Why do so few thrillers central characters have a life?

sportourer1 · 11-24-2010, 04:13 PM

Obsessed cops, psycho killer elites and downbeat spies. Why can thriller heros not be upbeat fun loving sexually alive individuals?

Steven Lake · 11-25-2010, 11:56 AM

But that would break the cliche!!

Worldwalker · 11-25-2010, 12:45 PM

Happy families are happy alike; unhappy families are unhappy differently. (name that quote!)

Related: A long time ago, in a multi-player game far, far away, I was reading applications from prospective members of what you could think of as a role-playing group, detailing their characters' backgrounds. Every last one of them was an orphan. Every bloody one. I asked a friend "how come we don't get apps from people whose happy parents saved up to send them to the big city to join our (highly respected) career path?" But they didn't. It became the subpath joke that we must be running an orphanage.

Latinandgreek · 11-25-2010, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

Happy families are happy alike; unhappy families are unhappy differently. (name that quote!)

Tolstoy, Anna Karenina.

Steven Lake · 11-25-2010, 05:54 PM

Worldwalker: That kinda goes along with the "beam me up, scotty" joke about sci-fi too. Or that all the greatest military leaders in history never married, or were only married briefly, and their wives died, leaving them to live a life of solitude as a military commander.

Musette · 11-27-2010, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sportourer1

Obsessed cops, psycho killer elites and downbeat spies. Why can thriller heros not be upbeat fun loving sexually alive individuals?

I'd like to read some of these thrillers. Coming from reading nothing but Romances I'm ready for a change. There are plenty of fun loving sexually alive individuals in Romance, emphasis on the sexually alive, maybe not so much fun loving though.

crich70 · 11-27-2010, 01:16 PM

I think it's because you don't expect someone who has a life to become involved in events that are likely to occur in thrillers. I mean if a cop is obsessed with catching a particular bad guy for example chances are his personal relationships (and maybe his work as well) will suffer for it. Similar things apply to the others as well. For whatever reason personal lives suffer due to their activities.

Latinandgreek · 11-27-2010, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crich70

I think it's because you don't expect someone who has a life to become involved in events that are likely to occur in thrillers. I mean if a cop is obsessed with catching a particular bad guy for example chances are his personal relationships (and maybe his work as well) will suffer for it. Similar things apply to the others as well. For whatever reason personal lives suffer due to their activities.

True.

rhadin · 11-27-2010, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steven Lake

Worldwalker: That kinda goes along with the "beam me up, scotty" joke about sci-fi too. Or that all the greatest military leaders in history never married, or were only married briefly, and their wives died, leaving them to live a life of solitude as a military commander.

Except for Honor Harrington who came from a loving and doting family, married happily, and geve birth to children she adored -- all while saving the universe from destruction.

sportourer1 · 11-28-2010, 05:42 AM

There should be scope for "real characters" in thrillers who are believable and human caught up in dramatic series of events. 99% of thrillers, especially crime thrillers are so far off any connection with reality as to make them hard to read. Surely a middle ground can be found that makes for a good story without stretching credibility too far

Steven Lake · 11-28-2010, 10:57 PM

Ya know, I may not be a thriller writer, but I could very easily write a thriller if I wanted to that didn't have some messed up individual as the centerpiece. Heck, I could have it star a stay at home mother with super powers and still make it better than most traditional thrillers. lol.

crich70 · 11-29-2010, 02:07 AM

Why not try it and see then Steven? If you succeed great, and if you find it more difficult than you expect then you will have expanded yourself as a writer. So either way you would stand to gain from the experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steven Lake

Ya know, I may not be a thriller writer, but I could very easily write a thriller if I wanted to that didn't have some messed up individual as the centerpiece. Heck, I could have it star a stay at home mother with super powers and still make it better than most traditional thrillers. lol.

Steven Lake · 11-29-2010, 08:39 AM

Actually, once I get done with my present backlist of books, I just might. Heck, I'll be in need of some fresh content anyways.

11-24-2010, 04:13 PM	#1
sportourer1 Writer Posts: 117 Karma: 560236 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: London UK Device: none	Why do so few thrillers central characters have a life? Obsessed cops, psycho killer elites and downbeat spies. Why can thriller heros not be upbeat fun loving sexually alive individuals?

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11-25-2010, 11:56 AM	#2
Steven Lake Sci-Fi Author Posts: 1,157 Karma: 14743509 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Michigan Device: PC (Calibre)	But that would break the cliche!!

11-25-2010, 12:45 PM	#3
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	Happy families are happy alike; unhappy families are unhappy differently. (name that quote!) Related: A long time ago, in a multi-player game far, far away, I was reading applications from prospective members of what you could think of as a role-playing group, detailing their characters' backgrounds. Every last one of them was an orphan. Every bloody one. I asked a friend "how come we don't get apps from people whose happy parents saved up to send them to the big city to join our (highly respected) career path?" But they didn't. It became the subpath joke that we must be running an orphanage.

11-25-2010, 05:54 PM	#5
Steven Lake Sci-Fi Author Posts: 1,157 Karma: 14743509 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Michigan Device: PC (Calibre)	Worldwalker: That kinda goes along with the "beam me up, scotty" joke about sci-fi too. Or that all the greatest military leaders in history never married, or were only married briefly, and their wives died, leaving them to live a life of solitude as a military commander.

11-27-2010, 01:16 PM	#7
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	I think it's because you don't expect someone who has a life to become involved in events that are likely to occur in thrillers. I mean if a cop is obsessed with catching a particular bad guy for example chances are his personal relationships (and maybe his work as well) will suffer for it. Similar things apply to the others as well. For whatever reason personal lives suffer due to their activities.

11-28-2010, 05:42 AM	#10
sportourer1 Writer Posts: 117 Karma: 560236 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: London UK Device: none	There should be scope for "real characters" in thrillers who are believable and human caught up in dramatic series of events. 99% of thrillers, especially crime thrillers are so far off any connection with reality as to make them hard to read. Surely a middle ground can be found that makes for a good story without stretching credibility too far

11-28-2010, 10:57 PM	#11
Steven Lake Sci-Fi Author Posts: 1,157 Karma: 14743509 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Michigan Device: PC (Calibre)	Ya know, I may not be a thriller writer, but I could very easily write a thriller if I wanted to that didn't have some messed up individual as the centerpiece. Heck, I could have it star a stay at home mother with super powers and still make it better than most traditional thrillers. lol.

11-29-2010, 08:39 AM	#13
Steven Lake Sci-Fi Author Posts: 1,157 Karma: 14743509 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Michigan Device: PC (Calibre)	Actually, once I get done with my present backlist of books, I just might. Heck, I'll be in need of some fresh content anyways.

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