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Not that I’m trying to sway the vote, but this is the story I’ve put the most into. Here are some further details about my Heroine and Hero. I will be doing a series on all my major story ideas to date on the main characters, or at least what I have of them so far.
Heroine: Gyrfalke- age: 24
- Job: embroiderer in the service of John of Burgundy at an estate in Northern France (I think Senlis is a likely site, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senlis%2C_Oise ). She trained herself while in Paris, working with her father. Her work came to the attention of Lord John, who hired her and she moved to the estate. She has been there nearly ten years, which is when her contract expires.
- Intellect: Literate and well spoken, relatively good with figures.
- History: Was fifteen when she arrived at the estate, had an affair with a lowly carpenter when she was nineteen, now has a 5 year old son. Is still unmarried, since she refused to wed, is considered unsuitable and tainted. Despite that, her attractiveness still draws manly attention, which she encourages to a point by flirting, and then spurning possible suitors, confusing many because her ex-lover wasn’t exactly a “catch”. The estate chamberlain was interested at one point, and is her primary adversary in her problem achieving higher status as seneschal because of her refusal to become his mistress. Her ex-lover was killed in a drunken dispute, so she is raising her son alone. His one dream is to someday become a knight.
- Aspirations: Originally, she wanted to be ‘seneschal’ (manager), which would have made her responsible for the training of new workers, as well as in the position to offer advice on projects. She would also be in charge of her own bookkeeping and able to control her clientele, as well as demand higher payment for works. These aspirations have become increasingly harder to attain since the birth of her child and her refusal to marry. She has turned her dreams toward the desire to leave the estate and move back to Paris and create her own guild of embroiderers.
- Family: Father lives in Paris as a ‘burgher’, or merchant, with her mother. One brother, who will take over the family business.
- Appearance: About 5’7”, red hair and green eyes, Father is French, Mother is Welsh and Irish. Fair complexion and slim, but well-rounded figure, considered unfashionable for the times.
- Attitude: Outspoken (tendency to speak out of turn), Rebellious (hates to follow the norm, preferring to do what she feels is right), Determined and Goal-Oriented (knows what she wants and is constantly making plans for the future)
- Perceptions: Intractable (has often gotten into trouble), Negative (her ‘constructive criticism’ is unsolicited and unappreciated), Unemotional (gets close to very few people, and those she is not close to call her an ‘ice queen’, also because she is ruthless when negotiating contracts for her work)
- Hobbies: Falconry, is good friends with the head falconer, and helps him train birds. Clothes- with her father a cloth merchant, and with her own skill with a needle, her wardrobe and those of her friends is the envy of many “ladies”. She designs clothes and creates them as a side job to supplement what she makes through the estate.
- Goals: Saving to return to Paris and start her own guild upon the expiration of her contract. On the lookout for a husband that will give her both LOVE and POSITION, so that her son may become a knight, and to strengthen her position as guildmistress. Realizes this is not likely to happen, and takes great pains to remind anyone addressing her as “lady” that she is indeed, NOT a lady, as if to defy them and demand criticism.
Hero: Vincent de Lannoy – age 28
- Job: Mercenary soldier, currently in the employ of Henry V, contract expires soon. Decorated hero of the battle of Agincourt
- Intellect (Great with numbers, literate)
- Family: bastard son of noble lady, since adopted by step-father, though not an acknowledged heir, only to receive knight’s training. Family lives in None, France; Mother and Father still living, half-brother and sister. Family is close, but very private and not actively political.
- Aspirations: Hoping to earn enough by his high mercenary fees to purchase his own small estate, and earn a title in the process, depending on who ends up king.
- Appearance: About 6’2”, olive tone skin, dark eyes (Father is rumored to be Moorish). Dark hair, but shaves head bald ‘Norman fashion’. Very muscular, but moves with grace. Very deep voice.
