The creation of a character is one of the more personal things that a writer ever does.
It cuts across all genres. Who is this person? How do they drive the plot? What’s the storyline that drapes around them?
Why do they matter?
Character Studies and Reviews
Any writer who tells you that they put nothing of themselves into their characters is either lying or not really making characters. They may be making mouthpieces to further an agenda.
Or they may be creating stick figures to hang a plot on. They might be impatient and looking to cut to the chase without all of the preliminary bullshit.
But there is always going to be something or other there. If you are writing people with depth and imagination, and you want them to be real, then your own experiences are going to inform them.
And, in a way, that’s why sensitivity readers matter. I am a middle-aged Jewish woman from the northeastern United States. And so, by definition, I cannot possibly be in the head of a slave from the 1770s.
Now, I do, honestly, feel that we writers can craft a character who does not have our shared experience. But we need to approach it well.
Talk to people. Is this believable? Does this person resonate with you? Are they respectful to your heritage, culture, and background?
Shakespeare wrote Lady MacBeth. Agatha Christie wrote Hercule Poirot. And so on, and so forth.
A character should be partly like you, because you inform and shape them. But you don’t have to be exactly like a character in order to be able to write one effectively.
Sometimes the forgotten generation, Gen X is the ‘baby bust’, so the cohort is small. Writing fiction about Generation X should take into account that they tend to not dominate wider groups, because they just plain don’t have the numbers.
My character Dr. Mei-Lin Quan of Mettle is a member of Gen X.
And now, let’s look at some pivotal moments, to help inform us when writing fiction about Generation X. Of course, no one in Generation X has turned 65 by the time of the initial writing of this blog post.
Generation X Turns 18 (1983 – 1998)
This time frame starts off with the final episode of M*A*S*H, the invention of the 3D printer, and the first commercial mobile cellular telephone call.
The breakup of the Soviet Union and the reunification of Germany dominate the middle of this period.
By the time this period ends, Andrew Wakefield publishes his since-debunked study claiming a link between vaccines and autism.
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami retracts a fatwa against Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie that was in force since 1989, and the US House of Representatives forwards articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton.
Generation X Turns 25 (1990 – 2005)
This time frame starts off with Germany reunifying, ARPANET being decommissioned, and South Africa releasing Nelson Mandela from prison.
The events surrounding 9/11 dominate the middle of this period.
By the time this period ends, dwarf planet Eris is discovered, there’s the launch of YouTube, and Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans.
Generation X Turns 35 (2000 – 2015)
This time frame starts off with the final printing of an original Peanuts comic the day after the death of Charles Schulz, and two Al-Qaeda suicide bombers attacking the USS Cole. Plus, the hanging chads election debacle which leads to the Bush v. Gore case going before the US Supreme Court.
The development of smartphones and the launching of familiar social media juggernauts like Tumblr and X (Twitter) dominate the middle of this period.
By the time this period ends, gunmen from Al-Qaeda’s Yemen branch attack the Paris headquarters of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, Greece suffers a government debt crisis, and there’s the founding of OpenAI.
Boy names are remarkably consistent. Michael is #1 every year! And there are only six other names that show up at all in the other four slots during this sixteen-year time frame.
John is #2 in 1965. David is in this spot from 1966 to 1969, inclusive. Then it’s James for 1970 and 1971. Jason shows up for 1974 to 1978, inclusive. Otherwise, it’s Christopher in the second spot.
For the third spot, it’s David in 1965, 1970, and 1971. Then James in 1966, 1967, 1969, and 1972. We only see John once, in 1968. Jason shows up in 1973, 1979, and 1980. Otherwise, it’s Christopher in this spot.
Then for the fourth slot, only three names show up for the sixteen-year time period. James is #4 in 1965, 1968, 1973, and 1975. John is in this spot in 1966, 1967, and 1969 – 1971, inclusive. All other years belong to David.
For the fifth spot, it’s Robert from 1965 – 1971, inclusive. Then John once, in 1972. David takes this spot in 1973 and 1975. For all other years, it’s James.
Names for Gen X Girls
More consistency… and some inconsistency, too. Lisa sits in the top spot from 1965 to 1969, inclusive. Then she’s overthrown by Jennifer, who holds the top spot for every other year.
In the second spot, Mary shows up in 1965 only. Then Kimberly in 1966 and 1967. Then Michelle in 1968, 1969, 1971, and 1972. Lisa shows up in 1970 only. Amy goes on a run from 1973 to 1976, inclusive. Then Melissa from 1977 – 1979 inclusive. Amanda’s just in 1980.
For the third spot, this sixteen-year period had an incredible eleven unique names. These seven show up once: Karen (1965), Mary (1966), Jennifer (1969), Heather (1975), Melissa (1976), Amy (1977), and Amanda (1979).
Kimberly (1968 and 1970), Lisa (1971 and 1972), and Jessica (1978 and 1980), were all in this spot twice. Michelle is the #3 name four times, in 1967, 1973, 1974, and 1976.
For the fourth slot, there are eight unique names. Mary (1967), Jennifer (1968), and Amy (1978) all show up once. Michelle (1966 and 1970), Heather (1974 and 1976), Melissa (1975 and 1980), and Jessica (1977 and 1979) all show up twice. Otherwise, it’s Kimberly.
The fifth spot also has eight unique names. Karen (1966), Lisa (1973), and Sarah (1980) all show up once. Susan (1965 and 1967), Melissa (1968 and 1969), and Heather (1977 and 1978) show up three times. Angela shows up three times, from 1974 to 1976, inclusive.
And Amy shows up four times, from 1970 to 1972 inclusive, and 1979.
When I’m Writing Fiction About Generation X
So, here are my characters from the Generation X cohort.
And in The Duck in the Seat Cushion, it’s main character MJ Tanner’s younger half-brother Will. There are also her ill-fated twins, Levi and Chloe. Plus, there are Sid’s children Lenny and Wendy.
Takeaways for Writing Fiction About Generation X
When writing fiction about Generation X, keep in mind that it’s a small cohort. Many of its members were latchkey children when they were younger (mothers would work and not be home when they returned home from school).
These two experiences, combined, can make the members of the redheaded stepchild of the generations a rather sarcastic bunch. It was, and still is, a major survival mechanism for them.
Want more about writing fiction about current generations? Then please be sure to check out my thoughts on multigenerational fiction writing and the other blog posts in this series:
A Look at Writing Fiction About Generation Jones (1954 – 1964)
For me, writing fiction about Generation Jones is personal, seeing as I am a member of this cohort. The term is fairly new.
