabulous example of the type. Highsmith possessed an enviable ability to develop characters who continually blur the boundary between good and evil and do so in such a way that you can’t stop yourself from being drawn to them.
And it is this blurring of boundaries that begins to steer us towards what it is about such characters that appeals to writers and readers in equal measure. Straightforward heroes are not by definition without lasting appeal, but they can sometimes seem predictable and, frankly, even a little boring.
With the anti-hero, on the other hand, the writer has at their disposal the opportunity to develop a far more complex, less predictable and therefore more deeply engaging individual. What's more, there are times, such as in Highsmith’s books, we find ourselves actually liking such a character, even in the full knowledge that he or she does some bad, even downright unpleasant things. This can, in turn, engender a feeling of discomfort, even guilt, which draws us in even closer.
This blurring of good and bad within a character is something I look to explore with David Good in ‘Good Investigations’ and other books. I have focused on bringing this conflicting aspect of his make-up to the fore through his relationships with women. We find a man who casually, and only rarely with any sense of remorse, takes the various women in his life for granted. In fact, he frequently comes across as a sexiest git. Despite his lack of consideration, there is still an erratic flow of women who find him attractive, often to his own not inconsiderable surprise.
Whilst Good is an impressive operator when it comes to identifying what makes other people tick, he is pretty inept at understanding himself and, for one thing, fails to recognise what it is in his character that appeals to some women. Which brings us back to where we started, namely just how strong can be the appeal when we find someone with a conflicting set of characteristics.
Why not let us know who your own favourite anti-hero is and what it is about them that appeals so strongly.
For the full version of this post please see http://www.benwesterham.com/a-writers....
Get your free copy of the Ben Westerham starter library here http://www.benwesterham.com/subscribe....
Crime fiction with attitude and humour from 1980s London.
In this article, I’ll explore what it is about the anti-hero that appeals so strongly to both writer and reader alike, whilst also looking at the approach I take to my own example of the type, David Good, the protagonist in my private investigator series.
All definitions of the anti-hero boil down to describing a protagonist who possesses some major flaw in their make-up, such as being dishonest or violent, and who usually does good things because it is in their own self-interest rather than out of some sense of what is right and wrong.
There are, of course, plenty of well written examples to explore if you want to see just how appealing a character the anti-hero can be. I particularly like those created by Patricia Highsmith, whose Tom Ripley is a fabulous example of the type. Highsmith possessed an enviable ability to develop characters who continually blur the boundary between good and evil and do so in such a way that you can’t stop yourself from being drawn to them.
And it is this blurring of boundaries that begins to steer us towards what it is about such characters that appeals to writers and readers in equal measure. Straightforward heroes are not by definition without lasting appeal, but they can sometimes seem predictable and, frankly, even a little boring.
With the anti-hero, on the other hand, the writer has at their disposal the opportunity to develop a far more complex, less predictable and therefore more deeply engaging individual. What's more, there are times, such as in Highsmith’s books, we find ourselves actually liking such a character, even in the full knowledge that he or she does some bad, even downright unpleasant things. This can, in turn, engender a feeling of discomfort, even guilt, which draws us in even closer.
This blurring of good and bad within a character is something I look to explore with David Good in ‘Good Investigations’ and other books. I have focused on bringing this conflicting aspect of his make-up to the fore through his relationships with women. We find a man who casually, and only rarely with any sense of remorse, takes the various women in his life for granted. In fact, he frequently comes across as a sexiest git. Despite his lack of consideration, there is still an erratic flow of women who find him attractive, often to his own not inconsiderable surprise.
Whilst Good is an impressive operator when it comes to identifying what makes other people tick, he is pretty inept at understanding himself and, for one thing, fails to recognise what it is in his character that appeals to some women. Which brings us back to where we started, namely just how strong can be the appeal when we find someone with a conflicting set of characteristics.
Why not let us know who your own favourite anti-hero is and what it is about them that appeals so strongly.
For the full version of this post please see http://www.benwesterham.com/a-writers....
Get your free copy of the Ben Westerham starter library here http://www.benwesterham.com/subscribe....
Crime fiction with attitude and humour from 1980s London.
A Favourite Place to Read
I have, for some time now, had a well established writing routine, which sees me show up at the same place and time each day. But I recently shifted some furniture around in our living room and soon realised I had disturbed my reading habits by moving an armchair that I usually read in at lunchtime, which had me wondering, do we all have our favourite places to read?
Where my writing is concerned, I rock up every morning around ten o’clock at the smaller of the two desks we have in the study. Yeah, I know, lucky me, eh? Not only have we got a study but I actually have a separate desk for writing. Anyway, I wake up the laptop then get to it. Normally I spend around two and a half hours writing each morning, but it can stretch to three some days.
