He's trying to take over the book!

Okay, now I've done it. A secondary character who was playing a very minor role is trying to take over my book. Here's how it happened: this book is the start of a new series about a group of half brothers. The first book is about the eldest, Armand. His younger half brother, Bayard, is in a dungeon in Normandy, being held for ransom (and conveniently out of the action of Book I). So far, so good. I'm liking Armand a lot, and since he's just got out of a dungeon himself at the cost of all his family's cash and desperately wants to save his brother, he's got some troubles of his own. The third book is about their illegitimate half brother that Armand and Bayard saw when they were children. Now he could be alive or dead for all they know.

Then I had this big brain wave to bring the bastard half bro into Book I. I was delighted by this development...except that now the BHB has become quite a presense. In just one scene. I think it's the Irish accent. Give me a hero with an interesting voice, and I'm over the moon. But I can't be. Not yet. He supposed to be waiting in the wings until Book III!

This isn't the first time this has happened. I had one character who was so vivid the moment he appeared in a scene, I gave him a concussion to keep him out of the action.

I know what I have to do, and it's not tone down the fascinating BHB so much as make sure Armand is even more fascinating and at least as vital, sexy and interesting as the BHB. Bayard shows up at the end of Book I, and Book II is his, so I'll have to make sure he's really fascinating, sexy, etc. in person, too.

In the world o' TV, I've given up on Desperate Housewives. I didn't watch last week, and didn't miss it this week (it was a rerun). Susan has become a rather pathetic fool, and they really lost me with the insurance scam. Killing off Rex was a big mistake - the relationship between Bree and Rex was interesting and unusual. I thought Lynette's situation would be interesting -- a career woman coping with being a full-time mom and the change in (perceived) status. Once she went back to work, not so interesting. It seems to me that the original concept -- what's really going on behind those pristine white picket fences? -- has developed into a world that's just plain bizarre.

Tonight, Prison Break with the pretty Capt. Wentworth (thanks, some clever person at TWoP), The Apprentice (will they make sport of the heavy guy again? SHEESH!), and the velvet-voiced one himself on 24. Kiefer Sutherlands's low raspy whisper? In my mind, all my heroes sound like that when they whisper to their heroines. :-)