Generation Jones bridges the gap between Early Boomers and Generation X. It’s got a little bit of both in it.
And now, let’s look at some pivotal moments, to help inform us when writing fiction about Generation Jones.
Generation Jones Turns 18 (1972 – 1982)
This time frame starts off with HP introducing the HP-35, the world’s first scientific hand-held calculator, and Nixon going to China.
Associated Press photographer Nick Ut takes his Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of a naked nine-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc running down a road after being burned by napalm.
The Vietnam War winding down and Watergate winding up, as gas prices start to rise dramatically all dominate the middle of this period.
By the time this period ends, Britain and Argentina fight the Falklands War. Vic Morrow and two child actors die while making the Twilight Zone movie, and Princess Grace of Monaco dies from injuries suffered in an automobile accident.
Generation Jones Turns 25 (1979 – 1989)
This time frame starts off with the Shah of Iran fleeing to Egypt as Ayatollah Khomeini takes over. Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin sign an Egypt-Israel peace treaty, and the worst nuclear accident in American history happens at Three Mile Island.
The lead up to the fall of the Soviet Union dominates the middle of this period.
By the time this period ends, the first global positioning satellite goes into orbit, and the US government seizes Irvine, California’s Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, thereby kicking off the S&L crisis.
And the Tiananmen Square protests occur in China. The Berlin Wall, in place since 1961, is finally toppled.
Generation Jones Turns 35 (1989 – 1999)
This time frame starts off with Iran placing a bounty of $3 million on Salman Rushdie’s head for writing The Satanic Verses, and Tim Berners-Lee producing the proposal document that will lead to the Worldwide Web. The Exxon Valdez spills 240,000 gallons of oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound.
The Oklahoma City bombing and the sarin gas attack in Japan, and their aftermaths dominate the middle of this period.
By the time this period ends, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold conduct the Columbine Massacre, and JFK jr. dies in a plane crash. Boris Yeltsin resigns as President of Russia, with Vladimir Putin as the ‘acting’ president..
Generation Jones Turns 65 (2019– 2029)
This time frame starts off with the first case of Covid-19, and reports of the second instance of sustained remission from HIV. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is elected President of Ukraine.
The Covid-19 pandemic dominates the middle of this period.
As of the initial writing of this blog post, this time period has not yet ended. However, the period from 2022 to 2024 sees Russia invading Ukraine, and Queen Elizabeth II dying. Hamas attacks Israel, thereby precipitating the Israel-Hamas War.
And, as the 47th president of the United States continues to push boundaries, there will undoubtedly be even more big headlines.
For the time period of 1954 to 1964, there’s surprising consistency with girls’ names. The top five for 1954 are identical to 1953 (Mary, Linda, Deborah, Patricia, and Susan). In fact, Mary is #1 every year from 1954 to 1961, inclusive. Otherwise, the #1 girls’ name is Lisa.
In the first three years, the #2 name is Linda, Deborah, and Debra, in that order. Then, from 1957 to 1960, Susan takes the #2 spot. In 1961, it’s Lisa, and then Mary is the #2 name for the last three years of the time period.
For the #3 slot, after Deborah in 1954, it’s Linda from 1955 to 1960, inclusive. Susan takes this spot for the remaining years.
When we get to the #4 spot, Patricia takes it in 1954, Deborah in 1956, Debra in 1955 and 1957, and Linda in 1961. For all the other years? It’s Karen.
The fifth slot is occupied by five names: Susan from 1954 – 1956 (inclusive), Karen in 1957 and 1961, Patricia in 1958 and 1964, Donna in 1959 and 1960, and Linda in 1962 and 1963.
Even More Consistency for Boys
Boy names amp up the consistency factor even more. The #1 name is Michael every year but 1960, when it’s David. For #2, it’s Robert in 1954, James in 1956 and 1957, Michael in 1960, John in 1963 and 1964. Otherwise, it’s always David.
The #3 slot is James in 1954, 1955, and 1958 – 1960, inclusive. Robert holds this spot in 1956 only. John is #3 in 1961 and 1962. Otherwise, it’s always David again.
For the #4 spot, John holds it in 1954, 1959, and 1960. Robert has it in 1955, 1957, and 1958. David just shows up in 1956. Otherwise, it’s James.
And for the #5 slot, it’s David in 1954 only. Then it’s John from 1955 – 1958, inclusive. For the last six years, it’s Robert.
When I’m Writing Fiction About Generation Jones
So, here are my characters from the Generation Jones cohort.
In Mettle, it’s Nell‘s beloved Gran, Sally Murphy, born in 1962.
Takeaways for Writing Fiction About Generation Jones
This is the younger, and perhaps more technologically savvy half of the Baby Boomer Generation. But they didn’t really get to enjoy all of the Early Boomers’ good economies and prosperity.
Their touchstones are Afghanistan and Somalia, not Vietnam, and Watergate rather than Woodstock. As the living segue to Generation X, writing fiction about Generation Jones during their childhoods might just involve showing latchkey children.
Want more about writing fiction about current generations? Then be sure to check out the other blog posts in this series:
Want more about writing fiction about current generations? Then please be sure to check out my thoughts on multigenerational fiction writing and the other blog posts in this series:
A Look at Writing Fiction About Early Boomers (1946 – 1953)
I prefer to split the Baby Boomer generation, as I feel there’s a marked difference between this group and the latter half (Generation Jones). When writing fiction about Early Boomers, it makes sense to lean into the 60s. But there’s more to this group than flower power.
And now, let’s look at some pivotal moments, to help inform us when writing fiction about Early Boomers.
Early Boomers Turn 18 (1964 – 1971)
This time frame starts off with the US Surgeon General declaring that smoking may be hazardous to one’s health. The the US government authorizes the 24th Amendment, thereby outlawing the poll tax.
The first computer program written in BASIC is run. And the first student protests against the Vietnam War happen while the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is passed.
The Vietnam War dominates the middle of this period. Many other student protests follow the ones in 1964.
By the time this period ends, Charles Manson and three of his followers (Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Leslie Van Houten) are convicted in the Tate-LaBianca murders. The UK and Ireland switch to a decimal-based currency.
And Led Zepellin performs Stairway to Heaven in concert for the first time, in Belfast.
Early Boomers Turn 25 (1971 – 1978)
This time frame starts off with the founding of NASDAQ and Satchel Paige being voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. And there’s the founding of Starbucks, in Washington state.