Having a routine like that is great because it’s the only way you get anything done. I also happen to like the place where I write because I’m next to a window and have a wonderful view of the village church and some neighbouring gardens. That’s ideal for those times when you need to give your eyes a bit of a rest.
The afternoons I spend on marketing and all manner of other activities that an indie author like me has to deal with if we want to get our books into the hands of readers. That sees me move on to the other, larger, desk in the study.
However, in between time I make and eat lunch, then decide how to spend the rest of my break. I might go for a walk, watch something on the TV (usually gardening related), have a chat with one of the neighbours or, very often, read a book.
I almost always have two books on the go at any time, one fiction and one non-fiction, and I definitely have my favourite places for reading each of those. Fiction I read almost exclusively in bed, since I find it’s great at helping to clear the mind of all the clutter that has accumulated there during the day and, so, makes it easier to get to sleep.
Non-fiction is a little different. I will read this pretty much whenever the fancy takes me and time allows, though never at bedtime, since that would get my brain more active not less. Whilst I will also happily read my non-fiction anywhere I almost always read it in one particular chair in the living room. It’s comfortable, the light is good because it’s next to a window and it’s a little out of the way, so I’m less likely to be disturbed.
I hadn’t really noticed before that I tend to read my non-fiction in the same place and it took moving that armchair to bring that to my attention. I do, it turns out, have favourite places for all my reading.
So, there we have it, it seems I’m even more of a creature of habit than I realised. Not only do I have a regular place for writing, I also have my favourite places for reading and even go so far as to have one for fiction and another for non-fiction.
But what about you, do you have a favourite place for reading? Do share and all the more so if it is somewhere unusual or just plain odd. I’m most curious.
All the best,
Ben
I not only write crime, mystery and thriller books, I also read hordes of them. Here are some of my most cherished favourites https://books2read.com/rl/z5wYj7.
Where my writing is concerned, I rock up every morning around ten o’clock at the smaller of the two desks we have in the study. Yeah, I know, lucky me, eh? Not only have we got a study but I actually have a separate desk for writing. Anyway, I wake up the laptop then get to it. Normally I spend around two and a half hours writing each morning, but it can stretch to three some days.
Having a routine like that is great because it’s the only way you get anything done. I also happen to like the place where I write because I’m next to a window and have a wonderful view of the village church and some neighbouring gardens. That’s ideal for those times when you need to give your eyes a bit of a rest.
The afternoons I spend on marketing and all manner of other activities that an indie author like me has to deal with if we want to get our books into the hands of readers. That sees me move on to the other, larger, desk in the study.
However, in between time I make and eat lunch, then decide how to spend the rest of my break. I might go for a walk, watch something on the TV (usually gardening related), have a chat with one of the neighbours or, very often, read a book.
I almost always have two books on the go at any time, one fiction and one non-fiction, and I definitely have my favourite places for reading each of those. Fiction I read almost exclusively in bed, since I find it’s great at helping to clear the mind of all the clutter that has accumulated there during the day and, so, makes it easier to get to sleep.
Non-fiction is a little different. I will read this pretty much whenever the fancy takes me and time allows, though never at bedtime, since that would get my brain more active not less. Whilst I will also happily read my non-fiction anywhere I almost always read it in one particular chair in the living room. It’s comfortable, the light is good because it’s next to a window and it’s a little out of the way, so I’m less likely to be disturbed.
I hadn’t really noticed before that I tend to read my non-fiction in the same place and it took moving that armchair to bring that to my attention. I do, it turns out, have favourite places for all my reading.
So, there we have it, it seems I’m even more of a creature of habit than I realised. Not only do I have a regular place for writing, I also have my favourite places for reading and even go so far as to have one for fiction and another for non-fiction.
But what about you, do you have a favourite place for reading? Do share and all the more so if it is somewhere unusual or just plain odd. I’m most curious.
All the best,
Ben
I not only write crime, mystery and thriller books, I also read hordes of them. Here are some of my most cherished favourites https://books2read.com/rl/z5wYj7.
Christmas Crimes
Seeing how we are fast approaching the festive period I thought I’d do some digging to see how many crime and mystery novels I could find that are set during the Christmas period. Turns out there are quite a few. In fact, there are loads.
How about The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie or The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson? I have put together a long list on a Books2Read page. Just click on this link https://books2read.com/rl/zMwADk to see it. You might even find something in there that would make the ideal gift for someone in your life.
But did I miss any of your favourites? If I did then do let me know. I think this list could be something useful to keep going for Christmases to come.
All the best,
Ben
Find somewhere quiet and cozy to curl up and enjoy this tempting murder-mystery set in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside of 1960s England. The Hide and Seek Murders.
https://benwesterham.com/books/book-d...