- Attitude: Very private, few friends. Refuses to give details about himself, and permits rumors to circulate about his origins (perhaps even starts a few himself). Determined and goal-oriented, has systematically accumulated wealth with intentions of gaining his own land. Risk-taker (Not afraid to challenge the status quo, by refusing to swear fealty to a king)
- Perceptions: Evasive (doesn’t answer direct questions unless it suits him, and hard to tell if he’s telling the truth), Uncouth (doesn’t follow fashion, and often appears plain or rough-mannered)
- History: Shrouded in mystery, but the known and confirmable facts are that bastard born, yet adopted by his noble step-father, he was trained as a squire and became a knight, as was customary. Fought as mercenary, creating a name for himself on the battlefield, until he came to the attention of John of Burgundy, who brought him to Henry V. Fought at Agincourt, and is considered a hero. Unknown facts include that, yes, his father was indeed a half-breed Moor who had raped his mother. When a young knight, had an affair with a young noblewoman who ended up pregnant, but rid herself of the pregnancy with an abortion, and went on to marry a rival knight. Is on the lookout for a wife, but must be one nothing like his previous experience with “ladies”, and must have a brain on her to run an estate while he is gone. Unfortunately, his trust level is shot, so if need be, he will marry just to produce an heir once he gains an estate.
- Hobbies: Falconry (something in common with Gyrfalke), mentoring (being a bastard himself, he has employed others, helping them to achieve their own goals. This is not widely known information, as he has since limited himself to using them in lower-ranking positions.)
- Goals: To own his own estate and be respected as a fair and just lord, overcoming the title of ‘bastard’.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
What's in a Name?
Everything! A name can completely define a character. How romantic is it to read about a heroine who is supposed to be strong, willful, beautiful, intelligent, etc. but is stuck with a name like “Martha”? (No offense to any Martha’s out there.) But when it comes to a romance novel, it truly is a struggle to come up with that perfect name!
I’ve experienced this sort of trouble countless times, and how does one resolve it? Baby Name books or websites are a great starting point. (http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/) is a good reference.
Things to consider are:
1. The way a name sounds – if it is too hard to say aloud, it is probably not a great choice. Imagine your lead characters stumbling over themselves trying to whisper in passion.
2. The way a name looks – This is important, because if a reader has to look at a name throughout the whole book, it needs to be interesting.
3. The meaning of a name – You might think that the name “Kennedy” is perfect. It looks good, sounds good, brings to mind images of President Kennedy, great man that he was. But did you know that it’s meaning in Gaelic is: armored head; deformed head? Someone is going to catch that!
4. Uniqueness – You want your main characters to stand out from the crowd. While it is perfectly okay to choose a common name, you might want to think about updating the spelling to make it different. Don’t go too out there or you’ll make readers scratch their heads.
Now me personally, I have a liking for Gaelic/Celtic names, names with elemental meanings, and weird as it is, I prefer names that start with what I consider pretty letters (this may vary for you); A, F, J, K, L, R, S, X, Z are some of my faves.
A little background on some of my character’s names:
Gyrfalke – Originally, her name started out as Kestrel, like mine, but I already had a character named Kestrel (Salome); and further research into falconry told me that a Kestrel was not exactly a “noble” bird, so I opted to change it. The gyrfalcon is one of the most favored birds to use, so I looked into different spellings from different languages, and Gyrfalke is German. It sounded the most like a possible name, so there you go. (You might hate it, but her name is official!)
Salome – Her real name is Salome Mercer, her pseudonym is Kestrel Sinclair. Salome is the notorious dancer that demanded the head of John the Baptist. Quite the man-eater, as is my character. She is scheming and eminently practical, but also very passionate. This name just fits her perfect. As for Kestrel, in addition to being my own nickname, a Kestrel is a rather flighty bird, and Salome’s alter ego is a very mysterious character. Sinclair sounds prestigious to me, so there you go.
Anne and Kate Lawrence – Their names are actually Suzanne and Katherine, being twins, they opted for nicknames to save time with each other, as well as to distinguish themselves from “society”. I was also trying to think of names that could be adapted into pseudonyms for when they are on the trail of their prey. Sioux Anne and Kiowa Kate; or just Sioux and Kiowa as they’ll be known.
Zoe Benedict – Her name is actually Zosephine, which combines two of my favorite names when I was younger, Zoe and Josephine.