The Watergate scandal and its aftermath dominate the middle of this period.
By the time this period ends, the Blizzard of ’78 hits New York and New England, killing about 100 people. The world’s first test tube baby, Louise Brown, is born in the UK. Pope John Paul II becomes the 264th pope.
The First Half of the Baby Boomer Generation Turns 35 (1981 – 1998)
This time frame starts off with Iran releasing the 52 American hostages it had held for 444 days, just after the swearing in of Ronald Reagan as president of the United States. The first successful flight of a space shuttle happens (it’s the Columbia).
And the CDC reports that five homosexual men in Los Angeles have a rare form of pneumonia only seen in people with weakened immune systems. This is the first documented report of HIV.
Everything from bombings by the Unabomber to scientists discovering the hole in the ozone dominates the middle of this period.
By the time this period ends, the Drudge Report breaks the news of the Clinton-Lewinsky affair, and there’s the founding of Google.
Early Boomers Turn 65 (2011 – 2018)
This time frame starts off with Kim Jong Un succeeding to the leadership of North Korea upon the death of his father, Prince William and Catherine Middleton wed, and President Obama announces the killing of Osama bin Laden.
Unrest in the Middle East and Africa dominates the middle of this period.
By the time this period ends, seventeen high school students are killed at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school in Parkland, Florida. Also, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wed; Canada legalizes the recreational use of cannabis; and Saudi Arabia allows women to drive.
From 1946 to 1953, the top five names for both boys and girls are surprisingly consistent.
For boys, the top 3 are identical for every year but the last one. For the first seven years of the cohort, the top 3 boys’ names are James, Robert, and John. But in the final year, that changes to Robert, James, and Michael.
Interestingly enough, the name in fourth place is William for the first four years, Michael for the next three, and then John in the last year.
The fifth-place boy name varies the most. In the first two years, it’s Richard. In 1949, it’s Michael. Otherwise, it’s David.
The girls see their own changes, with Mary only taking the top slot in, oddly enough, the first and last years. Otherwise, the top girls’ name is Linda. Whenever Linda is #1, Mary is #2, and vice versa.
Patricia sits in the third spot every year but the last one, when that name comes in fourth. In 1953, the #3 girls’ name was Deborah. Barbara holds the #4 spot four times, in 1946, 1947, 1949, and 1950. Patricia holds this spot in 1948 and 1953. The other two years, it’s Deborah.
For the #5 spot for girls, it’s Carol in 1945, Sandra in 1946, and Barbara in 1951. Otherwise, it’s Susan all the way.
When I’m Writing Fiction About Early Boomers
So, here are my characters from the Early Baby Boomers cohort.
The Duck in the Seat Cushion is all over this cohort. There’s Sid Tanner, born in 1946, and main character MJ Tanner. She’s born in 1949. All of their classmates, and both of their spouses also belong to this group.
MJ and Sid’s stepbrother, Hal Brown, also has a birthdate during this time frame.
Any of these characters could be the POV character in a short story such as Failure.
Takeaways for Writing Fiction About Early Boomers
While the 60s are a truly pivotal time for early baby boomers, they’ve done a lot since then. Their sheer size has made them the 900 pound gorilla in a lot of spaces.
So, when writing about Early Boomers, don’t stop with 1969 or with ok boomer cliches. The first half of the Baby Boom cohort is more than that.
My parents are/were members of the Silent Generation, and they have inspired me when it comes to writing fiction about the Silent Generation.
The Silent Generation (1928 – 1945)
When writing fiction about the Silent Generation, the Second World War isn’t quite as dominant as it is for their forebears in the Greatest Generation. It’s more of its aftermath, and the lead up to the Vietnam War that color their lives.
In addition, they deal with the fallout from the Great Depression, and may have a scarcity mindset, even decades later.
Yes, I Have Written Fiction About the Silent Generation!
Or, rather, for the most part, about just one particular person. I originally wrote Mettle with 2020 in mind as its temporal setting.
While that exact year isn’t really feasible anymore, due to the pandemic (and due to the year having come and gone already), I will still use 2020 as the second year without a summer until I decide on something else.
Because Eleanor Braverman is in her seventies for that book, she fits perfectly into the real-life Silent Generation. I give her a birthdate in 1938. Her parents may even have chosen her name due to admiration for First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
And now, let’s look at some pivotal moments, to help inform us when writing fiction about the Silent Generation.
The Silent Generation Turns 18 (1946 – 1963)
When this time frame starts, the United Nations and the UN Security Council hold their first meetings. The ENIAC computer is unveiled. And Winston Churchill gives a speech about the Iron Curtain.
The Silent Generation Turns 25 (1953 – 1970)
This time frame starts off with over 70% of all TV sets tuned into I Love Lucy, to watch Lucy give birth to Little Ricky.
Also in 1953, Stalin dies, and Jonas Salk announces the development of his polio vaccine. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed. In addition, Christine Jorgensen comes back to New York after receiving successful sex reassignment surgery in Denmark.
The war in Vietnam dominates the middle of this period. However, many of the men in the Silent Generation are too old to take part (or at least be subject to the draft) once the United States enters the war in earnest.
In 1964, at the time of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, the oldest members of this generation were in their mid-thirties.
By the time this period ends, Apollo 13 barely makes it back to earth, there are shootings at Kent State, and Jimi Hendrix dies of an overdoes. The Beatles break up.
The Silent Generation Turns 35 (1963 – 1980)
This time frame starts off with Patsy Cline being killed in a plane crash and Tito being declared president for life in Yugoslavia. Martin Luther King, jr. issues his Letter from Birmingham Jail. The Mercury space program ends.
And of course the most significant event by far is the assassination of JFK.
JFK’s death and its aftermath, the Vietnam War, and pretty much everything we think of when we think of the 60s dominate the middle of this period.
By the time this period ends, the US Olympic hockey team wins the ‘Miracle on Ice’, Reagan becomes president, and John Lennon is murdered.
The Silent Generation Turns 65 (1993 – 2010)
This time frame starts off as Czechoslovakia is dissolved, the World Trade Center in New York is bombed for the first time, and the Branch Davidian standoff in Waco, Texas results in the deaths of over seventy people, including cult leader David Koresh.
The events surrounding 9/11 dominate the middle of this time frame.
By the time this period ends, Wikileaks releases confidential government information to the general public. The Deepwater Horizon oil drilling platform explodes, and there’s the launch of Instagram.
