One popular stock character in books and film is the nosy neighbor.
Have you had a nosy neighbor before? They collect a hodgepodge of random and fairly useless information about their neighbors. If you’ve had plumbing problems, dirty carpets, or electrical problems, they’re sure to spot the van in your driveway and make a note of it. Have family over to visit? They’ll know that too–or at least that you have someone over and they’ll speculate who they are until they finally break down and ask you.
I’ve had a nosy neighbor before. She’d call up our house and ask if everything was all right: she’d seen my husband’s car there–was he home sick from work? Was the baby okay? Did I need a casserole?
Nosy neighbors? They exist. And not only in books and on TV.
The Mysterious Matters blog is written by an anonymous editor….or, maybe, publisher, of a smaller press. In the post, Ten Characters to Put Out to Pasture, he made a list of ten stock characters he’s tired of reading.
The nosy neighbor isn’t on there, but a garrulous neighbor is.
His points are valid ones. Here is his list:
The pill-popping, alcoholic, cold society woman; the overly garrulous neighbor; the bitchy teenage girl; the sleazy male boss; the precocious and wise-beyond-his-or-her years niece or nephew; the cub reporter and her hard-as-nails-but-secretly-sensitive editor; the snobbish matriarch fiercely protecting family secrets; the cocky dude whom the heroine falls for, despite his arrogance; the wisecracking detective; and the town crazy.
Wow. What a group!
There are different ones for different genres. But why are they stock characters to begin with?
I think many people have met folks like them. It makes them believable.
Like my nosy neighbor. Everybody’s had one in their neighborhood.
The trick is to put a unique spin on the characters. What makes them different? What makes them three dimensional and not a cardboard cutout of other characters like them? Do they grow as characters? Do they react differently in different situations? What gives them some depth? What do they do that’s unexpected?
One thing I know about my particular nosy neighbor. She felt like she was taking care of me. Mrs. Triola was an elderly lady with too much time on her hands–and spent much of it looking out the window. I, ten years ago, was a young mother with a very busy toddler and no time to worry over the inconsistencies of the mail delivery or the garbage pickup. What if, one day, Mrs. Triola had actually seen something? What if she’d had a Hitchcock Rear Window moment? She’d have been pleased as punch if she’d been able to stop a crime in progress, call the fire department at the first sign of smoke, or alert me to an approaching tornado.
She had a good heart. Another dimension than ‘nosy neighbor.’
Yes, there are stock characters, just like there are stereotypes. Do they exist because there’s some truth to them? Should we avoid using these characters altogether–or just work harder to make them unique?
I think we need to put the characters in the book who “belong” there. Whether they’re a nosy neighbor or a bitchy teenage girl, if they’re meant to be there, they should be there. Of course, they should be 3D and have a purpose, but I don’t think we should eliminate certain “types” because someone is tired of reading them. IMHO. ;-)
Great point. Often we see the rules as black or white. ‘No nosy neighbor – check!’ When in fact the challenge isn’t to avoid that character, but rather to improve upon it. After all, there’s only so many characters. If we rule them all out, we’ll be writing about some pretty empty sets.
Stock characters play roles in real life, so I think they have a role in our writing, too. For instance, we all know about nosy neighbors, snobbish matriarchs and tyranical bosses. They exist. So putting them in our writing is simply connecting our writing to real life. The key is to have those stock characters play a role in our stories. For instance, in Hercule Poirot’s The Clocks , a precocious child (and a somewhat nosy neighbor) provide a valuable clue to the mystery. Of course, it also is helpful when we use stock characters if there’s something about them that’s interesting – something that makes them more than “cookie cutter.”
As Debra said, I think the problems come when the characters are stereotypes and flat. If they have the same characteristics and same kinds of lines/purpose every single time we see them, they certainly can be annoying. We have to make them more realistic I think.
I suspect every neighborhood has their measure of a nosy neighbor. Some aren’t in your face but in the background.
I like using the stock character…but making he or she unique for my story. I believe readers sort of expect it…to see that familiar character.
Not to be a contrarian (which means YES I mean to be one:)), there is a reason we can even make lists of stock characters: Readers have related to them, connected to them, throughout the ages.
I agree with Debra. Make your characters belong. Make sure they aren’t flat. But don’t avoid them if they fit in the story. We should avoid laziness in our character development and let them fill out their roles sufficiently.
So true! Your nosy neighbor reminds me of Mrs. Lind in Anne of Green Gables. She was THE perfect example of a character who was vibrant and alive, even though she was a stereotype.
