The Kilted Writer

I participate in a number of online forums about writing. Most of the time, I find good discussion about the craft and the nuances that drive writing from "good" to "great." Too often, however, I find interjections into the conversations that make me ask the question, "Are you serious ?" Sometimes, I actually have to back away from the computer (or even leave the room) to keep from posting a response I would ultimately regret. Here are just a few examples I'd like to bring to light. PLEASE, do not be these people. (Note: slight paraphrasing has been done to help hide the identities of the guilty parties). 1. The "live editor." This person says, " When you're publishing an ebook, you can submit updated content after each rewrite...I return to the book often, updating the file after each rewrite; but let at least a few weeks or months pass between each edit. " Yes, that is (slightly paraphrased) an actual comment from an act...

The world in the book The Giver , by Lois Lowry, is revealed to the reader slowly, starting with the main character, Jonas, but then building outward from his limited perception into a broader and more encompassing view. In the opening scene, Jonas sees an aircraft fly over, and it puzzles him. He readily obeys the command from the speakers spread throughout the community to go inside. Through this incident, we learn that air travel is rare in this world and that bicycles are the primary mode of transportation for the people. We also begin to see the emphasis on precision of language, especially with the word "release." We learn that "release" is a very serious matter and not something to ever be used lightly or jokingly. Next, Lowry introduces Asher, Jonas's best friend. Through this new character, we learn a little about how schools operate in the community, and we get a clearer idea about the precision of language in the society. Finally, we see one way e...

I read fantasy, SF, thriller, mystery, and a bit of non-fiction. I don't typically read romance, but from what I have read, the concepts of mind, body, and spirit still apply. This holds true in romantic movies, especially the romantic comedy. There are two ways mind, body, and spirit show up in these stories. First, you will see mind, body, and spirit characters on the male side of the equation with mirror characters on the female side. 'Sleepless in Seattle' and 'Failure to Launch' are two romantic comedies that fall into this category, which is the most common. The other way mind, body, and spirit characters appear in romantic comedies is this: The male lead is one of the three types, the female lead is another type, and the third type shows up as a catalyst bringing the male and female leads together. Such is the case for the movie 'Music & Lyrics,' starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. The Mind Character: Alex Fletcher (Hugh Gr...

I've been wanting to do this for quite some time, but I wanted to re-read the novel, first. Many times, what comes to the screen is a much more simplified and straightforward character definition than you get from reading the book. Not in this case. For this one, the book is even clearer than the movie. I found that the mind, body, and spirit characters in the movie had more depth than in the book, especially Fezzik. The Body Character: Fezzik (Andre the Giant) Fezzik is a giant. In the movie, he is portrayed by Andre the Giant (Read the intro to the 25th Anniversary Edition to learn more about Andre's selection for the part and his work in bringing it brilliantly to the screen. As Goldman himself said, Andre IS Fezzik). He is also a member of the Brute Squad, later in the story. Miracle Max threatens to call the Brute Squad to get the characters to leave his hut. Fezzik says, "I'm on the Brute Squad." Miracle Max looks him up and down, and the...

Whether it's ' The Three Musketeers ' or 'The Three Amigos,' any movie or book that features three main characters in the title most likely has those three characters as mind, body, and spirit. One day, while trying to decide on a new mind, body, and spirit project, I realized this axiom applies to 'The Three Stooges,' as well. I did not use the recent remake for this analysis. I wanted to stay true to the original characters. I recently found 'Swing Parade,' an old film featuring the Three Stooges, available in the local public library, so I'll be using that for this post.  Here's a good assignment for anyone who wishes to get a deeper understanding of mind, body, and spirit characters: Use this post as a starting point and see how it applies to other Three Stooges films and TV, including the most recent remake. Normally, I divide the mind, body, and spirit characters when I present them, but the action and interaction is ...

Nine characters. Three sets of three character types, all working together to create a compelling cast of characters. This is the final installment, the final layer of body, mind and spirit in Joss Whedon's 'Firefly' series. The Body Character: Inara Serra ( Morena Baccarin) Inara is a 'registered companion.' In the world of Firefly, prostitutes have a social hierarchy, and registered companions are at the top of the heap. They only accept the highest of society as clients and are revered by much of society. The fact that Mal has a registered companion operating on his ship gives him access to some of the more reputable ports in the galaxy. Mal, however, sees no distinction between a common whore and a registered companion. They both represent loveless and purely physical relationships to him. Inara never sweats, never gets dirty, and always looks her finest. While this may not be a universally true statement, it's clear enough in the series ...

The primary mind, body, and spirit characters in Joss Whedon's "Firefly" television series. The second layer characters will be described in this post. The Mind Character: Simon Tam (Sean Maher) Many times, people in medical professions, like doctor, coroner, etc., operate as body characters, but not in "Firefly." He shows this in the pilot episode when Kaylee is shot by a bounty hunter. Rather than immediately moving into action to save her life, as a body character would, he bargains with Mal for protection for himself and his sister, River. Like Zoe, Simon often acts as a devil's advocate, questioning the logic of actions taken by other characters. He also brings a different perspective on core planets (planets controlled by the Alliance), knowledge that lets the crew get away with a hospital heist. Simon is not just a doctor, he is one of the best. He was top of his class and brilliant in everything he attempted. He engineered River...