Naming Your Silent Generation Characters
In the United States, the Social Security Administration keeps track of births and of what people name their children. I’ve already covered the 1920s in my post on the Greatest Generation, so please see the link below for that information.
In the 1930s, the top five names for girls get a bit of a shakeup. While Mary remains the queen at #1, Betty has slid into second place. Barbara appears at #3, Shirley at #4, and Patricia at #5.
Why Shirley? Shirley Temple, of course! Barbara is probably for Barbara Stanwyck. But where does Patricia come from? Hmm.
Boys, on the other hand, get a near instant replay from the 1920s. The top five names for boys were Robert, James, John, William, and Charles.
Then in the 1940s, Shirley and Betty are gone from the top five (they’re at #14 and #11, respectively). Mary still holds her throne (with apparently a grip of iron!) but upstarts Linda and Carol come in second and fifth. Barbara is still #3, and Patricia is up to fourth place.
On the boys’ side, James takes the crown from Robert (now at #2). John and William remain at third and fourth. But Charles loses fifth place to Richard. Don’t worry; Charles, as in the current King of England, is in seventh place.
Here and Now
As of the writing of this blog post (late 2024), the oldest people in this cohort are pushing 100. And the youngest are turning 80. While there’s certainly some differences between these two age extremes, the bottom line is that everyone in this generation is way, way past middle age.
And many are transitioning from young-old to old-old, if they’re not there already.
When I’m Writing Fiction About the Silent Generation
So, here are my characters from the Silent Generation.
Apart from Eleanor Braverman, there are Graceanne Davis Mason Brown Tanner, and Susan Tanner (Aunt Suzie). Plus, there are three additional Tanner siblings who don’t reach adulthood, all from The Duck in the Seat Cushion.
Takeaways for Writing Fiction About the Silent Generation
When writing fiction about the Silent Generation, keep in mind that they have seen a lot! They’ve gone from silent films to Instagram.
Want more about writing fiction about current generations?
I have one piece where I was mainly writing fiction about the Greatest Generation. It’s a short story called Three Minutes Back in Time.
The Greatest Generation’s earlier years are dominated by the Great Depression and the Second World War. When writing fiction about the Greatest Generation, particularly when writing about them as younger people, you really can’t avoid WWII.
And for characters from the Midwest, you should be at least mentioning the Dust Bowl.
Fact and Fiction About The Greatest Generation or GI Generation (1901 – 1927)
Every generation consists of a range of years, and some ranges will have more going on in them than others. Of course! Therefore, this information is meant to cover some of the bigger changes and news stories from the time.
If you think I’ve missed something big, feel free to let me know in the comments.
These events are mainly going to be America-centric or at least from a US POV. There is a lot more to the world than the United States, but I didn’t want to write a novel-length blog post!
So, let’s look at some pivotal moments, to help inform us when writing fiction about the Greatest Generation.
The GI Generation Turns 18 (1919 – 1945)
Of course, the two biggest events during this time frame are the Great Depression and the Second World War. And given when the oldest people in this generation turn 18, WWII looms extremely large for this group. Particularly because these people just missed fighting in WWI.
But there were plenty of other events during this time frame. For example, in 1919, this time period starts off with a bang as Prohibition begins in the United States. Also in 1919, Congress passes the Nineteenth Amendment, granting women the right to vote.
This time frame ends with two major events—the end of the Second World War and the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
His successor, Harry S. Truman, drops the atomic bomb on Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the only time nuclear weapons have been used in combat. So far.
The Greatest Generation Turns 25 (1926 – 1952)
As this time frame begins, Gertrude Ederle swims the English Channel. And a newfangled technology called television is first demonstrated.
Naturally, WWII and the Great Depression dominate the middle of this period.
And as this time period concludes, Queen Elizabeth II succeeds her father. In the following year she will be crowned Queen of England. Evita Peron dies.
The first hydrogen bomb is detonated, and Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girlis published in an English language translation.
The GI Generation Turns 35 (1936 – 1962)
As this time period starts, so do the Berlin Olympic games. This is also the year when King Edward VIII abdicates the British throne.
As before, the dominant event of the time is the Second World War.
This time frame concludes with the Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK announces that the United States will go to the moon, and Marilyn Monroe dies.
The Greatest Generation Turns 65 (1966 – 1995)
When this time frame starts, Leonid Brezhnev becomes the leader of the Soviet Union, the Beatles play in Candlestick Park in San Francisco in their final live touring concert, and people celebrate the first Kwaanzaa.
The Vietnam War and its aftermath dominate this time period. Operation Desert Storm happens toward the end of this time frame.
By the time this period ends, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols have bombed the Alfred P. Murrah building in Oklahoma City, and President Clinton announces the resumption of relations between the United States and Vietnam.
And former professional football player OJ Simpson is tried for the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
Naming characters in the Greatest Generation
According to the US Social Security Administration, the five most popular names for boys in the 1900s were John, William, James, George, and Charles. Girls? Their five most popular names were Mary, Helen, Margaret, Anna, and Ruth.
Ten years later, the top three for boys, and the top two for girls, don’t change. For boys, the fourth and fifth most popular names were Robert and Joseph. Rounding out the list for the girls are Dorothy (guess why!), Margaret (slipping a notch), and Ruth.
For the twenties, Robert takes over, surpassing even John (second place)! And how many of those men are called Bob, rather than Rob? The rest of the list for boys is James, William, and Charles. Joe, we hardly knew ye.
As for the girls, Mary continues to reign as queen, with Dorothy nipping at her heels. Helen returns at #3, and suddenly Betty appears at #4. Margaret manages to hang on, at #5.
When I’m Writing Fiction About the Greatest Generation
So, here are my characters from the Greatest Generation. Apart from Rosemary Parker and James Warren, a grandfather of Dr. Mei-Lin Quan from Mettle is born in 1926. Mei-Lin recalls him still referring to Taiwan as Formosa. The island’s name officially changed in 1949.
In addition, in The Duck in the Seat Cushion, main character MJ Tanner’s father, Walter Tanner, is born in 1924. Five of his nine siblings are born before him and they all perish before reaching maturity. Another two born after him also fit in the generation and die young.
Walt’s two other siblings are born too late for this generation. As one of just two of his parents’ ten children, and a survivor of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, Walt is a defeatist at times, but also down to earth and practical.
Takeaways for Writing Fiction About the Greatest Generation
When writing fiction about the Greatest Generation, the two world wars are like the elephants in the room. The second more than the first, but these people were teenagers during the Great War. So, don’t forget about it.
