45 Master Characters (39 page)

By trying to help and instead messing things up even more.

By getting caught by the bad guys and making the hero drop the goal to save the Lover.

If your hero falls in love with someone not deemed acceptable in the world of your story, that can cause a whole number of obstacles and subtext. How would the world or society of your story react to:

• A homosexual relationship?
  

• A relationship with extreme age differences?
  

• A relationship between different races?
  

• A relationship between two classes?
  

What kind of relationship do they have?

The Lover can be the exact opposite of the hero, bringing balance into her life.

The Lover can fill the void left by a parent if the hero didn't feel loved as a child.

The Lover can be domineering and controlling or sensitive and easygoing.

The Lover can play a small part in the hero's life until her world comes crashing down around her.

Think about how you introduce the Lover, in your story. The first time we meet the Lover, the relationship between him and the hero should be established. The Lover is the one character who demands a certain way of being treated. You wouldn't think badly of a hero who snubs her friend when she's busy, but you'd think badly of a hero who snubs her lover for any reason. The Lover is supposed to hold a special place with the hero; if he doesn't we need to know why, because it will tell us something about the hero's personality. If she treats him like a best friend then maybe she has trouble with commitment.

The Lover in action:

Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) in
Star Wars
is Luke Skywalker's love interest with a strong will of her own.

Toto in
The Wizard of Oz
has Dorothy's unconditional love, and she risks all to save him.

R
ivals are friendly adversaries out to “get” the hero. They dislike the hero but aren't the antagonists in the story because they don't oppose the hero's goal; they just create conflict and problems for the hero along the way. They don't mean harm but enjoy messing things up for the hero because it gives them something to do. They may even be upset if the hero wasn't there to “play” with any more. Think of Newman on
Seinfeld
.

Very often a rival's hatred for the hero is unconscious. He may think he's helping the hero to reach his goal, but in reality he's sabotaging every effort the hero makes. The Jester fits here nicely. He would unconsciously break things and ruin the “treasure map” before the hero finds the “treasure.” Now the hero must find another way.

On the other hand, an enemy's hatred can be completely conscious, as in the case of the Nemesis, who waits for an opportunity to get even with the hero. Think of Carla (Rhea Perlman) on
Cheers
, who is always causing trouble for Diane (Shelley Long) when she has other problems to deal with.

Rivals may help out the antagonist at times but only up to a certain point. They relish their power to thwart the hero in his quest, but when it comes down to real danger and possible harm against the hero they'll often back away, not meaning to hurt anyone
that
much. It's just a friendly game to them.

All Rivals share the same reasons as to why they dislike the hero:

He could have always felt as if he's in competition with the hero.

He could be jealous of what the hero has and unconsciously doesn't want to see him attain more.

He could feel as if the hero thinks he's better than him and set out to put him down at every opportunity.

He can feel that he's justified in stopping the hero because his beliefs tell him the hero is wrong. He can believe that he's fighting for a greater cause.

He can feel that he's smarter than the hero and knows best, and that it's his job to teach the hero a lesson.

He could just enjoy holding power over the hero, like a taunting school bully.

There are six types of supporting rivals:

• The Joker
  

• The Jester
  

• The Nemesis
  

• The Investigator
  

• The Pessimist
  

• The Psychic
  

The Joker is a troublemaker with a sharp wit. He loves to tell jokes about and play pranks on the hero. Life is laughter and fun to him. He basks in the attention a good joke brings him because it makes him feel like the center of attention.

He can be very obnoxious, loud and boisterous. Just when the hero is on the verge of a breakthrough, the Joker arrives and messes up the hero's thought processes with his jokes and games. Or just as another character is about to confess something really important, the Joker comes in and changes the conversation. He may not even realize he has done this. He thinks he's helping people to loosen up and “de-stress.”

The Joker is somewhat self-absorbed because he only cares about laughter and levity — which is what he wants. If someone else is upset and trying to express her emotions, he'll interject comedy into the situation to make himself feel more comfortable. He can't be in a scene without making a joke, and someone had better laugh
with
him or he'll turn angry and say harsh things. Somehow he comes to know people's secrets and will use them as a weapon if he feels humiliated.

The Joker can create conflict for the hero:

By needing so much attention that he drives the hero crazy.

By causing the hero to go out of his way to avoid him so he loses an opportunity to attain the goal.

By playing a joke on the hero that takes him further away from his goal.

By giving others false information on the hero to cause more trouble between the hero and others.

The Joker in Action:

Sam Malone in
Cheers
uses jokes about women to avoid intimacy.