Victor Hugo, Notre Dame, and The Power of Prose

When you think of the cathedral of Notre Dame, chances are good you imagine the modern incarnation of it. With its spires and gargoyles, its artistic splendor wowing tourists from around the world (at least before the time of Covid-19, that is). And chances are that when you see it, it immediately brings to mind one of the most memorable and tragic figures in fiction... Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame.

If you listen closely, the bells still call his name.

This tale has been so firmly lodged in our consciousness, from its original blockbuster success as a novel, to stage productions, to movies and musicals, that we all tend to forget something important... that this tragic tale of lust, greed, and longing might actually be the reason Notre Dame still exists today.

How Victor Hugo Saved an Entire Cathedral

Notre Dame the structure was first built in the 1100s, and the construction lasted for decades. When it was finally completed, it was an amazing sight to behold. However, as the Washington Post points out, the cathedral was in a shambles after the French Revolution, and when it was handed back to the Catholic Church it had become an eyesore, and it was poised on the edge of being torn down because there just wasn't the interest in saving it from the hammer.

Until Victor Hugo clapped his hands, and got everyone's attention.

All of you, listen up! I have a tale to tell...

In the 1820s, Hugo started in on the now famous tale of Quasimodo and Esmeralda. His work about finding the beauty and the heart beneath a frightening, unlovely exterior was more than just a lesson in not judging people... it was a tale about the cathedral itself. Hunchbacked and half blind, the modern dissolution of the beauty and splendor Notre Dame had once had was reflected in the book's protagonist.

Whether the readers at the time dug that deeply into the symbolism, or whether they just got wrapped up in the beautifully-told tale, Hugo's work managed to focus attention on the plight of Notre Dame. It started the avalanche of public interest, and outcry, that led to the cathedral being restored. Because now people were interested. They were paying attention, and it wasn't just an ugly old church from the medieval period anymore... now it was their cathedral. It was where a major bestseller took place. It was the epicenter of this fictional legend.

And that legend exists to this day, judging from the number of people who regard Notre Dame as a place of awe and wonder.

Your Work Can Change Things

Now, before we get ahead of ourselves, it's important to point out that The Hunchback of Notre Dame was not some random, breakout novel. Victor Hugo was an established, popular writer, and he used his platform to draw attention to a cause he believed in. The fact that he had skill and passion for the project is probably one reason Quasimodo's tale resonated as hard as it did, but we must remember that he wasn't some struggling writer no one had heard of, looking up at Notre Dame from the gutter and trying to save her.

With that said, don't even let someone tell you that writing can't change things. That it can't make statements, draw attention to issues, and plant ideas into the minds of the public. The fiction we create often impacts the real world in meaningful (sometimes unexpected) ways.

Wait! I was just trying to get that fish!

As Gizmodo points out, the film Jaws terrified people so much that sharks have been killed in record numbers despite posing very little threat. Some people point out that Robin Cook's medical thriller Coma actually made people stop carrying organ donor cards because of the organ theft plot shown in the book, convincing many that it was a massive, extremely common occurrence at hospitals. To be clear, organ theft does happen, but the idea that medical personnel will just let you die so they can harvest your organs is nonsense.

So the next time someone tells you that your reader doesn't care about your book's politics, or how you depict people doesn't matter, remember that one of the best known landmarks in Paris only stands today because Victor Hugo decided to write a novel about it.

The power of writing is ephemeral, but it's no less real despite that.

Incidentally, for those interested in more unique and unusual places round the world, consider checking out some of the following:

- The Gardens of Bomarzo: A Renaissance-era park filled with bizarre statues and strange art, this Italian attraction is breathtaking.

- The Winchester Mystery House: A bizarre home in California, legends of ghosts and insanity are lurid and interesting... but it's likely they were just made up whole cloth.

- The Chicago Pedway: A series of tunnels beneath Chicago's busy streets, these tunnels are far more real than the Undertown that Jim Butcher created, and they feature prominently in my short story "Heart and Soul" found in my recent release The Rejects!

