Reality shows on television usually aren’t a good place to look for writing tips. But there are exceptions and I think one of them is “Ice Road Truckers” on the History Channel.
Now, I never would have predicted that I would find interesting a television show about men and women who drive big rigs in -30 degree weather to reach the remote parts of Alaska and Canada. The driving often isn’t very interesting, but I keep watching because I like the characters, um, drivers.
On the road you have:
• Hugh, the rule-breaker and sometimes trouble-maker;
• Alex, the devout Good Samaritan and all-around nice guy;
• Lisa, the tomboy trying to prove herself to the guys;
• Dave, the hothead from Alabama;
• Rick, the blue-haired bad boy;
They make mistakes, they have success, they praise (and make fun of) each other. They’re not predictable —Rick can share story about his family that’s really touching, even Alex runs out of patience sometimes, and Lisa does not always succeed.
They’re well-rounded characters who are interesting. Include them in your writing and readers will keep turning the pages.
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