"Firefly" was a television series that only lasted one season, but developed such a large cult following that a major motion picture, "Serenity," was produced to close out the story. Joss Whedon wrote both the series and the motion picture screenplays and expertly applied mind, body, and spirit characters throughout, just as he has done in other works, such as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and "Dollhouse." In Firefly, Whedon uses three layers of mind, body and spirit. In this post, I will only address the first, or top, layer. The Spirit Character: Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) The pilot episode of Firefly began with Mal Reynolds and Zoe Washburne in the middle of a battle with the Alliance. Their rebel forces (the Browncoats) were pinned down and in dire need of air support that wasn't coming any time soon. Mal was the one running around trying to encourage the fighters, saying things like, "We are just too pr...

Compelling stories tend to have all three character types  - mind, body, and spirit. This holds true in series, as well. In this post, I will take a look at how mind, body, and spirit characters are effectively used in the comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes. The first thing about series is that all three character types may not show up in every edition or episode. Many of the strips created by Bill Watterson only featured the young boy, Calvin, and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes. You have to take a grander view if you want to see the various character types. One or two episodes may not be enough to develop the characters and their relationships enough to create the kind of mind-body-spirit interactions that will make the series compelling. Another aspect of series development is the use of  'recurring characters.' In Calvin and Hobbes, for example, Calvin's parents play the primary mind character role, but when Calvin is not at home, Susie takes over as the mind ch...

In November 1970, Marshall University lost its entire football team, most of its athletic staff, many of its boosters, and other prominent citizens in a devastating plane crash. Marshall's efforts to grow out of that great tragedy and begin its recovery are chronicled in the motion picture, We Are Marshall . Movies that depict real-life events, such as We Are Marshall , Black Hawk Down , The Right Stuff , and Miracle all focus on a small group of individuals who were involved in those events. In Black Hawk Down , for example, we are not introduced to all of the soldiers who were involved, just the ones that help propel the story. In Miracle , actors playing Eric Strobel and Steve Christoff enjoyed very little screen time compared to those playing Jim Craig and Mike Eruzione.  Also, in Black Hawk Down , some real life characters, like a certain group of Delta Force soldiers, were condensed into a single fictional character - Hoot. Inevitably, the characters on whom th...

Popular modern commercial fiction contains mind, body, and spirit characters, as well as classic literature. A Time to Kill , by John Grisham is one very clear sample of mind, body, and spirit characters in modern commercial fiction. The Spirit Character: Jake Brigance Jake enters the scene early one morning to a screaming alarm clock. Grisham uses two pages to describe his morning rituals, including the adoration he has for his wife and his daughter. His actions are based on habit and on emotion. Jake is a 'proud street lawyer,' who takes cases on principle, even when his clients have little or no money. When he takes Carl Lee Hailey's case, he agrees to do it for $7,500. When Carl Lee asks how much Jake would charge someone else, Jake tells him $50,000. Money is not an issue, but the case is. The Body Character: Lucien Wilbanks The case could be made that the primary body character is not Lucien Wilbanks, but Harry Rex Vonner, especially those who h...

(Note: This post was originally written in 2012) "House, M.D." was cancelled this year after eight seasons. The series is a great study in mind, body and spirit characters. First, there are three characters that remained throughout (almost) the entire series: House (Hugh Laurie), Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein), and Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard). They are the first layer, but that will wait for another day. This post will focus on the first team under House's leadership - Chase, Cameron, and Foreman. The first clue to their character identity is the areas in which the specialize or focus upon. The Mind Character: Foreman (Omar Epps) Foreman's specialty is neurology. Foreman is the least passionate of the group, which is typical of the mind character. Of the three, he is also the most like House in his relationships, especially early in the series. In one episode, Foreman explains to the parents of a young boy the treatment he will need to cure him may also ...

When I was a kid, I got books from garage sales. Old books with the pages turning yellow and brittle, most of which had pristine spines. Such was the case when I found three books with matching cover themes  - The Book of Tree , The Black Cauldron , and The High King. Later, I found The Castle of Llyr and Taran Wanderer to complete Lloyd Alexander's "Prydain Chronicles." I read that series countless times and still read it over and over again. When I was a kid, I was Taran of Caer Dallben, Assistant Pig-Keeper to the oracular pig, Hen-Wen. I longed for adventure and the opportunity to prove my worth. I revered Prince Gwydion and feared Arawn, though I would have charged Annuvin to face him in order to prove my mettle. I also fell in love with the fair Princess Eilonwy, despite her less than courtly nature - or maybe because of it. Like most fantasy books, the mind, body, and spirit characters are quite clear. The Body Character: Gurgi Gurgi is descri...