Sometimes you need ‘shorthand’ to get a character across quickly. You’re absolutely right that they have to be at least a little unpredictable. My ‘nosy neighbor’ in Finding Sarah was also a surrogate mother figure for her, and although she was a retired schoolteacher, she was definitely NOT the schoolmarm type. When the reader meets her, there are some (I hope) surprises. I would say it’s good to ‘expand’ these stock characters rather than avoid them entirely.
Echoing you- wow, what a list!
There is a neighbor in my MS that I really enjoy her. This list is making me rethink a few other secondary characters though.
Thanks Elizabeth!
Elizabeth, would you consider putting all of your posts from this past year into a document and selling them to those of us out here who are struggling. They are so wise and make a great writing how-to book.
karen
Debra–Well said. As we all know, our characters frequently write themselves! Sometimes they put themselves in our books and as long as we present them in a unique way, I can’t see anything wrong in it.
Corra–You’re right. I think most characters have at least bits of stock characters in them. We shouldn’t get too caught up in the rules. I suppose, if we have more than a couple stock characters, we should maybe take a look at our manuscript, though. See if it can do with some freshening up.
Great post. Stock characters are unavoidable in commercial fiction. But putting one’s own twist on them makes them seem fresh since they also play their role of familiarity, which anchors readers to your genre.
I can understand how stock characters could be overused, but being told ‘don’t include any of these types’ makes my teeth fur a little bit!
I think as long as each character contributes and sound their own unique note then they belong.
Elspeth
I don’t think a writer can avoid using stock characters all together because they are a part of everyday life. I guess the trick is to give them an additional quirk or two for uniqueness – like real people.
Oh wow! The post and comments have so much good and useful information. Thanks!
You come up with the coolest topics. Ah yes, the nosy neighbor character. I actually DO have one in one of my WIP’s – a comedic detective whodunit where there’s a nosy neighbor who saw and knows something that happened to the victim but Detective Snoop can’t get it out of her, cuz “she doesn’t pry into other people’s business” lol
Marvin D Wilson
Margot–Interesting details about the characters add depth, don’t they? I remember Christie using a lot of stock characters, but she always made them interesting to me.
Jemi–Rounded characters are more interesting anyway, and we can definitely give even a stock character a little more depth.
Journaling Woman–And they’re very useful in the story, frequently. And you bring up a good point–readers may be *looking* for these stereotypical characters that they’re familiar with an understand.
Jane–It’s the quirks that really set them apart, isn’t it?
Glen–I’m a stock character fan, but love giving them that little twist of originality that makes the reader raise their eyebrows. Even stock characters take a little work, don’t they?
Marvin–Now, that’s a nice twist. The nosy neighbor who clams up when they finally get the stage! LOL!
Jody–I’d forgotten about her! I loved that book. And that’s the thing…she was a memorable character for you, despite the stereotype.
Elizabeth, I love this topic! Thanks for making me think about it. If I was less busy I would be the ‘nosy neighbour’ because nothing gives me more pleasure than being ‘up-to-date’ on people!
One of my favourite, if creepy, set of nosy neighbours were in a Midsomers Murder movie. A very eccentric undertaker and his mother had the goods on everyone in their village. And paid dearly for it, in the end.
Stock characters, as your other comments have stated, can be great,as long as they’re not too predictable. Something comforting about the garrulous old colonel. Thanks for your blogs, Elizabeth!
If we start with a stock character, we need to make them unique. If they’re a secondary character, the “stockness” of them is a shortcut for the reader. Our new spin on them adds dimension. I think that’s pretty much what everyone else here has said.
We have a Mrs. Kravitz or whoever the mosy neighber was from Bewitched. I model characters from people or a group of people. Makes my job easy as a writer.
The things people dpo and say. Its like the saying, “Hollywood can’t write this stuff.”
Stephen Tremp
Not the town crazy! NOOOOO!!!! I love him!
:0)
Another great post. I’ve had the nosy neighbor, and it would be tough to make that person more than a cardboard cutout.
Geez, eliminate all those character types and you have to do some serious searching for a character who’s not a milksop—ops, that’d be a stereotype, too, huh? Well, you’re right, there are only so many different personality types, and, as you point out, the secret is in how deftly they’re handled and what other aspects of their nature the author can bring to life. Character with flaws are compelling.
Best Regards, Galen
Imagineering Fiction Blog
Terry–And that can be a useful device, too–have a reader *think* you’re writing a stock character and then throw them a few surprises.
