Say what you will for personal actor preferences. Whether or not you think an actor is talented, attractive, perfect for action roles or dynamite cast as villains, the one thing that separates an actor's performance from ordinary is "presence". I don't believe it can be manufactured or conjured. You either possess it in a role or you don't. Kevin Kostner has performed in some great films and some pathetic films, and you might or might not think he's a good actor. In The Bodyguard, Kevin Kostner achieved a screen presence unlike any other film in which he's acted. Stunning, understated, stoic, and passionate in his silence, few opportunities give actors the chance to demonstrate this kind of presence. He pulled it off in spades.
So. Can there be "presence" created in a novel? Can a writer give readers such a lasting impression of a character that the character sticks with them above so many others. Can that character be retrieved from memory at any time and enjoyed – or hated – all over again? If you ask me, the answer is yes for both hated and loved, admired, or any other emotion reserved for those who touch our souls. And we store them for reminders of meaningful writing that hold a lasting place in our minds and hearts.
Mitch Rapp, Lance Michelli, Joey Parr to name three of my character favorites . . . with presence.
God, your Presence is the most desired and wow-ing of all. I long for it. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Into the Fire 
Leave a comment