Writing Authority Figures. Who Has The Power?

By Barbara M. Britton @BarbaraMBritton

Whether you are writing about kings, military officers, or an elementary teacher, authority
figures contain layers of intrigue. The struggle for power that comes with authority can add
conflict and tension to your novel.

Let us look at the P-words that are associated with fallen, human authority figures.

Power. Who bestowed power on your character? In other words, how was the power obtained?

In the case of royalty, lines of secession exist. Birthright reigns unless there is a coup, or
abdication. Each of these actions triggers conflict–internally and externally.

Consider when King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry a divorced socialite. He gave
power to his brother King George VI. The world was on the brink of WWII and Bertie (King
George) had a speech impediment. This conundrum is an author’s dream. A surprise ascension
has conflict written all over it. The movie The King’s Speech shows the hardship of surprise
ascension.

Even in government positions and school districts, which may not seem as exciting as kingdoms,
there is an expectation of who will be in power.

Partners. Authority figures need advisors. Leaders need trusted officials or mentors. An author
may create a loyal advisor to help the authority figure achieve their goal. The advisor could be a
traitor to increase conflict. Does your authority character know which official is the fox in the
chicken coop?

Creating advisors from unlikely places can add a fun factor to your novel. As they say, opposites
attract and add drama.

When King David runs for his life during his son’s rebellion, David’s help comes from an
unlikely source, an exiled Philistine commander. Imagine how that played with the Hebrew
army. Truth can be stranger than fiction. Ittai is featured in my novel “Defending David.”

Passion. Is your authority figure valiant or vile? Not all leaders are respectable. How does your
character wield their power? Did they claim authority to do good or evil? Does your character
blame others if plans don’t work out well?

Positions that aren’t at the top of the echelons of power can cause chaos for your characters too.
Consider a water commissioner shutting off water to your character’s land.

Perceptions. Is your authority figure loved or hated? Does your leader change depending on the
politics of the day? Does your character remain loyal to his/her belief system? Or is your
character playing a game to accumulate power? Characters change in a story. Your character will
have to work extremely hard to change the perceptions that may be deep-seated in your setting.
Your character’s achievement of a goal may not be easy. Setbacks should arise when your
character is trying to achieve a goal. Setbacks are a fantastic way to show your character’s grit
and motivation.

Perils. Your authority figure is going to need enemies. Writers tend to think of enemies as
people, but villains can be things. Natural disasters can cause conflict. What about contagious
new viruses? An enemy can be anything that threatens your authority figures’ power, or life.

Playlist. Do you struggle to write unprincipled people? Are you stressed when you create bad
guys? Are strong main characters difficult for you to maintain throughout a novel? Find a song or develop a playlist that sets a tone for your character. Play the music before you begin writing so you are pumped to bring this hard-charging character to life.

The facets of writing about authority figures unleash conflict and tension in your novel. Power emboldens wonderful characters and creates high stakes goals with its dimensions. Before you craft your next power struggle, contemplate all the Ps in this power list. I’m looking forward to reading stories with complex authority figures.

In my upcoming book, I write about Jesus. The Son of God is the source of ultimate power, but when He walked the shores of the Sea of Galilee, there was plenty of conflict and tension. Jesus had partners in ministry that were complex, and one who caused immense controversy. Jesus’s passion for us kept us from peril. I’m thankful for those Ps.

Barbara M. Britton is a multi-published author of Christian Fiction. Her Tribes of Israel series brings little-known Bible characters to light. On January 6th, “Across the Lake: Traveling with Jesus Around the Sea of Galilee” will launch. This Biblical Fiction Bible Study looks at six stories from the Gospel of Mark. Barbara has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate. You can find out more about Barbara and her books on her website barbarambritton.com.