Protagonist Careers

[13x13]

So what do you do when your protagonist has a career that you aren't familiar and isn't the typical career for a urban fantasy protagonist(cop, private investigator, etc).  I've been tossing around an idea of the main character being a trucker originally.  I've found some websites with the lingo and some information, but I want to make it as accurate as possible.  Would my best bet be interviewing truckers?  Write the novel anyway and ask someone with trucking experience to review and edit? 

[MatthewD44]

either of those options would be viable. I guess it would come down to which one is easiest as you are righting. If I were using one of the people I interview as the template for a major character, then the interview is a must in my mind. But if I were just doing to get a "feel" on how you think in that particular area of the working world, I would go with the edit situation.

[meg_evonne]

Smokie and the Bandit, go paranormal?   Only kidding.  Actually, as I think about it, that could be really neat!  I'd buy it, more likely to catch it on tv though, maybe you create the next new series, (as long as it isn't with sci fi-- on the other hand Saving Grace is rather gritty and down to earth like this idea would be)--- .

Check with Roger the Scrubber or similar name under members.  He drives a truck, if not, let me know and I've a client who drives a truck.  Surely nothing beats actually taking a couple long distance runs in a big wheeler and could be fun.  I have an aunt and uncle who did long distance hauling together.  He tells a story about making a delivery to downtown LA or Chicago or somewhere and he got in late and missed when the place was open, so he had to wait until morning.  Several people tried to break into the back of his truck and he scared them off with a splatter gun blast.

Good writing!  Meg

[rinascita]

Not a published author...and knowing I might never be....I probrably am not the best to answer this question for you. But,when has that ever stopped me from giving advice???!

I think it is best to write about something you know about, but few fantasy writers have ever met an elf, a wizard..... so there goes that theory

If you have a friend that would allow you to go on a cross country trip....or a friend of a friend....
That may give you the experience/knowledge you seek.

Or  hang out at a truck stop....having traveled a good bit I enjoy stopping at the many truck stops...truckers are somewhat isolated and though use to it, there are those that would like a chance to talk to someone during a break.

[Yeratel]

Trucker as protagonist versus supernatural foes?  Check out the DVD of Big Trouble In Little China.

[blgarver]

My dad and my uncle are both truckers.  My uncle is short run, and my dad is over-the-road...which means he goes anywhere and everywhere, from both coasts all the way up to Canada.  I've been on the road with him before.  It is quite the interesting career.  I know a lot about truckers just from those few weeks on the road with dad. 

If you don't know any truckers, I'm sure I could answer some questions for you, and maybe even get you in touch with padre.  That's right, my dad has myspace.

[Uilos]

Working on my novel, I was wondering what,exactly, my main character did. I knew that he had a love of three things: photography, movies and music. I knew outright that photography was only a hobby and he/I didn't know where to start with the movies. So, going with the Music bit, I made him a freelance DJ...I wanted to hit myself for thinking it. It was a good idea, and I might look into it when/if I do some tooling to the story. But it didn't go anywhere. So, I did the most sensible thing, or at the very least put in a plausible contingency plan: His mentor left him a mansion/inheritance that made him independantly wealthy

[Quantus]

So, I did the most sensible thing, or at the very least put in a plausible contingency plan: His mentor left him a mansion/inheritance that made him independantly wealthy

There's always the random "lawsuit settlement thats paying out slowly" for a nice source of workless income.  Or you can use the book/song/movie/patent/etc royalties to support a character who does nothing but his hobbies....man, that would be nice.

[seradhe]

Trucker as protagonist versus supernatural foes?  Check out the DVD of Big Trouble In Little China.

but this is different! in this one he has to save a girl too 

[seradhe]

Ok serious reply now. Ask around. not quite an interview but not quite an editor either, just have somebody you can call up/e-mail whenever you're stuck on some detail.

Ever read all the thanks and credits from the authors in the beginning of the book? Half the list are just like "thanks for helping me with this detail" and such.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

So what do you do when your protagonist has a career that you aren't familiar and isn't the typical career for a urban fantasy protagonist(cop, private investigator, etc). 

Research.

This is one I'm not engaged with, thankfully; anything I write in a contemporary setting, the protagonists will be programmers of some sort, because that's the job I know, if they're not authors, students, or independently wealthy. There's only so many directions of research it's fun to do at once.

The only problem that leaves, is that, while "wrrite what you know" is good advice, writing what you do every day so that it's fresh and makes sense to someone who doesn't do it is also a challenge.  But I do enough teaching the stuff I know to be relatively comfortable on that one.