You Created Him, Now Deal with Him

[Peg Herring]

I've seen it lots of times. An author creates a character who is startlingly unique: lovable but odd enough to make readers want to know all about him. But how does his uniqueness work within the story, how does it make the story go?

Unique character traits have to move the plot along or they're worse than wasted, they're showing off. But as your English teacher taught you all those years ago, the world an author creates has to have rules, and the rules have to make sense to the reader. So if your character can hear the dead speak, you have to deal with what happens when she drives past a cemetery.

An excellently unique character is Dean Koonz' Odd Thomas. I've read all of the series despite the fact that I don't like the plots much. I simply love Odd. He's, well, odd, but it's such a compelling oddness that I care what happens, even when he's fighting demons that I don't believe in or antagonists powerful beyond credibility. He's truly himself at all times, often unwilling but nevertheless determined. And the sweetness and humility with which he accepts his "gift" is both humorous and heart-wrenching.

I was prepared to dislike Dexter (from *Darkly Dreaming Dexter)*, but I found that same compelling uniqueness about him. He knows and accepts himself for what he is: more than odd, even outside the bounds of humanity. He struggles with it, and I found myself caring about that struggle, too.

So go ahead and create yourself a sleuth who is a bipolar kleptomaniac with post-traumatic stress syndrome. Just understand that he has to remain true to what you've created and still be, if not likeable, at least someone your readers care about.