When writing them later in life, keep in mind that they need to adjust their way of thinking to the Computer Age at a rather late age, often in their forties or older.
Unlike for many later generations, computers and the internet are not second nature, and these folks may even resent those technological advances.
Want more about writing fiction about current generations? Then please be sure to check out my thoughts on multigenerational fiction writing and the other blog posts in this series:
Consider Frances Miller Ashford, One of My Original Characters
Who is Frances Miller Ashford? And just why, exactly, does she matter to the story?
When Ceilidh gets a job to work for the Edwards, the first thing readers should notice is: it’s a really big house. There are obviously going to be other people working there. Lots and lots of them!
If you have ever watched Downton Abbey or Upstairs, Downstairs, then you know exactly what I mean.
But at the same time, I knew that not everyone would know the nuances of Victorian era living. Plus, I needed to have a good way to get across the look and feel of the Edwards House.
There would have to be a character who would, at least in part, behave as a kind of expository mouthpiece.
Enter Frances.
Margaret Qualley, who I see as Frances Miller. Image is intended for reference purposes only.
Where Did Frances Miller Ashford Come From?
I wanted very much to have an immigrant much like Ceilidh but better settled in the story.
Also, I needed for Ceilidh to have someone she could talk to. Frances fills the bill rather nicely in both areas. Furthermore, I love the idea of exploring a female friendship like this.
Further, I needed Ceilidh to have someone who had an English accent she could emulate. It didn’t seem realistic to have Ceilidh remember Captain Underwood perfectly for years. But Frances was a lot more plausible.
Originally, her last name was Marshall, but then I had too many scenes with a character named Barry Marsh. The names were starting to get confusing. And I could not change Marsh’s name, as he was named after someone I know.
Hence, Frances got a slight tweak. I also like the newer name better, because it flows much better with her (spoiler alert!) married name.
The Past is Prologue — Backstory for Frances Miller Ashford
An orphan who never knew her family, I never actually wrote about her extremely early life. But Frances could have been the child of people who died—perhaps of any of the many diseases flying around Britain at the time.
Or she could have been the child of an unwed mother, left at a church or even the orphanage where she grew up. Her mother could have even been a prostitute.
I don’t see her as a female Oliver Twist, the child who’s in the orphanage but should have been raised by their own wealthy family.
No. Frances was to be a real foundling, with a hard beginning. For an almost traditional look at someone who raised themselves up from their bootstraps, she is the one to look to.
Was Frances Originally Jewish?
The more I read about the Manchester Jewish Board of Guardians, the more I wonder if I could make her a Jewish child. Conversion of orphans in orphanages appears to have been pretty common at the time.
The Board of Guardians is developed in 1859, though, and I put her birth at 1858. But this can work for the story line.
So, prior to the creation of an appropriate orphanage to place a Jewish child in, the possibility is high that such a foundling would be put in a non-Jewish orphanage.
For a very young baby, which Frances would be, there really wouldn’t be anyone to object to someone just quietly baptizing her. But then again, who would ask about her ‘real’ origin, who would find out?
And why would it matter to them? It feels like a secret for the sake of having a secret. Which isn’t a good enough reason to include it. Ah, well.
Coming to America
In keeping with what really happened to some people, I wanted Frances to have kind of gotten to Boston in a roundabout way. Ceilidh means to go to Boston. But Frances? Not necessarily.
As she got older, the orphanage was clearly going to toss someone like her out on her ear. The orphanage wouldn’t necessarily care if she ended up working, married, turning tricks, or dead. They would simply want her bed for some other, younger child.
And so I decided there would be someone who would come and promise the older girls husbands if they left the country. This would be an irresistible offer for not only someone like Frances, but also for many other young girls like her and the orphanage itself.
But when they arrive in the United States, there are no waiting husbands. The promise was a false one. And so, rather, Frances and her cohorts become Lowell Girls, working for a mill in the area.
After she bides her time, eventually, she gets a day off and ventures into the big city of Boston. Frances has many advantages: a pleasant voice and demeanor, a high class-sounding accent to someone like Mrs. Edwards, and a willingness to work hard.
As a result, Frances gets a job in the scullery. She doesn’t keep in touch with the other girls, and has no idea what happened to them.
Her rise is slow, deliberate, and patient. I want it to feel believable. Frances knows the world does not owe her a living.
Frances Miller Ashford, a Description
So, Frances has dark eyes and dark brown curls. I always hear her as having a somewhat breathy voice. Her British accent is via Manchester. It is the kind of accent Americans generally think of when we think of British accents. Posh accents, that is.
She is not cockney and is not some latter-day Eliza Doolittle.
I recently decided on actress Margaret Qualley to be the face of Frances Miller. It was a bonus that Qualley appeared in a show called Maid!
The idea behind Frances is that she almost blends into the background in the beginning. But, of course, she ends up being a lot bigger and more important than that. Ceilidh is a big part of Frances coming into her own as, of course, Gregory Ashford is, too.
Quotes
Coming from Ballyvaughan, Ceilidh has never used indoor plumbing before. In this scene, Frances explains what to do: ~
Frances lifted the lid, and showed Ceilidh there was a lacquered wooden seat. “Now here’s all you do, see. You lift the lid like so and let it rest against the back here, see? And then you gather your skirts or your nightgown up and sit down, facing the back.”
“Right, yes, I see.”
“And you do your business, of course. Then you take a sheet of these papers and use it cleanse yourself.”
“What do you do with the paper afterwards?”
“You place it into the bowl, where you just did your business.”
“And then what do you do?”
“You see the lever, and the little frog pull?”
“Yes, ‘tis rather amusing.”
“You pull once and hold it for as long as it takes in your head, to say,” Frances giggled a little, “God Save the Queen.”
“Truly?”
“Truly!”
Relationships
Frances has two main relationships.
Plumber’s Assistant Gregory Ashford
Her romantic one is with her husband, Gregory Ashford. They meet when the plumber is called in, to clear away a clog in the bathroom shared by all the women servants. Gregory is the assistant. While fixing the toilet, he and Ceilidh talk a little. He asks her, “Who is the vision?”
Ceilidh asks for clarification, and he says the vision has brown curls. Ceilidh makes sure to tell Gregory that Frances is Miss Frances Miller.
For Frances, Gregory is utterly unexpected. She and Ceilidh are what anyone of the time would have called old maids. While Frances has always wished and hoped for a family, she is a practical person at heart. Her dreams of love would not necessarily come true.
And so Gregory is a pleasant surprise. He is also kind and gentle and truly cares for her. Frances gets a middle class life, and that is perfect for her.
