Scary Good Tool 12: The Three Howies
Great characters make great reading
So now that we know how to create suitable names for our characters, we need to learn how to make them memorable.
Why?
Characters in stories need to be memorable. Think about it. Who could forget Long John Silver the one-legged pirate from Robert Louis Stevenson’s book, Treasure Island or the Big Friendly Giant from Roald Dahl’s The BFG?
He sure is hard to forget the way he talked so funny and had those big ears. And let’s not forget Dr. Irving Lippman.
Why?
Characters in stories need to be memorable. Think about it. Who could forget Long John Silver the one-legged pirate from Robert Louis Stevenson’s book, Treasure Island or the Big Friendly Giant from Roald Dahl’s The BFG?
He sure is hard to forget the way he talked so funny and had those big ears. And let’s not forget Dr. Irving Lippman.
Dr. Irving Lippman? I never heard of him.
When I was five years old, he lanced a boil on my butt.
And just how does that make him memorable?
You’ve never had a boil lanced on your butt, have you?
No, and I’d rather not think about it. Now back to the subject. What makes a character memorable, Bonefish?
I don’t know, but I have a feeling that you have a story that’s gonna tell me.
That's right. Now pay attention and you’ll learn three things you need to know to create delightfully good characters.
When I was five years old, he lanced a boil on my butt.
And just how does that make him memorable?
You’ve never had a boil lanced on your butt, have you?
No, and I’d rather not think about it. Now back to the subject. What makes a character memorable, Bonefish?
I don’t know, but I have a feeling that you have a story that’s gonna tell me.
That's right. Now pay attention and you’ll learn three things you need to know to create delightfully good characters.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jerkel
and the Threes Howies.
Dr. Henry Jerkel and his friend the lawyer Mr. Udderson sat in his parlor. Blue smoke from their pipes swirled above their heads. Dr. Jerkel set his cup of tea down on the table and leaned forward. “I tell you, Udderson. A person’s character is made up of three parts and I mean to separate them.”
The lawyer sipped a glass of wine. “Nonsense. You can't just take a person's character apart like you're dissecting a frog."
“Oh, but I can, Udderson. I'm close. Very close to developing a serum that does just that.” He nibbled the crust off his toast.
“Come, come now, Henry, surely, these are some things best left alone.”
Dr. Jerkel sniffed. “Think of it, Udderson. Take a man who dresses in ragged clothes and keeps himself unkempt, but has a clever mind and impeccable manners. With my formula, you can separate how he looks from how he acts and how he thinks. Once you've separated one from the other two, you can fix the problem.”
“Nonsense. It can't be done."
“Or take a man who forecloses on the mortgage of a poor widow. He doesn't think he’s bad even when he’s throwing her out into the street. He thinks he’s doing the right thing. Now if we can separate how he thinks from how he acts and how he looks, we can change his thinking and give him a heart of gold.”
“Henry dear fellow, I admire your intent.”
"Think of it. A man with a habit of picking his teeth with his pinky unnerves a fellow after a time. Separate the way he acts from how he thinks and looks and the habit can be broken.”
Udderson tapped the ashes out of his pipe. He tugged his watch from his pocket and looked at the time. “This is all very interesting, Henry, but I must be going.”
“Goodnight to you then,” Dr. Jerkel said. He rubbed the back of his neck.
Udderson slipped on his waistcoat. “All this work can’t be are good for you. You need to go out, Henry. Go dancing.”
“Dancing is a waste of time. Goodnight, Udderson."
The lawyer shrugged and stepped out into the foggy night.
Dr. Jerkel was tired, but had work to do. He hurried into his laboratory. He studied his notes and began mixing chemicals. Soon he had a test tube full of bubbling red liquid.
"I'll show you, Udderson. The character of a person can be separated into three parts." He stared at the bubbling red liquid for just a moment and then gulped it down his throat.
At first, nothing happened, just a burning sensation in his stomach. And then he started to vibrate violently. He felt as if he was coming apart at the seams. He fainted.
When he awakened, Dr. Jerkel was gone. In his place stood three men. One of them was dressed in a professor’s cap and gown. The second man wore a dressing gown and stage makeup. He bore a resemblance to the great actor Sir Lawrence Hambone. The third man stood in front of a mirror and admired himself.
There was a knock on the door. Udderson stepped into the room. “Sorry to intrude, Henry, but I forgot my hat... Zounds, who are you gentlemen and where is Henry Jerkel?"
The professor said, “I am Howie Thinks.”
The actor said, "I am Howie Acts.”
The vain man said, "I am Howie Looks."
The color in the lawyer’s face drained. “Oh my word, he did it. He separated the three parts that make up a person’s character.”
"Yes, it is true," Howie Thinks said. “I am how Dr. Jerkel thinks. I believe science is the answer to everything. I think dancing is a waste of time. I never drink wine because it robs the brain of cells.”
Udderson turned to the man in the stage makeup. “And you are how he acts?”
The actor nodded. “But of course. I lean forward in my chair when I have something important to say. I eat toast crust first. I sniff when I encounter foolishness. I rub the back of my neck when I'm tired."