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing! If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

Understanding The Flat Arc (Because Sometimes Your Characters Don't HAVE To Change)

I'd like to start this entry off with a bit of good news. I recently put out my first novel! Crier's Knife is a sword and sorcery tale, with all the flashing blades and fell magic you'd expect from something in the genre. Our protagonist is Dirk Crier, a mountain boy from a witchbred clan, and one day his grandmother sets him the task of fetching his cousin Teller. Teller has a knack for getting into trouble, but this time he's up to his neck in real darkness; the kind you don't walk out of without leaving a little blood behind you. So Dirk rides out to either bring Teller home, or to make sure his kin has plenty of company on the long road to hell.

Seriously, the first few chapters are free, go read them!

One of the questions people keep asking me about this book is who is my protagonist, and what's his arc? Well, Dirk is a member of the Crier clan who, left to his own devices, would be happy building himself a cabin on the slopes of Ben Morgh to live a fairly quiet life. But when trouble rears its head, it's his job to put it back down again. In short, he's the family's enforcer, and the nasty work tends to end up in his lap.

As to his arc, that got me wondering. Because, you see, most folks only know about the two major types of character arcs; positive character arcs (where a character confronts and overcomes a flaw or fear to succeed and become better) and negative arcs (where a character fails to overcome a flaw or fear, and hurts themselves or others in the process).

There is a third kind of character arc, though, according to Well-Storied; the flat arc. In a flat arc a character's morals and beliefs are challenged, but they hold true to who they are and overcome.

That is a perfect description of Dirk, and the arc he has in Crier's Knife.

"Flat" Is Not Synonymous With "Bad"

Now, there's a big difference between a character being flat, and that character having a flat arc. Because flat characters are dull, boring, and one-dimensional. Characters with flat arcs, on the other hand, are some of the most famous and lauded personas in literature.

Like this guy, for example.

At his core, Batman is a character with hundreds (if not thousands) of flat arc stories. Sherlock Holmes is another character with a lot of flat arcs (this condition is particularly common among detectives and serialized characters, if you keep track). The same can be said of characters like Conan, or Solomon Kane. Sam Spade, Hawk, and even Captain America find themselves with a lot of flat arcs, as well.

Because, you see, these characters already have The Truth figured out, when it comes to their worlds and stories. They don't need to climb a mountain to talk to a sensei, to uncover their inner strength, or to learn lessons to overcome a challenge. They know what to do, and they do it. So, as readers, we get the satisfaction of fast-forwarding to what many consider the "good part" of a positive story arc. The part when the protagonist has learned their lesson, overcome their flaw, and is ready to rock and roll.

(Also, to head off any quibbles here, characters who are serialized will have different arcs in different stories. It's true that character like Batman have had positive arcs and negative arcs throughout their runs, and those story lines tend to be the memorable ones. By and large, though, the bulk of their story lines are flat arcs, with the exceptions sort of proving the rule.)

There's Nothing Wrong With Holding Steady

I will admit that flat arcs tend to be some of my favorite stories. While I understand the appeal of a positive arc (because personal growth and change to overcome obstacles is motivating and engaging) as well as a negative arc (because, as I've stated in the past, I'm a great lover of the "fuck you" ending), I find that a flat arc is often the most useful for when you already want your character to know who they are, and to have their world figured out. And since flat arc stories tend to create conflicts that fall into the No, You Move category, they can be fun and compelling without the need to do a lot of navel gazing that may not be necessary for your story.

This quote is basically a summation of the flat arc conflict.

So the next time you're writing, remember that it isn't either self-discovery and success, or crashing and burning because you didn't overcome. Sometimes your character just looks at the world, plants their feet, and says, "Bring it on."

That's all for this week's Craft of Writing post! Hopefully it engaged some folks out there, and if you're curious what an engaging flat arc would look like stop on in and read the first few chapters of Crier's Knife for free!

If you want to stay on top of all my releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. If you'd like to see more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, as well as my Amazon Author Page. Lastly, if you'd like to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi as a tip, or going to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron!