Coates, Cap Am And Character Writing Challenges

Earlier this week, writer Ta-Nehisi Coates -- who writes for The Atlantic, has published several books and recently wrote multiple issues of the Black Panther comic book -- announced he would be writing several issues of Captain America.

In his Atlantic piece, Coates wrote that writing comic books was a childhood dream, one he achieved for the first time when he wrote Black Panther storylines. He then talked about the type of character that Captain America has evolved into through the years and admits that he is conflicted about certain stances the hero also known as Steve Rogers has taken. But, as Coates writes, it's why he looks forward to writing the character:

I have my share of strong opinions about the world. But one reason that I chose the practice of opinion journalism—which is to say a mix of reporting and opinion—is because understanding how those opinions fit in with the perspectives of others has always been more interesting to me than repeatedly restating my own. Writing, for me, is about questions—not answers. And Captain America, the embodiment of a kind of Lincolnesque optimism, poses a direct question for me: Why would anyone believe in The Dream? What is exciting here is not some didactic act of putting my words in Captain America’s head, but attempting to put Captain America’s words in my head. What is exciting is the possibility of exploration, of avoiding the repetition of a voice I’ve tired of.

Coates goes on to write that he's not convinced he can write a good Captain America story, but that's why he wants to try. In other words, he is excited about writing a character who holds some viewpoints that Coates does not hold. Coates is the perfect example of a writer who wants to take on the challenge of writing a character who isn't simply repeating the viewpoints of the writer.

It's not unusual for writers to stick with characters who share the viewpoints of the writer because those characters are easier to write. And if those writers want to introduce an opposing viewpoint, just make that character an antagonist or a minor character. But such practices can lead to repetitiveness if a writer isn't careful. The real challenge for any writer is to think about a protagonist who isn't necessarily likeable, a protagonist who has a viewpoint that opposes the writer's view to a degree, or a protagonist whose faults are many, and make that protagonist a sympathetic character.

Putting yourself into the head of another person is what writing a character is all about. At times, that character will not act, think or react the way you would. This is why writers need to be aware of all types of people in the real world and determine what is the best way to make that character relatable -- and if the character is going to be a protagonist, how to get readers to empathize with the character, even if readers don't sympathize with the character right away. At some point, though, the readers will need to sympathize with the protagonist in some way.

I haven't read Coates' work with Black Panther yet but have the graphic novels on my to-read list. And I will be interested to see what he does with Captain America. (Admittedly, I'm not a regular reader of Marvel comics -- I prefer DC comics, though the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies have been better than most DC movies.)

Regardless of when I do get to reading Coates' work in the comics, I'm glad he's taking on the challenge of writing a character who thinks differently than he does. It's a challenge all writers (myself included) should consider because it gets you to think more about how other people, different from you, react in the real world.