A month or so ago I managed to get hooked on a TV series. It doesn’t happen very often because I don’t tend to park myself in front of the TV too much. And that generally goes double for PBS. I think I was caught unawares as I flipped through the channels that fateful Sunday evening. I don’t recall what scene it was that caused me pause, but that night stirred something in me and I’ve not looked back. I’m talking about the hit series on PBS, Downton Abbey.
Downton Abbey revolves around the life of Lord and Lady Grantham, their daughters and the servants of an English Manor in the early part of the 20th Century. This Edwardian period is rich with luxury, extravagance and protocol.
As I watched the show last week, it occurred to me that what attracts me are all of the elements that I find to be necessary in a good book.
Setting
The best books are those that pick us up and set us squarely in a scene that fills and entices all of our senses. We are there. While watching Downton Abbey, I feel like I am wandering the halls of this expansive manor. The wall art, sculptures, wardrobe and furniture are key to the authenticity of the series. I also think that in no small way, they are also what attracts and keeps viewers. A good fiction writer does the same thing as they create the environment for their characters. Keep this in mind as you create scenes. Details matter. Writers, do what you can to put your readers in the same room as your characters. Make it so they don’t want to leave.
Characters
There is an old song by Queen called Find Me Somebody To Love. When someone buys your book, whether they know it or not, they are telling you Find Me Somebody To Love. You do that through the creation of characters that are human. Human with all of their wonderful flaws and traits. Character development is one of the hardest things we do as writers. Flat characters will bore, irritate and turn off readers, editors and agents.
In terms of Downton Abbey, the characters are true, multi-faceted and human in every way. I’ll choose just one example. Lord Grantham is without a doubt my favorite character. As Lord of Downton you may expect a stuffy and dour curmudgeon, arrogant and unapproachable. The brilliant writers of the series have created someone just the opposite. While he is obviously proper and protocol driven, he exudes a human side that is remarkable. He makes no apology for his status. He is an admirable gentleman and inspires fierce loyalty from his family, servants and viewers. His character is one worth aspiring to. This same kind of richness of character is found in all of the players in the series and contributes greatly to the enjoyment of the series. You need to put this kind of attention to detail into the development of all your characters. Hey, nobody said being a writer was easy.
Conflict
I remember what set my mind to writing this post. One particularly turd-headed character was getting ready to make life a bit of hell for one my fav people, Bates. I thought Man, why do they even have this person here? All they do is make life miserable for the good people! Oh, right. that would be an antagonist. The bad guy. The opposite to my good guy. A palm-slap to the forehead and an uttered, “Duh.” Regardless of your novel’s genre or story line, you need conflict. You need a protagonist to root for and a bad guy to curse. Downton delivers this in spades. I’ve jumped out of my chair, arms raised, yelling, “YES” when Lady Grantham squashed the plotting of an underling. I’ve cursed when it looked as if a nefarious scoundrel was going to get away with something. Conflict is good. It is what a reader needs to turn pages.
I’m not saying that this remarkable TV series will be every writer’s cup of tea. Do yourself a favor though, and watch at least one episode. Pay attention to the setting and the characters. You might be surprised at what you find to incorporate into your writing.
