The other night, I watched the tail end of the new Star Trek movie. I realized with a start that Captain Kirk is a very different character than the main characters in most of the books I read. I’m used to reading books written for young adults and preteens. The protagonists I are usually unsure of themselves, a bit timid, slightly depressed.
Captain Kirk is self-confident, arrogant, and so sure of himself that he’ll talk back to commanding officers to make sure they do what needs to be done. Watching that reminded me of the dozens of different characters who could make excellent protagonists for books.
I think we often enjoy reading about characters who have weaknesses because deep inside, we know our own weaknesses. However, we are all in different developmental phases. Some of us have learned to trust ourselves if not others. Wouldn’t those people enjoy reading about a character with whom they can relate?
A few people have told me that when I draw, all my people look the same. There may not be much help for my sketches, but I hope that when people read my books, they won’t think all of my characters are the same.
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There was an interesting discussion when that movie (which I LOVE by the way) came out about the disaster it would have been if Spock had been remained captain instead of Kirk. Kirk's "leaping without looking" and fast responses was just what we needed for that moment, not a slavish adherence to procedures or decisions based on safety. We all love a good ol' flawed and insecure hero, but sometimes it's fun to read about someone who has too much confidence!
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