Monday, August 02, 2010

A Character Worthy Of A Novel


I have to confess, I'm fascinated by the entire Rod Blagojevich trial. A more interesting cast of characters has never before been assembled.

I've never served on a jury in all my life, and I know I could walk into a court room and observe, but having to work every day makes that just about impossible. So I watch from the sidelines, reading every word in the newspapers, and my novelist mind twists and bends the facts into a work of fiction.

The main character might not be the disgraced ex-governor, who has some remarkable personality traits that any author has to love. There's those around him, the men who advised him and turned State's Evidence rather than go down with him. What goes on in a person's head, driven by greed or personal glory, to lie and cheat and steal from the very folks who elected Blago to office?

Could there be a more intriguing character than one who has put aside morality and ethics? Should I write such a story, there'd have to be a mental wrestling match to make for good reading, with the sleaze-bag being pulled back towards the better angel while the devil whispers in his left ear.

The straight laced prosecuting attorneys provide a marked contrast to the flashy, Cook County Courthouse savvy defense team. The drama inherent in the match-up would make for a page-turner of a novel.

What's the ending, though? That's what everyone's waiting for. What goes in that last chapter, in the closing paragraphs?

I can't wait to see. Lucky for me I have a Blackberry for the latest updates.

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