How about The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie or The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson? I have put together a long list on a Books2Read page. Just click on this link https://books2read.com/rl/zMwADk to see it. You might even find something in there that would make the ideal gift for someone in your life.
But did I miss any of your favourites? If I did then do let me know. I think this list could be something useful to keep going for Christmases to come.
All the best,
Ben
Find somewhere quiet and cozy to curl up and enjoy this tempting murder-mystery set in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside of 1960s England. The Hide and Seek Murders.
https://benwesterham.com/books/book-d...
Is Using Dialects in my Writing a Bad Thing?
Just recently I had reason to re-visit a question that has bumped around in my head on previous occasions, namely is it a good or bad thing to make use of local dialects in my writing.
I was reading a very tatty copy of Thomas Hardy’s Under the Greenwood Tree*. Hardy is one of my favourite authors, but it can be a tough gig reading one of his books as they do tend to have some pretty unhappy endings. Fortunately, Under the Greenwood Tree does not fall into that category.
Very early on in the story, Hardy begins to deploy a heavy sprinkling of local Dorset dialect. Given the book was written in the middle of the nineteenth-century, the passing of time has only served to make reading it all the more of a challenge.
At first I found this a bit of a nuisance as I was forced to linger on words in order to work out what was being said, which was easier in some cases than others. But, as the book progressed, I found this got easier as my brain tuned into the dialect and, in the end, I didn’t really mind it at all.
I haven’t made widespread use of local dialects in my own writing, with the exception of my David Good books. These are set in south London during the 1980s and I felt I needed to make some use of the local lingo if I was to give them the right vibe. Even then I heavily scaled things back, since if I had gone all in the books would have been largely incomprehensible to many readers. For a while I kept a close eye on reader reviews to see if people were finding the south London dialect a problem. I did get one or two complaints but, somewhat to my surprise, most people not familiar with the lingo found it easy enough to work out and said it gave the books some added interest. All-in-all then things didn’t work out too badly.
However, I’ve still tended to shy away from this sort of thing for fear it will put readers off. But am I right about that? Should I give myself a bit more freedom here? It’s a tough call and for now I’m playing it safe.
But what do you think, does the use of local dialect put you off reading a book or does it add some welcome extra colour? I’d love to hear what you think and if you have some examples you’d like to share then so much the better.
All the best,
Ben
* This particular edition of the book had an extensive set of notes, including definitions of some, quite frankly, incomprehensible words that I suspect were not generally in use even during Hardy’s time. Some of these were hilariously funny and I thought I’d share one here. How about Borus-snorus, which means outspoken. I really must find an excuse to use that in one of my own stories!
If you’re a fan of crime, mystery or thriller stories then check out these great reads https://benwesterham.com/books/
I was reading a very tatty copy of Thomas Hardy’s Under the Greenwood Tree*. Hardy is one of my favourite authors, but it can be a tough gig reading one of his books as they do tend to have some pretty unhappy endings. Fortunately, Under the Greenwood Tree does not fall into that category.
Very early on in the story, Hardy begins to deploy a heavy sprinkling of local Dorset dialect. Given the book was written in the middle of the nineteenth-century, the passing of time has only served to make reading it all the more of a challenge.
At first I found this a bit of a nuisance as I was forced to linger on words in order to work out what was being said, which was easier in some cases than others. But, as the book progressed, I found this got easier as my brain tuned into the dialect and, in the end, I didn’t really mind it at all.
I haven’t made widespread use of local dialects in my own writing, with the exception of my David Good books. These are set in south London during the 1980s and I felt I needed to make some use of the local lingo if I was to give them the right vibe. Even then I heavily scaled things back, since if I had gone all in the books would have been largely incomprehensible to many readers. For a while I kept a close eye on reader reviews to see if people were finding the south London dialect a problem. I did get one or two complaints but, somewhat to my surprise, most people not familiar with the lingo found it easy enough to work out and said it gave the books some added interest. All-in-all then things didn’t work out too badly.
However, I’ve still tended to shy away from this sort of thing for fear it will put readers off. But am I right about that? Should I give myself a bit more freedom here? It’s a tough call and for now I’m playing it safe.
But what do you think, does the use of local dialect put you off reading a book or does it add some welcome extra colour? I’d love to hear what you think and if you have some examples you’d like to share then so much the better.
All the best,
Ben
* This particular edition of the book had an extensive set of notes, including definitions of some, quite frankly, incomprehensible words that I suspect were not generally in use even during Hardy’s time. Some of these were hilariously funny and I thought I’d share one here. How about Borus-snorus, which means outspoken. I really must find an excuse to use that in one of my own stories!
If you’re a fan of crime, mystery or thriller stories then check out these great reads https://benwesterham.com/books/
