Character Autopsy: Zac Power

This is the character autopsy, where I take a character that I adore and force them down onto the cold and metallic table and cut them open, exploring what about their character that resonates with me and how I can use it in my own writing. On the table today is a character that shared a lot with me, mainly my name, the tween spy Zac Power.

I don’t exactly remember when I was given my first Zac Power book, I remember it being Christmas and I remember the logic that was used to explain to me why I received it as a present; my name. “It has your name,” I was told and for me at the time, that was justification enough. I say confidentially that Zac Power is the only book series I have actively followed and while I was not much of a reader growing up, this was a series that I wanted to read and it has had a large impact on my life but despite this, the character of Zac Power doesn’t stand out to me. What I mean is, I don’t think it was his characterisation that made him unique, but more that he was a young boy who was secretly a spy. This is not to say that this makes Zac Power less than, I thoroughly enjoyed the books, but it is to say that I think what makes him work as a character is that the target audience wants to do what he does. Having to juggle school and chores with the fun and exciting spying is an understandable concept for young boys, just replace spying with whatever fun activity they would rather be doing. I think it is interesting that a character can be loved for more what they are than who they are, but then we do have archetypes. Those sets of characters that we all individually look for, like the stoic older man or the bubbly female side kick. We all have our own interests, some like their villains smart rather than big and dumb, some want a hero who is young rather than old and some prefer the kind of character that loves a good book compared to one that breathes technology. These archetypes reflect what we like, or perhaps want, in ourselves. I don’t believe I’ve written a character who relies entirely on their archetype, but that they may change and if I decide to, then I believe that my inspiration will begin with Zac Power. I cannot overstate the impact that this character, and books series by H.I. Larry, had on me and I would be lying if I said I did not wish to have that impact on others with my own characters. Perhaps I will one day, my own character that is to a reader what Zac Power is to me.