Ceilidh O’Malley
The only other relationship (really) for Frances is her close friendship with Ceilidh. When Ceilidh arrives, unsure of whether she’ll get work, Frances is the one to help Ceilidh along and assure she gets a job as a scullery maid. Frances wants a friend, someone she can talk to.
No one else in the Edwards household can fill that need for her.
And so Frances kind of puts her thumb on the scale and rigs Ceilidh’s test to be hired. Without Frances and her help, Ceilidh would not have gotten such a good job. And certainly nowhere near as quickly.
The truest of friends, Ceilidh convinces Frances to give Gregory a chance, because plumbers will always have work, so she’ll never starve. Coming from grinding poverty, that’s an enormous plus, so far as Ceilidh is concerned.
The biggest bonus is when Gregory turns out not only to be all right, but to truly be an almost (this is the 1870s and 1880s we’re talking about) equal partner.
Other Servants
Just like Ceilidh and other women of the time, Frances is a victim of what today we would refer to as sexual harassment.
Donald Smith is nasty to everyone, and he leers at virtually every woman he sees. This comes to a stop when Gregory finally steps in and makes it clear that Frances is his girl. At least Donald backs off.
With the other servants, Frances is cordial but not overly friendly. There is nothing about the woman who Ceilidh ends up replacing. I never mention her by name, and neither does Frances. And so I feel we can conclude that the two women were not too terribly close.
Conflict and Turning Point
In the first book, The Real Hub of the Universe, the conflict and turning point for Frances are nearly the same as those for Ceilidh. Without getting too far into spoiler territory, the real issue is that both Ceilidh and Frances could have lost everything.
When Judge Lowell helps out, Frances realizes she’s come from nothing, but has come to have powerful friends.
Her gratitude goes beyond measure. She will do nearly anything to return the favor that’s been granted to her.
By the time the series ends, she has achieved a great deal of the middle class dream. In particular, in comparison to someone like the wealthy Margery Cabot Edwards, Frances has true happiness.
Continuity/Easter Eggs
Gregory’s Brighton, Massachusetts house ties in with, of all things, Mettle. It’s just down the street from the house where Craig and Mei-Lin find the solar panels—about 140 years later.
Also, as an expository character, she aligns somewhat with Ixalla from Untrustworthy. But only a little. Ixalla, after all, is well-educated. Frances, while she can ostensibly read and write, has what is likely what we would call dyslexic today.
Also, her name ties her directly to Josie James’s sixth-eldest sibling, Frances Farrah James Walsh.
But Francie is a professional ballerina, and has a divorce in her past. She shares custody of her daughter, Gina, with her ex-husband, Clayton. Francie Walsh lives on Titania, a Uranian moon. Her ex has main custody of Gina and they live on another Uranian moon, Umbriel.
And so Frances and Francie really just share a name, but nothing else.
Future Plans
I don’t really have future places for her, simply because the series is done. But never say never, for I did write a few short one-offs with her, Ceilidh, Gregory, and Devon. She may very well turn up again. Here’s hoping!
There are also enough hints that there could very well be a sequel series if I ever get a true plot together…
Frances as an old woman could be truly compelling. With her birth in 1858, she could conceivably live into the 1930s. Without it being too much of a stretch, that is. Her earlier, harder life could even give her an advantage during the Great Depression.
But she would still be about seventy-one when it starts, and that’s pretty old for that era. For a person with a difficult early life, even a survivor like Frances Miller Ashford might not live past her sixties, if that.
Frances Miller Ashford: Takeaways
Every main character needs a sidekick, a kind of bounce off person. Frances is that type of character. This survivor, against all odds, is still sweet and charming. This makes her one of the more optimistic characters I have ever written.
Frances Miller Ashford — because so many main characters need a true best friend.
Want More of Frances Miller Ashford?
If Frances resonates with you, then please check out my other articles about them, Ceilidh, Johnny, Devon, Frances, and everyone else as they work to prevent an alien war from destroying human civilization by way of collateral damage.
For editing part 2 let’s get past acting like your own biggest fan, like we did in Editing Part 1. Time to get out the scissors. Or the weedwhacker, as is the case.
More Editing Part 2 of a 2-Part Saga
So, let’s go to editing Part 2!
Now last time, we looked at some general issues surrounding editing. Although the process may seem daunting, it still must be done. For this post, I will assume you have done the tasks outlined in the first part.
If not, then this methodology will still work. But I think you’ll find you will need to do the preliminary steps anyway. Hence you might as well get them done now. Then it’s on to Editing Part 2.
Spell Check
Maybe it sounds dumb. Perhaps it’s obvious. But you still need to run a spell checker. Don’t have one? Then try a free spell checker online. But if you have a spellchecker in your application, use it.
Understand that certain typos will be a problem. If you type ‘that’ for ‘this’, it will not show up, as those are both real words. Hence your spellchecker provides only a preliminary solution. Have the program ignore names, in order to eliminate them from contention.
Find and Replace
Your find feature is a godsend; use it! Furthermore, if you use names which might have typical typos, try searching for them with ctrl-F.
For example, the main character in my 2015 NaNoWriMo novel had the name of Marnie. Hence I searched for the word ‘Marine’. But I made sure to check on usage before I hit ‘replace’.
This feature also works when you change a character’s name.
Find and Count
Do you overuse some expressions? Repetitive language isn’t bad. But too much of it is dull. Consider usage, and adjust repeated sentences accordingly.
That Attack
My good friend D. R. Perry taught me this one, and I love it. Have your program count how often you use the word ‘that’. Of course, it’s not a bad word outright. But overusing anything can be dull.
By counting this particular word, you get a handle on your use of certain idiomatic phrases. E. g. ‘he thought that’, ‘she said that’, ‘they felt that that was funny’.
In all three of these instances, the word ‘that’ can be cut without losing any sense.
Synonym Sweep
This time, search for the word ‘very’. As with ‘that’, the word is perfectly fine, despite what Stephen King says.
However, he is right (as was Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society) insofar as it’s a not so precise use of language. What’s better: ‘very big’ or ‘gigantic’? For a children’s book, probably the former. For any other kind of book, it may be the latter.
If you can clip the adverb and instead enhance the adjective with a better synonym, your writing will be more interesting. Stay away from obscure adjectives (e. g. ‘Brobdingnagian’).
Also, your characters can use all the adverbs they like when speaking. But try to cut them in your scene setting, your transitions, and your exposition.
