Horror movies, Halloween, and the Importance of Character Development

I'm stopping by today because Jason Voorhees inspired me to.

October: A Month for Horror Movies

In my house, October is horror movie month. I'm the only horror fan in a household of five—me, my husband, and our three sons. For eleven months of the year, I defer to everyone else's preferences: Star Wars, Harry Potter, Marvel, Ocean's movies, and various forms of comedy, action, and adventure.

But once the mornings start dipping below 50 degrees and the winding tree-lined roads shift from green to splashes of orange, red, and yellow, it's my turn to pick each night's after-dinner movie.

And let me tell you, it's glorious.

Costume Planning and Movie Night

With my twin teens needing quick (and cheap) costume ideas for upcoming dances, parties, and trick-or-treating, we picked up a grim reaper robe that could be altered into a Sith robe for one. For the other, we grabbed a hockey mask and a prop bleeding knife to create a quick and easy Jason Voorhees look.

Having decided this was the perfect time to introduce the boys to the Friday the 13th franchise, we watched the first movie tonight.

After it was over, I explained that yes, it was a bit anti-climactic because [SPOILER ALERT] Jason didn't actually kill anyone (or even make much of an appearance) in the first movie. Still, it's important to start there. Not only is the first movie a classic of 1980s slasher films, but it also marks the beginning of Jason's story.

Understanding Character Motivation

Jason is an iconic character. You have to understand who he is and why he has a vendetta against teenage and twenty-something camp counselors. Motivation and its resulting behavior are crucial elements in character development. That foundational understanding of the status quo must be in place before things begin to shift and change in the face of challenges and adversity.

If you don't understand what motivates a character, how can you appreciate their journey?

Later that night, after the boys were in bed, I found myself reviewing mock-ups of potential cover art for A Nightfall of Diamonds, the second book in Autumn MacLeod's story. As I thought through how different this part of the story is from The Strangest of Places, it struck me that this series has something in common with the Friday the 13th franchise.

The Backstory Matters

The Strangest of Places is Autumn's origin story. It's the backstory necessary to fully understand where she comes from, why she makes the choices she does, and why she reacts to certain situations differently from other people.

It may strike some readers as slow-moving at first—something I did see called out in an Amazon review—and that's fair. But you have to consider that art often reflects reality.

Everyone can identify with feeling stuck in the doldrums, with nothing to look forward to and not much new to keep things interesting. The first few chapters of The Strangest of Places have that feel to them because that's where Autumn was at that time in her life. It's important to establish that baseline so you can experience the whiplash of where she goes in books two, three, and four.

Just like Jason's backstory in Friday the 13th makes the rest of the franchise make sense, Autumn's backstory makes everything that follows hit harder.

Building a Series with Depth

Each subsequent installment was written to stand alone while building on what came before. The first few chapters of books two through four each contain high-level summaries peppered throughout, so new readers aren't lost—but returning readers get the full emotional impact of watching Autumn change.

The slow burn of Book 1 isn't a bug; it's a feature.

Because when the roller coaster finally starts moving, you'll understand exactly why Autumn holds on so tight—or why she might let go.