Lately Mr. L and I have been enjoying the antics of Doc Martin. What an odd duck. I said, "this guy has to have Aspergers Syndrome." Sure enough, by the second season he'd been accused of having Aspergers by someone sent to investigate him from (one assumes) The National Health.
Of course flawed characters are endlessly fascinating to me. In fact, I'm getting known for writing believably flawed characters. My Jeff Resnick character seems to carry the most baggage, with Tricia Miles coming in a close second, and Katie Bonner the sanest of the lot. (Good old Katie.)
(By the way, the first Jeff Resnick book, Murder On The Mind is STILL FREE for Kindle, iTunes and Smashwords (and if you've got a Sony E Reader, Kobo, or Nook, get it from Smashwords--and of course if you don't have an e reader, you can still download it to your computer or tablet via Smashwords. Hey, free is free, after all--and this offer won't last forever).
While watching an episode of Doc Martin, it suddenly occurred to me that I needed to wrap up a subplot that's been building in the Booktown Books. I gave it a lot of thought over the next couple of days and yesterday I wrote the scene where Tricia learns a devastating truth about her past. (Boy, that was fun!)
More than one person as told me that Tricia is a doormat and they are annoyed by the way she puts up with Angelica. I posed these questions to the latest person who said that: Have you got an older sibling? Have they changed that much since childhood? If they annoyed you then, do they annoy you now? Have you ever had the upper hand? Do you just abandon your sibling and walk away?
Do you hear the sound of crickets in the background?
Is the situation between Doc Martin and Tricia the same? Not in the least, but his situation got me thinking about her situation (and the fact that it needs resolution). Will this big revelation change the relationship between Tricia and Angelica? Probably not. As their grandmother was famous for saying, "a leopard doesn't change its spots." You are what you are. Angelica is always going to be the bossy older sister, and Tricia will put up with her for one reason and one reason only: she loves her. And when you love someone, you love them--warts and all.
We're only halfway through the episodes. I can't wait to see what other adventures await crabby old Doc Martin and the people in Port Ween. And, as I write the 8th Booktown Mystery, I can't wait to see what else befalls Tricia and Angelica. It's gonna be a bumpy, but fun ride.
P.S. Don't forget -- the latest Booktown Mystery is now out. Murder On The Half Shelf.
I am unfamiliar with the character that you mention named Doc Martin. Is he part if a book series or a TV show? Can you enlighten me?
Posted by: Janice Strong | July 11, 2012 at 12:03 PM
The link above takes you to Amazon. The description says: "Delightfully quirky" --Los Angeles Times
"Absolutely bloody hilarious" --London Evening Standard
He’s surly, tactless, self-centered, and uptight—but he’s the only doctor in town.
The doctor is in--but he’s not happy about it. After developing a crippling fear of blood, hotshot London surgeon Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes, Men Behaving Badly) is forced to retrain as a GP and relocate to the charming seaside village of Portwenn. Dour, discourteous, and dismissive, he immediately clashes with Portwenn’s quirky villagers.
In these four complete series, Doc Martin catches the eye of the most beautiful woman in Portwenn (Caroline Catz, Murder in Suburbia), tests the patience of his long-suffering aunt (Stephanie Cole, Tenko), and repeatedly hurts feelings as he heals bodies. Martin Clunes delivers an uproarious lead performance, aided by an outstanding supporting cast, in this award-winning fish-out-of-water comedy.
Posted by: Lorraine | July 11, 2012 at 12:16 PM