Why Every Writer Should Watch ABC's Mystery Thriller Castle

Are you watching ABC’s crime/mystery/thriller of a show with immense comic relief? I am talking about Castle, starring Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion. Nathan Fillion plays a fun-loving, accomplished author called Richard Castle, who starts consulting for the NYPD murder cases. I explain how it happens (without the spoilers) here. I also compare it with another highly regarded mystery/thriller/drama The Mentalist.

This article is about writers and how any writer can benefit from Castle:

The Glamor:

Yes, the glamour. Richard Castle lives in a great loft in New York. He has money, lots of it. He has all the gadgets he wants and needs. We see great parties, restaurants, book launch parties…If we ever need motivation to aspire, it doesn’t get better than this.

The Reality and Humanity

Yes, Rich is rich but he is no Tom Cruise or Donald Trump. He is not in limos all the time, he cares of his teenage daughter and lively, actress mother. He is currently pestered by his editors and publishers. Well, you are never off the hook when it comes to deadlines, even if you are a best-selling writer.

Oh, another part of the reality: real life authors occasionally guest star as Castle’s regular poker bodies. They talk about novels, fiction, writing and they help Castle brainstorm about real murder cases.

The Murder and The Mystery

I mostly write dramas and romantic comedies. But it is not because I don’t want to write mystery thrillers. I love those. But it takes more than a good idea. Attention to detail, hard work and sometimes spending time with some real gruesome facts all add to a masterpiece. Castle might be a fictional character but remember, he is written by real writers who come up with a good story week after week. The show is currently in its 3rd season. So we watch Castle gather clues, brainstorm and work on both real and imaginary cases. Each episode is great for inspiration.

The Characterization and Chemistry:

Castle has great characters. They regular cast all add comic relief. The relationships between Castle and his daughter, his mother, partner/crush/cop Kate Beckett, friends, Beckett’s friends, the captain and his relationships with the suspects…Castle is a good combination of characters and plots that all fit nicely together. It has good amount of clichés but more than enough originality to compensate for them.

The Gadgets

Shows like playing with technology but in this day and age, Castle’s everyday gadget is more than affordable. He has a good phone with internet connection. He can google stuff right at the crime scene.

However he can turn his house into a Frankenstein mood, fence with his daughter or play with laser toy guns in a sci-fi mood. The toys money can buy…

Social Media

It is a very relevant show. Characters joke and talk about tweeting. And if a model suggests she sat next to Perez Hilton (yes, this happened in one episode) on the plane as an alibi, Castle can check the blog during interrogation.

The Fun

Oh, and it shows you a good time. You see family, the writing world, murder department, romance and friendship all in one. He is also full of information on everything. Having written over 20 bestsellers, he has done his research. A lot. And the one-liners are also pretty entertaining.

Check out this show that is based on this fun-loving writer. It might be as inspirational as it is entertaining.