That’s the first half of Editing Part 2. Now onto the second half.
Editing Part 2: It’s Time for the Fat Cutter
You’ve been doing this all along, with ‘that attack’ and ‘synonym sweep’. The idea is to excise unnecessary words. Unlike the former two methods, this one will require some reading. Up until now, everything has been done programmatically.
Now you need to do some digging. But first check how long your chapters are.
There is no hard and fast rule for chapter length, but if all of your chapters are 20 – 35 pages and one is 63, then that one might have some fat you can cut. Or maybe you can just split it into two or even three chapters.
Consider descriptive text and exposition. You need it, but how long does it have to be? Familiar places in the current time period probably just need a few words: downtown Detroit, the Great Barrier Reef, etc.
Or familiar places in the past need more but can still be pretty spare, such as Victorian-era London, or ancient Rome during Claudius Caesar’s reign.
Familiar places in the future need more but you can build on today: 2023 Berlin maybe has taller buildings, 3116 Istanbul might be enclosed in a geodesic dome. Transportation is likely a lot faster.
But unfamiliar places will need more lavish attention to detail. Consider this: metaphors and similes are your friends. The new planet might be as big as Saturn but without rings, and smell like wet dog.
Editing Part 2 of Scene Shifts and Plot Changes
These are much bigger and will take up a lot more of your time. Before you do either, you might want to consider whether your story can be understood by beta readers without doing either. If so, then keep this in mind (maybe take some notes) but don’t do it.
See what beta readers say. Maybe you won’t need to make such drastic changes at all.
Final Read-Through Before Betas
Give it one last read-through. Look for the right words in all the wrong places. E. g. a typo which turned out to be a correctly spelled word, so spellchecker missed it. Those can be devilishly hard to find, so look closely.
Look for sense and ease of understanding. Make sure your plot makes sense. Then kiss your manuscript good-bye (for the time being) and send it off to beta readers.
Post-Beta Readings and Editing Part 2
After betas, Editing Part 2 should be followed by a kind of Editing Part 3. Consider your betas’ advice. You don’t need to take it all, but do listen with an open mind. Do one last read-through and then send your work to a professional editor, if you can afford one.
Why should you, if you’ve done all this? Because you (or I) may have missed something. In addition, all this preliminary work was free. Your edited work will come back a lot faster and cleaner.
Then, and only then, can you consider querying.
Editing Part 2—yep, there was a part 1, as well. See below for the link.
Want More on Beta Reading and Editing?
If you want more on beta reading and editing, then please be sure to check out the following blog posts:
Consider Dez Hunter, One of My Original Characters
So, who is Dez Hunter?
Kitty and Mink were easy and I thought of them almost immediately. But then I needed a boyfriend for Kitty.
Where Did Dez Hunter Come From?
I first decided that Kitty’s boyfriend would be a kind of bad boy. So, Dez comes with the trappings—skateboard, attitude, and a sparse goatee. Then, when I was developing his father in particular, I realized that he and his father would not get along. This works to keep him where he is—and get Dad out of the picture.
The Past is Prologue — Backstory for Dez Hunter
The class bad boy is growing up in a working class home, his father on a construction crew, working as a supervisor. His mother is a diabetic. I haven’t decided if she was working outside the home. But either way, they could afford some discretionary spending.
Much like Kitty, he can’t be bothered to do class work. So when he and Kitty start dating, he gets in on Mink doing his homework. It’s probably the only way he’ll pass History.
At the start of the book, he’s sent to the principal’s office—and he makes it clear that this is not going to be his first detention.
Was he kicked out of his home before the power blew? Or did he leave more or less voluntarily? I confess even I’m not 100% certain.
Description
I like Dylan O’Brien from The Maze Runner. But I’m not 100% sold on him and could potentially be persuaded to choose another young actor for this look. For one thing, he’s probably already too old.
Purpose/Theme/Motivation
Dez provides two things that the other characters need for their very survival. The first is the air rifle (it’s a .22). Without it, things would have gotten a lot more desperate, a lot more quickly. Craig is the one who really knows how to use it. But he wouldn’t have one in the first place without Dez.
The other gets us heavily into spoiler territory. So, let’s just say that Dez’s physical strength become vital at just the right moment.
Quotes {Craig and Dez are talking; Craig speaks first}
“My pappy was sharp as a tack to the end. It is possible.” Craig looked at the mess of electronics skeptically. “When I was younger than you, I used to take stuff apart all the time. My momma didn’t know what to do with me. I’d take apart the TV remote, put it back together, stuff like that. Used to have pieces left over. It’s a big part of why I went into engineering. And I went into civil on account of a hankering to build bridges. The Army paid my way. Then I was introduced to a guy who worked at NASA. That’s more or less how I ended up there after retiring early from the Army. You got plans?”
“Do they matter?”
“You tell me.”
“I guess they do. I don’t know. Dad was pushing me to go to college or he’d put me in his construction crew.”
“Wait, did your parents leave without you?”
Relationships
Like everyone else in Mettle, Dez has a relationship of some sort with everyone. But these two are his closest relationships.
Dez and Kitty
Of course Kitty would have a boyfriend. But they don’t treat each other well at all. They aren’t truly together due to any real affection between them. Rather, for her, it’s being with a bad boy. And for him, it’s being with the hottest girl in the school. But when all is said and done, they really don’t have anything in common.
When she goes to seek FEMA aid, it’s got to be a relief for him.
Dez and Mink
I have kind of flirted with an idea of them getting together. But I really only hint at it. So, I leave it to the reader’s imagination. So, have at it!
Conflict and Turning Point
For Dez, the conflict and the turning point are the same as they are for the other characters in Mettle. When the power goes out, he becomes unmoored. But when his father becomes somewhat unhinged, Dez has to get out. So, he and Kitty go to Mink’s.
But this also means leaving his sick mother. With no power and no way to restore it, a diabetic like her is not going to survive. To Dez’s credit, at least he realizes this. But it’s still a bitter pill to swallow.
Continuity/Easter Eggs
He doesn’t really have any continuity with any other storylines. Dez exists on his own, more or less.
Future Plans for Dez Hunter
He will definitely show up in the prequel!
Dez Hunter: Takeaways
Dez almost fancies himself James Dean—if he knew who James Dean was, that is. And the events of Mettle give this rebel a rather good cause.
Dez Hunter — a character who was going the wrong way in life. But in the end, he gets a chance to shine.
Want More of Mettle?
If Mettle resonates with you, then check out my other blog posts about how changes in the periodic table nearly kill us all.