“That's Henry Jerkel all right. And you. You are how he looks?”
“Yes, notice the mole on my cheek, the brown wave of my hair, the emerald green of my eyes. See how my coat is frayed at the cuffs because appearance is not important to me.”
“That's true,” Udderson said. “Henry never cared about his appearance. That was part of his character. Gadzooks, he did it. He really did it. He separated how a person thinks, acts and looks. Dr. Jerkel has become the Three Howies.”
“There is only one problem," Howie Thinks said. “Dr. Jerkel never thought of an antidote.”
Udderson removed his topper from the hat rack. He opened the door. “I told him some things are best left alone. Good night."
He tapped on his hat, shrugged, and disappeared into the foggy night.
The professor said, “I am Howie Thinks.”
The actor said, "I am Howie Acts.”
The vain man said, "I am Howie Looks."
The color in the lawyer’s face drained. “Oh my word, he did it. He separated the three parts that make up a person’s character.”
"Yes, it is true," Howie Thinks said. “I am how Dr. Jerkel thinks. I believe science is the answer to everything. I think dancing is a waste of time. I never drink wine because it robs the brain of cells.”
Udderson turned to the man in the stage makeup. “And you are how he acts?”
The actor nodded. “But of course. I lean forward in my chair when I have something important to say. I eat toast crust first. I sniff when I encounter foolishness. I rub the back of my neck when I'm tired."
“That's Henry Jerkel all right. And you. You are how he looks?”
“Yes, notice the mole on my cheek, the brown wave of my hair, the emerald green of my eyes. See how my coat is frayed at the cuffs because appearance is not important to me.”
“That's true,” Udderson said. “Henry never cared about his appearance. That was part of his character. Gadzooks, he did it. He really did it. He separated how a person thinks, acts and looks. Dr. Jerkel has become the Three Howies.”
“There is only one problem," Howie Thinks said. “Dr. Jerkel never thought of an antidote.”
Udderson removed his topper from the hat rack. He opened the door. “I told him some things are best left alone. Good night."
He tapped on his hat, shrugged, and disappeared into the foggy night.
That was a humdinger of a yarn, Mr. Butt. I just hope that Dr. Jerkel has some money saved.
Why is that, Bonefish?
Because his food bill just tripled.
Another useless tidbit of information. Thank you, Bonefish. Now back to the Three Howies. In the story, Dr. Jerkel knew that a person's character is made up of three parts just as a Scary Good Writer knows that a good character is made up of the Three Howies.
Howie Thinks, Howie Acts and Howie Looks.
Precisely, Bonefish. Now let's see if you can create a delightfully good character using the Three Howies. But first I'm going to write a short scene that characterizes a villain named Divinia Gretch by how she acts, how she looks and how she thinks, not necessarily in that order.
Wait a minute. Wouldn’t that be using the Three How-she’s? How-she thinks and How-she acts and How-she looks?
The Three Howies is just a way to remember to build characters by how they look, act and think. But if you want to use the three How-she’s for a female character, by all means use them. Just make sure you show how she looks, acts and thinks to make her come to life.
Check out my example:
Why is that, Bonefish?
Because his food bill just tripled.
Another useless tidbit of information. Thank you, Bonefish. Now back to the Three Howies. In the story, Dr. Jerkel knew that a person's character is made up of three parts just as a Scary Good Writer knows that a good character is made up of the Three Howies.
Howie Thinks, Howie Acts and Howie Looks.
Precisely, Bonefish. Now let's see if you can create a delightfully good character using the Three Howies. But first I'm going to write a short scene that characterizes a villain named Divinia Gretch by how she acts, how she looks and how she thinks, not necessarily in that order.
Wait a minute. Wouldn’t that be using the Three How-she’s? How-she thinks and How-she acts and How-she looks?
The Three Howies is just a way to remember to build characters by how they look, act and think. But if you want to use the three How-she’s for a female character, by all means use them. Just make sure you show how she looks, acts and thinks to make her come to life.
Check out my example:
Divinia Gretch stood at the window of her penthouse apartment. She looked down her long nose and sneered at the people below her. She sucked her yellow teeth. Look at them, she thought, those scurrying ants awaiting a queen to lead them. She headed for her laboratory. The spidery trail of her black dress slithered across the floor behind her. It’s time to execute Divinia’s plan to save the world, she thought. She coiled her skeletal fingers into a small bony fist. “Long live the queen,” she whispered. She sucked her teeth and smirked. “Long live Queen Divinia.”
I don't like her, Mr. Butt. She sounds dangerous.
She's supposed to sound dangerous. She's a villain. Notice how she refers to herself in the third person as if she were a queen already. She’s arrogant. That’s how this character thinks.
And she sucks her yellow teeth. That’s annoying and kind of disturbing. I didn’t like it.
Just what I intended. Giving a character a nasty habit like sucking her yellow teeth will bother the reader after a time and make the character unlikable. It also shows how the character of Divinia Gretch acts.
