Diversion #2: introducing Max

Max is a character who appeared in the first extended piece of fiction I wrote. He was a pretentious, annoying fellow, prone to holding forth on topics that were of no interest to anyone but himself. He came to an unpleasant end, when he was (willingly) buried alive by his drunken friends. What can I say? It was an odd story.

Max has lived on, however, inspite of his demise. He came to my aid in my first nano, when I started two weeks late and without a plot. After muddling my way through the first 4000 words, I was stumped. Then Max tapped me on the shoulder, and said, "I'll take this bit."

So I wrote him into the next scene, which took place in a pub. Max talked for a bit, and by the time he finished, I'd thought of something else to do.

So if you're stuck, feel free to borrow Max, or invent your own equivalent. He's a talkative chap he doesn't care too much that no-one is listening to him, and if anyone was listening, they'd soon realise he's talking nonsense. But for all his pretentions, he's a useful chap. You can use him to rant about a pet peeve, or discourse on a topic you know something about, outline an obscure (and irrelevant) conspiracy theory, or whatever suits your mood.

I used Max on three seperate occasions in 2004, my first nano year. The pub encounter can be read here (1). This is the most straightforward way of using Max. Put him a pub with ample booze and let him hold forth.

Another occasion I used Max that year was in the guise of my female lead's father, a pretentious, over-intellectual churchy type. This scene was great fun to write (2). I simply thought of an outlandish idea - that whisky should be used for communion instead of wine - and tried to justify it. Though not identified as Max, the main speaker is merely my old friend in disguise.

Even more intruigingly, Max turned up again in book form. On a side-trip to Amsterdam, my character's bought a cheap guide book, and the voice of Max blared off the page. Though read over several chapters, the extracts are compiled here (3). And on this occasion, as a reward for being so helpful, I allowed Max to say something moderately insightful, instead of his usual pretentious nonsense (4).

1 - If the mebedded link doesn't work, click on this link: http://writehandpalm.blogspot.com/2007/11/encounters-with-max-in-pub.html
2 - Follow this link: http://writehandpalm.blogspot.com/2007/11/whisky-and-water.html
3 - The extracts from the guidebook can be read here: http://writehandpalm.blogspot.com/2007/11/guidebook.html
4 - If you are impressed by my knowledge of Amsterdamn, don't be. I went to the library and borrowed a Rough Guide to the city and a book of photographs of Amsterdam street scenes.