"Once he became a series character, I made the conscious choice that he would never act like a series character, never wink at the reader, never pull his punches. Better for him, better for me"
About this Quote
The line also telegraphs craft discipline. Series fiction tempts writers into autopilot: the character begins performing his own legend, delivering the catchphrases and set pieces that made him popular. Westlake frames this as moral rot. "Never pull his punches" keeps the character inside consequence. The violence, the greed, the bad decisions stay sharp, not smoothed into entertainment comfort. Its a noir ethic: if the character knows hes in a story, the story stops being dangerous.
Context matters: Westlake, especially through his Parker novels (often under Richard Stark), built a reputation on icy professionalism and unsentimental momentum. That voice cant tolerate meta-winks without collapsing. The subtext is also self-protective: "Better for him, better for me" is Westlake recognizing that integrity is a long-game business strategy. Preserve the characters reality, and you preserve the writers interest. The alternative is far deadlier than killing a protagonist: turning him into a joke that keeps selling.
Quote Details
| Topic | Writing |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Westlake, Donald E. (2026, January 16). Once he became a series character, I made the conscious choice that he would never act like a series character, never wink at the reader, never pull his punches. Better for him, better for me. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/once-he-became-a-series-character-i-made-the-132279/
Chicago Style
Westlake, Donald E. "Once he became a series character, I made the conscious choice that he would never act like a series character, never wink at the reader, never pull his punches. Better for him, better for me." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/once-he-became-a-series-character-i-made-the-132279/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Once he became a series character, I made the conscious choice that he would never act like a series character, never wink at the reader, never pull his punches. Better for him, better for me." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/once-he-became-a-series-character-i-made-the-132279/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
