The Journey of Character Creation: How Trauma and Empathy Inspire Fiction
Traumatic events are often felt by more than those who experienced it firsthand. Here, author James Polkinghorn shares how trauma and empathy can inspire fiction and help in creating character.
The inspiration for a novel can come in many forms. Writers mention events in their own lives, things they’ve observed as experienced by others, newspaper headlines, police blotters, historical events, and even their own dreams and fantasies when asked this very question. The actual inspiration is less important than what follows, but in order for the result to matter, for it to express something meaningful to both the author and the reader, the germ of an idea that brings a novel forth must be something that actually inspires, that motivates the writer to carry on hour after hour, to toil when no one is watching, in an effort to convey meaning to an unknown audience.
In the case of Liquid Shades of Blue, I had long been interested in the effects of emotional trauma on the lives of people who experienced it but also on the lives of the people who were sideswiped by it—who were not the authors of the tragedy but were traumatized by it, nonetheless. There was nothing specific in my own life that triggered this interest beyond the events common to us all and the accumulation of empathy resulting from the experiences of my friends.
What struck me in a way I had never previously considered was my observation that trauma that is survived not only affects the present lives of the parties to it and the lives they will live going forward, but also their previous lives and the way they interact with the past in their memories and ability to recall. What once seemed clear became hazy; what once was dim is now bathed in light.
This phenomenon caused me to imagine scenarios permitting me an opportunity for exploration. The first forays on this path were unsatisfying because the result was more of a puzzle than a coherent story that could move a reader. Then it occurred to me that what would best ignite the process was a character finding his own way along the same path of discovery as events unfolded around him.
After that, it became a matter of fleshing out an actual person–in this case, Jack Girard–and imagining the qualities and traits that would make his journey relatable if not instructive. The plot grew from imagining the kinds of interactions that would bring his emotional evolution into focus. Having him confront a tragic mystery placed at his feet in a way he could not ignore seemed the best way to move him forward.
In this way, the characters in the book, or at least most of them, were developed before I knew their fates or how their choices would determine their fates. Once they were set in motion, the story itself appeared on the pages and the writing flowed easily.
I know with certainty that this is not how many books appear on the drawing board. Many authors very successfully create factual riddles of great depth and complexity before even considering who will do the work of solving them. But there are many ways to achieve a result that is satisfying to both the writer and the reader.
The process of creating Liquid Shades of Blue originated in the context of a busy legal career requiring substantial time and energy. The book was therefore the result of meditative noodling about emotional suffering and its effects during infrequent breaks in the action over a period of years. I probably can’t duplicate the process, but I can see that for me, character creation and development will remain the fundamental task at the outset.
James Polkinghorn is a lawyer and partner in a national law firm specializing in labor and employment law. He has extensive trial and litigation experience in multiple jurisdictions throughout the country. A Pittsburgh native, Polkinghorn moved with his family to Florida in high school, where he has since stayed. He has a degree in political science and a law degree from the University of Florida. He now lives in Key West with his wife, Becki, and their dog, Major Tom. Liquid Shades of Blue is his first novel. Learn more at JamesPolkinghorn.com.