Tamika–Or maybe just make some personality adjustments–keep the stock character but give them a trait or quality that makes them unique.
Karen–Why thanks! :) And good luck with your writing. We all have our struggling moments!
Stephen–Oh, I remember Mrs. Kravitz! She was just *dying* to know what Samantha was up to. Did she ever find out she was a witch?
Julia–It’s true. It’s nice for readers to find characters that they recognize and can relate to. Frequently…they’re stock characters! At least we can make them unique in different ways.
Elspeth–I agree with you. I like a lot of the characters this editor mentioned. As long as the characters aren’t boring, I’m happy!
Judy–Thanks for coming by!
Bobbi–I *love* Midsomer Murders! I was upset that they stopped playing the series here last year. I miss it! They did have the most delicious characters on that show.
Galen–I think most characters have a little bit of a stereotypical component, don’t you? The flawed characters are more interesting, aren’t they? To me, at least!
When I was growing up my nosy neighbors were my grandparents. I couldn’t get away with anything with my parents and grandparents watching me like a hawk!
Carol–A good summing up!
I agree that we need stock characters (because they exist in life) only jazzed up.
I’m still “Glee” addicted, so it’s my favorite example. They have the football jock, the cheerleader, the geek in a wheelchair…But they’re all more: The jock is the lead male vocalist; the cheerleader sings backup and is more scared than bitchy; the geek is deep voiced and not afraid to tell people how angry he is; and the female lead is an annoying diva and sympathetic ‘loser’ at the same time.
As long as a writer isn’t afraid to allow all players, no matter how minor, the same conflicts and passions as the mains (or better yet, real people), then I think even cliches can be revitalized.
Kristen–I’m starting to wonder lately if I *am* the town crazy. :)
One of my favorite posts, Elizabeth. Remember Samantha’s nosy neighbor Gladys on Bewitched? I had a nosy neighbor, we were neighbors for twenty years. Now that we don’t live next door to each other she keeps tabs on me through my blog. I get scolded if I don’t post enough personal info!
I never tire of any one type of character, if they are written in a believable manner.
Elizabeth–A blog-reading nosy neighbor! Oh my goodness. That would be taking nosiness to a new level! But, you know, that could even be a twist on the stereotype–the high tech nosy neighbor who puts it all together: reads your Tweets, your blog, etc. I guess no one would befriend their nosy neighbor on Facebook, but the rest would be fair game!
Tara–Sounds like a good person NOT to base a character on. :)
Ah,Elizabeth – you are always in my head! You are my delightful nosey neighbour! You know just when I need to think about something. I’m cruising through my novel at nano speed and I was just thinking about how many stereotypes one can gather. My protagonist just got busted by someone she thought was a cliche. It was a young woman with a much older wealthy husband only when Kitty makes a slight the bimbo snaps her head off with delicious rhetoric. And I swear – I had no idea! I thought she was Ginger from Gilligan’s Island but she was a smart, scathing person who got tired of being assessed as the bimbo. Stephen King sometimes turns (often when I think about it) stock characters on their heads, adoring fans who are really psychotic, nosey neighbours who turn out to be deeply thoughtful loving individuals who have decided from past experiences that they must interfere – I love it. Now I must get back to my wip – one more thou. before I sleep. Thanks for being the nosey neighbour in my head!
You forgot the hypochondriac, didn´t you?
I think it works very well to include a few stock characters in a novel, because they are so easy to relate to. You can make them come alive in a few sentences. This is even more important in flash fiction – and one of the aspects I think is so appealing about writing very short texts.
Blogger Jan–You’re really putting a lot of thought into plotting your NaNo manuscript! I love it that your protagonist got busted by a cliched character! Too funny. She sounds like a ‘bimbo’ with a brain and a sharp tongue! I’d forgotten that Stephen King uses a lot of stock characters–but you’re right. He does a great job of making them different from their stereotypes.
Janel-Oh I can only imagine! Grandparents have all been-there-done-that and know what kind of trouble kids can get into!
Lorel–I haven’t seen “Glee” yet, but I’ve heard a lot about it. I think jazzing up a stock character is a great thing to do–and the reader is surprised by the character’s unique qualities.
Blogger Dorte–The hypochondriac! Yes! It’s easy to come up with these, since we all know them! And you’re right…with flash fiction you’ve got to make a connection with the reader so quickly.
I really admire the way you try to give different persona to the everyday character people encounter. Good point.