No, this is not the name of a movie or a book. It is merely and observation about spirit characters in literature and film. While this is not a universal truth, it occurs often enough that it deserves mention. Spirit characters are very often depicted as orphans. Here are just a few examples. Taran, from Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles, is raised by a sorcerer and does not know his family heritage. One theme running throughout the series is Taran's search for his true identity. Harry Potter is orphaned as a baby and raised by his aunt and uncle. Harry is constantly trying to identify with his parents, whom he never knew, while fighting the villain who murdered them. At times of extreme stress, an image or shadow of his parents often appears to help or encourage him. Bruce Wayne (aka Batman) was orphaned as a young boy and raised by his butler, Alfred. In most variations of the story, the criminal who murdered his parents returns as a villain he must lat...

My wife grew up reading Sherlock Holmes and is a militant purist. That means the recent Sherlock Holmes movies starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law are anathema in my home. For this reason, I am keeping this analysis in the "Book" category and I am using my wife's copy of "The Complete Sherlock Holmes" as a reference, primarily looking at "A Scandal in Bohemia" and "A Case of Identity." Holmes teaches us two lessons in mind, body, and spirit characters. First, the body character isn't always self-absorbed and concerned with "wine, women, and song." The body character can be concerned with "the body." Doctors (Bones in Star Trek), coroners (Davis in Tru Calling), or nurses can also be body characters. The second lesson Holmes teaches us is that a mind, body, or spirit character may not necessarily be a "character." While this is much more difficult for a writer to pull off, it is possible,...

The ideas that run through Isaac Asimov's collection of short stories, "I, Robot," were put together to make a movie of the same name, starring Will Smith. Like most science fiction, the differences between the mind, body, and spirit characters are stark. Also like most science fiction, the mind, body, and spirit characters in "I, Robot" work together to solve a problem (many times, the problem has to do with saving the world or universe). Contrast that with works like "The Three Musketeers," where the mind, body, and spirit characters work to change another character. When you write mind, body, and spirit characters, remember that there may be some expectation in the genre in which you write. "I,Robot," was released in 2004. Some of the material here might be considered "spoiler" to some, especially in the body character section, which I have saved for last. You've been informed. The Spirit Character: Del Spoo...

Many times, as you can see in The Three Musketeers , the mind, body, and spirit characters work to transform a fourth character. Nowhere in literature is this so blatantly clear than in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." The three ghosts of Christmas not only display their character in their appearance and actions; they also display it with what they show Ebenezer Scrooge. The Mind Character: The Ghost of Christmas Past The Ghost of Christmas Past has two physical characteristics that stand out above all others. The light that emanates from his head and the belt around his tunic. Light is often used as a symbol of knowledge - that which illuminates the uncertainty of darkness. The Ghost resists Scrooge's efforts to have him cover the light with a cap. The Ghost suggests Scrooge has spent too much time ignoring the lessons of his past and that it's time to revisit them for his 'reclamation.' "You recollect the way?" inquired...

I've been watching a few movies lately, taking note of the mind, body, and spirit characters, but I have not neglected these characters in literature. The classic by Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time , contains clear examples of all three character types, working together to defeat the evil IT. The Spirit Character: Margaret (Meg) Murray Meg is first shown in her attic room, frightened by a "dark and stormy night." She convinces herself there's more to it than just the storm, though. People in town talk about her and she lets it get to her, emotionally. Her father's apparent disappearance only adds to her emotional turmoil. She decides to go downstairs for cocoa to make her feel better. When there's something outside and Mrs. Murray wants to go out to investigate during the storm, Meg pleads with her not to go out. She is also very concerned about her mother's reaction when Mrs. Whatsit explains that a tesseract is a real thing. ...

I recently saw "Hugo" and found it to be a wonderful movie. I have not read the book, so I do not know how close one is to the other - I will use what was depicted in the movie for this discussion. "Hugo" was expertly directed (Martin Scorsese) and the story was very well told. The foreshadowing was woven into the story beautifully and the acting was great. I would recommend it to just about anyone who loves movies and the art of movie making. In this story, like the Three Musketeers, the mind, body, and spirit characters work to transform a fourth character - George Melies (played by Ben Kingsley). The Spirit Character - Hugo Cabret ( Asa Butterfield) Hugo is an orphan with a passion for clockwork. His father was a clockmaker and once found an "automaton" hidden in an old museum. He promised to work with Hugo to fix the machine, but before it was complete, Hugo's father died. Later in the film, when the automaton is finally fixed,...

I recently watched the 1927 science fiction classic, Metropolis, and was amazed and delighted to see the mind, body, and spirit characters so precisely defined. The movie has definite religious overtones and is a presentation of the Apocalypse from the book of Revelation. Several verses and themes from Genesis and Revelation are used throughout the movie. The Body Character: Grot The society in Metropolis is divided into two very distinct classes - the working class and the ruling class. Grot is a worker foreman and represents the worker class as a whole. The workers are called the "hands" throughout the film, meaning they are the means by which things get done. The are depicted as impoverished slave labor. They only exist to operate the Machine which keeps the city going. The Mind Character: Joh Fredersen Fredersen has an office in a tall building in the middle of the city. When there is an explosion in the machine, he is more concerned with who told h...