I noticed you used Howie Looks to describe her.
Certainly, check out the sinister adjectives black and spidery to describe her clothes. And skeletal fingers and yellow teeth are disturbing.
Yeah, how she looks makes her kind of creepy.
I also use action verbs like slithered, sneered and smirked to add to the picture of this villain.
Hey, Mr. Butt, I just noticed something. You're using the lessons you taught us on sensory words, showing not telling, and precise adjectives.
Of course I'm using the lessons I taught, why do you think I teach them? That's the way to keep the reader reading.
So could I do the same thing using the Three Howies?
Let's see you try.
I don't like her, Mr. Butt. She sounds dangerous.
She's supposed to sound dangerous. She's a villain. Notice how she refers to herself in the third person as if she were a queen already. She’s arrogant. That’s how this character thinks.
And she sucks her yellow teeth. That’s annoying and kind of disturbing. I didn’t like it.
Just what I intended. Giving a character a nasty habit like sucking her yellow teeth will bother the reader after a time and make the character unlikable. It also shows how the character of Divinia Gretch acts.
I noticed you used Howie Looks to describe her.
Certainly, check out the sinister adjectives black and spidery to describe her clothes. And skeletal fingers and yellow teeth are disturbing.
Yeah, how she looks makes her kind of creepy.
I also use action verbs like slithered, sneered and smirked to add to the picture of this villain.
Hey, Mr. Butt, I just noticed something. You're using the lessons you taught us on sensory words, showing not telling, and precise adjectives.
Of course I'm using the lessons I taught, why do you think I teach them? That's the way to keep the reader reading.
So could I do the same thing using the Three Howies?
Let's see you try.
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Lesson Review
Did you have fun creating a villain, Bonefish?
Oh, yeah. It was great fun. Listen to this: Mr. Eck sat on the couch he called Bessie because the leather came from the family’s pet cow. His strange eyes looked like a shattered marbles, all jagged spikes of color. His black hair was as slick as snakeskin. He took off his shoes and began picking his toenails. He spread the toe jam on a piece of toast and ate it. And then he picked his friend’s toenails and spread his toe jam on a piece of toast.
Oh, yeah. It was great fun. Listen to this: Mr. Eck sat on the couch he called Bessie because the leather came from the family’s pet cow. His strange eyes looked like a shattered marbles, all jagged spikes of color. His black hair was as slick as snakeskin. He took off his shoes and began picking his toenails. He spread the toe jam on a piece of toast and ate it. And then he picked his friend’s toenails and spread his toe jam on a piece of toast.
Stop right there, Bonefish. You started out great using Howie thinks and Howie looks. The leather couch shows what Mr. Eck thinks about using animals for his pleasure. And the description of his eyes and hair make him sound sinister.
Thank you.
Then you went overboard with how he acts. A little toe picking is great, but then eating the toe jam... that's horrifying.
Have you ever had toe jam on toast? It's tasty.
Most people wouldn't think so. It distracts the reader and takes him away from the story. Remember you want to keep your reader reading so make your character jump off the page using the Three Howies. Try again.
Mr. Eck sat on the couch he called Bessie because the leather came from his family’s pet cow. His strange eyes looked like shattered marbles, all jagged spikes of color. His black hair was as slick as snakeskin. He stuck a toothpick between his brown cigarette-stained teeth and stared at his plans for robbing the bank. Mr. Eck scratched his scruffy cheek and smiled coldly. This is going to work quite well, he thought. I might even get to shoot a guard or two if they get in the way. He wiped his runny nose on the sleeve of his striped shirt and cursed the cold he caught two days ago. At that moment, he didn't know an ill-timed sneeze would land him in prison for 15 years.
That was wonderful. You used action-in-the-moment, adjectives, and sensory words to illustrate the Three Howies and create a character that the reader doesn't like. Excellent, Bonefish. Now, we move on to our most important lesson.
Thank you.
Then you went overboard with how he acts. A little toe picking is great, but then eating the toe jam... that's horrifying.
Have you ever had toe jam on toast? It's tasty.
Most people wouldn't think so. It distracts the reader and takes him away from the story. Remember you want to keep your reader reading so make your character jump off the page using the Three Howies. Try again.
Mr. Eck sat on the couch he called Bessie because the leather came from his family’s pet cow. His strange eyes looked like shattered marbles, all jagged spikes of color. His black hair was as slick as snakeskin. He stuck a toothpick between his brown cigarette-stained teeth and stared at his plans for robbing the bank. Mr. Eck scratched his scruffy cheek and smiled coldly. This is going to work quite well, he thought. I might even get to shoot a guard or two if they get in the way. He wiped his runny nose on the sleeve of his striped shirt and cursed the cold he caught two days ago. At that moment, he didn't know an ill-timed sneeze would land him in prison for 15 years.
That was wonderful. You used action-in-the-moment, adjectives, and sensory words to illustrate the Three Howies and create a character that the reader doesn't like. Excellent, Bonefish. Now, we move on to our most important lesson.
I'm feeling rather sad. You're almost done.
