Welcome to my newsletter!

"In a world where character is everything...
What Are The Three Musketeers of Storytelling?"

Grab a drink and sit back, Reader,

This one is going to be a bit long because it’s about character creation, a little bit about research, and a little bit about the foundation that one can build with backstory.

I want to take a little time to emphasize a point (or two or three) about the importance of character, research, and backstory.

I’ll use my Blackjack series — and get in a shameless plug at the same time.

Character. In order to create a series that’s survived some 30 years, I not only had to create the lead character, but I had to build the people around him — at least the core group. His parents. His sister. His friends. It was important that he have a sibling, a sister. She needed to be older than him and as resourceful and daring as he was — but in a different way.

It was important for me to know how he related to his mother and the different ways he related to his father. And what kind of impression each of them made on him. In particular, his mother for the religion (even though he’s not religious), and his father for bravery, daring, and being a bit of a force. Fearless — or at least someone who faces fear head-on. His mother taught him a bit of that, too, but in a different way.

Research — I had to know as much as possible about the era. Why? Because life was different then — in the 1930s. Not only life in general, in society, in the United States, and in Europe, but also life for a Black person. A person of color. A non-Caucasian. Certainly different, in some ways that even some present people don’t quite comprehend.

And I had to know something about the music, the clothing, the vehicles, the modes of transportation — even the time it took to get from one place to another.

His backstory — his upbringing — what was that like? How much education did he have, and what kind? What were his relationships beyond his family, and at what point in his life? How much or how little did they matter? What influence did they have on him?

Religion — I mentioned that his mother was the more religious member of the family. His sister, a bit too. But his father wasn’t. How did that affect him? What did that do to the young boy — let alone the young man he became?

What were his wins? Losses? Flaws and blessings? What were his ethics — and how and why did he develop them?

A big question that Arron Day faced — many of us face — is: What is the goal? One could say: “What are our goals?” But in his case, what is his main goal? What does he want the most? What is he willing to do to get it? What is he willing to sacrifice — or not?

Who are the most important people in his life — the ones he would crawl over broken glass to get to, if they needed him? What’s the line in the sand he won’t cross? And does he know it yet?

These are the things that make up a character who started out in comic books. Later, made it into short stories and anthologies. He’s being shopped around in L.A. He may wind up on the stage — because I have a plot and plan for a stage play about him.

As far as I’m concerned, there isn’t any place in the entertainment medium that Arron Day — Blackjack — can’t go. Doesn’t fit in. And I think more than ever I need to tell his stories — for myself (reasons I’ll go into another time), and because of the times we’re living in.

I had to make a decision that, although this is a fictionalized character, I would try very hard to mention or highlight certain historical facts and figures in as many of his stories as possible.

Why? For reasons that become more important daily.

So what can you dedicate yourself to in your work?

My friend Chris Ryan often says — quoting Stephen King — it’s the idea that won’t leave you alone. That keeps tapping you on the shoulder, insisting that you work with it.

Arron Day has always insisted that. And I’ve been an extremely willing partner in the process.

What’s your insistent idea? What story — and what character — is demanding that you let them out into the world?

Give that some thought.

Then take action.

And while you’re at it, pick up a free copy of one of the short stories I’ve done on Blackjack. If you like that, go for the other five. Click on the link below.

BLACKJACK: SPEC OPS 6 - Six Adventures. One soldier of fortune. At 20 - 1 odds.

See you next week.

Best,

Alex Simmons

PS: Remember to celebrate your work.⁠

CASE in point (pun intended) ... ⁠

The NEW Release of my SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY PLAY IS HERE!

ON AMAZON

From the anthology that included Amiri Baraka & August Wilson...⁠

Now, a theatrical mystery all its own.⁠

Sherlock Holmes and the Hands of Othello is ...

🕯️ Ghosts. Assassins. Secrets. A murder that echoes through history swirls around the family of a Black theater family.

Inspired by the real-life experiences of Ira Aldridge.