So, pocket conflicts are the kinds of conflicts which are tiny. They aren’t wars and they don’t lead to divorce or a firing. Instead, they are more about the speed of “who moved my cheese?”
Hence they are kind of trivial, yet they can add a lot of annoyance into anyone’s life. And they can add color and interest to your characters, too.
Sibling Rivalry
Because the sibling relationship is often fraught with conflict, it can be the perfect vehicle for these types of conflicts. And if you have ever seen two children in the back of a car arguing about who last touched whom (or if you have ever been either of those children), or who last sat in front, then you know exactly what I am talking about.
And sibling rivalry does not necessarily go away when the siblings have grown up. Old resentments can crop up even when going through a deceased parent’s things. And the ‘kids’ might even be in their sixties by then.
Work Relationships
Pocket conflicts abound at work. And it’s not just cheese moving. What happens when someone moves somebody else’s desk? Or maybe someone was passed over for a promotion. Furthermore, colleagues can resent when a person has a different schedule if they don’t know why.
If a parent has to drop their children off at daycare, and has permission to do so, then there’s every possibility that employee will, on occasion, be late. And that can create a conflict with that person’s coworkers if the boss doesn’t explain things properly.
And let’s not even get started with the kinds of conflicts that come from being vaccinated—or not.
Pocket Conflicts: Takeaways
Get your characters out of their comfort zones, but only a little bit. Because sometimes the small pebble in your shoe can hold your thoughts more than the metaphorical gunshot wound to your gut. And your characters should be no different, if you want them to seem real.
Consider Noah Braverman, One of My Original Characters
Who is Noah Braverman?
Noah Braverman is a linchpin character in Mettle. But he was downgraded from leading man status in favor of Craig Firenze.
Where Did Noah Braverman Come From?
Noah (like Josie James in the Time Addicts trilogy) actually lives in my house. Because Mettle takes place in my neighborhood, what better place but the one I know the best?
The Past is Prologue — Backstory for Noah Braverman
Noah has the best defined family in all of Mettle. Apart from Craig and Jeannie, and Nell with Gran, he is the only person who the reader ever sees with a family member.
Description
The only person I have ever seen for Noah is the actor David Schwimmer. In part, it’s the air of intelligence. Noah is no dope, even though he’s not a doctor like Elise Jeffries or Mei-Lin Quan, and he’s not a PhD like his mother, Eleanor.
It is also because I try to pair characters with actors who are similar in terms of background. I wanted only a Jewish actor to play this Jewish character.
And, it’s also because of Schwimmer’s hangdog look, which he should probably just patent already.
Purpose/Theme/Motivation
Noah doesn’t have the last name of Braverman by accident, of course. But his bravery is not based on anything like battle skills or the like.
Rather, it is based on trust. Without knowing much about most of the other characters, Noah takes in Craig and gets to know and truly love and appreciate people he would never normally run into, like Nell Murphy, Minka Lopez, and Dez Hunter.
In fact, he is one of the reasons why the story seems to not quite get started until chapter 7 or so. I needed for Noah to know Craig at least a little bit, for why would he take in a stranger to live with him, particularly while people are going nuts?
Quotes {the Power Outage is Happening; He is Taking Craig to Brighton}
Noah did a fast three-point turn, getting the car onto Cambridge Street and abandoning Storrow Drive altogether. He gunned the engine, running red lights and weaving in and out of traffic. “Sorry for the white-knuckle ride.”
“That’s fine. You’re handy with the jalopy.”
“I learned how to drive in this car. Hang on.”
Noah turned in front of St. Botolph’s where some flickering lights were still on. But other lights were going out all over the rest of the area. He gunned it down Adams, passing a drug store and a taco place before the car sputtered to a halt and died across the street from the organic market.
Noah and Craig got out. “This way,” Noah said, “Go here and then straight for a while. It’s a bit downhill, then left on Hancock, number three oh one if you can see anything. If you can’t, the house has smooth pillars in front.”
The two men strode quickly, Craig holding the carryon and Noah holding the briefcase. One by one, lights in the houses started going out. Striding turned into jogging and then full-blown running as they turned onto Hancock and all the lights went out and even ambient car noises went silent.
Relationships
Much like any other character, Noah has interactions with the main cast, but he also has pointed and more important ones with a select few.
Noah and Elise
Best pals for years, he has a bit of thing for her but she doesn’t really reciprocate. It’s not that she doesn’t care. It’s more that she just plain does not feel a spark with him.
But they can clown around and kid each other, and they do a lot of that. Elise is also pretty much the only person who Noah knows by name in his neighborhood, apart from the people he lives with.
And speaking of them…
Noah and Olga
Olga Nicolaev is the caregiver for Noah’s mother, and she has a semi-thankless job as Eleanor slips deeper and deeper into Alzheimer’s.
Noah involves Olga in care decisions about Eleanor and trusts (there’s that word again) her wise counsel. And this is despite the fact that Olga has major issues with English.
Yet when the story starts, and throughout it, she refers to him as Mr. Braverman whereas he calls her by her first name. Now, that is pretty much something you would expect in a relationship between and employer and employee, but still!
Considering the intimacy of their lives together (nothing romantic), you would think he would insist on her calling him Noah.
But he never gets a chance to.
Noah and Eleanor
An exceptionally devoted son, Noah has never actually left home. Rather, when his father died and his mother became ill, the best response was to simply stay.
However, when the story starts, he is getting a little tired of Eleanor continually asking about his late father. She doesn’t know any better, of course. And he does have a great deal of patience. But his reservoirs of it are not without limit.
Conflict and Turning Point
Noah’s turning points are virtually the same as those for the other characters in the story. When it seems as if the entire world has gone mad, he has but one purpose—to get home. There is nothing else he can think about.
And this should follow for a character who is, in part, defined by family and home.
Continuity/Easter Eggs
Noah isn’t really the one with the Easter egg. It’s his mother, whose maiden name is Shapiro.
Future Plans for Noah Braverman
I do not have any future plans for him, but he will show up in the prequel, as will the rest of the cast.
Noah Braverman: Takeaways
Noah Braverman is a somewhat different kind of hero, sort of a hero as homebody, if you will. While Craig turned out to be the lead, it’s Noah who holds the story together.
Mettle would fall apart without him.
Noah Braverman — the character who brings everyone together.
Want More of Noah Braverman and the Rest of Mettle?
If Mettle resonates with you, then check out my other blog posts about how changes in the periodic table nearly kill us all.
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