Why is the hero an elderly man?
A hero is usually young and err… heroic. Harry Lawton seems a bit unlikely, but this was not a mistake.
- I wanted him to be old enough to have served in the War
- He had to be old enough to have had a grown-up son
- His being near to retirement played a part in the story
- It was useful that some of his attitudes were a bit old-fashioned, even in the 1970’s
On the other hand, I didn’t want him to be too old to be able to cope with some physical situations or to have a romance, even with a much younger woman.
Why is my hero a solicitor?
- I wanted someone who was not a police officer but who was involved in the judicial system enough to be able to open up a cold case and spot the flaws in the original investigation and in the defence.
- It was important that he was middle class so as to create a contrast with his client.
- It was useful that he was not too tied to an office or other workplace, as he had to be able to follow up leads at short notice.
Why was my hero a widower?
- I wanted him to be able to have a romance without being an adulterer.
- He had to have had a family sometime in the past.
- There needed to be a reason for his being down, and the loss of his wife was part of it, although there was more.
Is Harry your kind of hero?
I have written about DOWN previously and now have looked at the principal character. I hope you want to meet him by now, but if the above doesn’t quite answer that question, perhaps you need to read DOWN?
Here is the cover of DOWN. Read it to meet the hero.