Up for debate:
Empress – Because this story takes place in an “alternate world” if you will, I need her name to sound sufficiently “out there” while still retaining properties of known names. In my mind, her country has a very Indo-Arabic feel to it, and in lots of fantasy, names are often hyphenated. Tentatively, her name is Syndra-Kai. When I get to that point in my writing, I will take suggestions and put it to a vote.
Elf – I have no idea what to call her yet! I need to do some digging into elven lore; there are so many people out there who are so into this kind of thing, I want to stick with “Lord of the Rings” type language or names when it comes to her people and her name, to keep fantasy writers in step with me. I can’t go calling her “Jane”.
Australia – I don’t even know, back to the baby name books. Something traditionally British I think, considering her origins.
Anyone else out there have thoughts on naming characters?
I’ve experienced this sort of trouble countless times, and how does one resolve it? Baby Name books or websites are a great starting point. (http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/) is a good reference.
Things to consider are:
1. The way a name sounds – if it is too hard to say aloud, it is probably not a great choice. Imagine your lead characters stumbling over themselves trying to whisper in passion.
2. The way a name looks – This is important, because if a reader has to look at a name throughout the whole book, it needs to be interesting.
3. The meaning of a name – You might think that the name “Kennedy” is perfect. It looks good, sounds good, brings to mind images of President Kennedy, great man that he was. But did you know that it’s meaning in Gaelic is: armored head; deformed head? Someone is going to catch that!
4. Uniqueness – You want your main characters to stand out from the crowd. While it is perfectly okay to choose a common name, you might want to think about updating the spelling to make it different. Don’t go too out there or you’ll make readers scratch their heads.
Now me personally, I have a liking for Gaelic/Celtic names, names with elemental meanings, and weird as it is, I prefer names that start with what I consider pretty letters (this may vary for you); A, F, J, K, L, R, S, X, Z are some of my faves.
A little background on some of my character’s names:
Gyrfalke – Originally, her name started out as Kestrel, like mine, but I already had a character named Kestrel (Salome); and further research into falconry told me that a Kestrel was not exactly a “noble” bird, so I opted to change it. The gyrfalcon is one of the most favored birds to use, so I looked into different spellings from different languages, and Gyrfalke is German. It sounded the most like a possible name, so there you go. (You might hate it, but her name is official!)
Salome – Her real name is Salome Mercer, her pseudonym is Kestrel Sinclair. Salome is the notorious dancer that demanded the head of John the Baptist. Quite the man-eater, as is my character. She is scheming and eminently practical, but also very passionate. This name just fits her perfect. As for Kestrel, in addition to being my own nickname, a Kestrel is a rather flighty bird, and Salome’s alter ego is a very mysterious character. Sinclair sounds prestigious to me, so there you go.
Anne and Kate Lawrence – Their names are actually Suzanne and Katherine, being twins, they opted for nicknames to save time with each other, as well as to distinguish themselves from “society”. I was also trying to think of names that could be adapted into pseudonyms for when they are on the trail of their prey. Sioux Anne and Kiowa Kate; or just Sioux and Kiowa as they’ll be known.
Zoe Benedict – Her name is actually Zosephine, which combines two of my favorite names when I was younger, Zoe and Josephine.
Up for debate:
Empress – Because this story takes place in an “alternate world” if you will, I need her name to sound sufficiently “out there” while still retaining properties of known names. In my mind, her country has a very Indo-Arabic feel to it, and in lots of fantasy, names are often hyphenated. Tentatively, her name is Syndra-Kai. When I get to that point in my writing, I will take suggestions and put it to a vote.
Elf – I have no idea what to call her yet! I need to do some digging into elven lore; there are so many people out there who are so into this kind of thing, I want to stick with “Lord of the Rings” type language or names when it comes to her people and her name, to keep fantasy writers in step with me. I can’t go calling her “Jane”.
Australia – I don’t even know, back to the baby name books. Something traditionally British I think, considering her origins.
Anyone else out there have thoughts on naming characters?
Friday, August 1, 2008
Influences
What discussion by an author would be complete without covering the author’s influences?
The very first romance novel I ever read was “A Rose in Winter” by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. I loved it so much I then read everything she had ever written to that point and have kept pretty good tabs on her work since. She does have a newer book out that I haven’t read yet, but now that I know there is one, I’ll be picking it up soon. Her website can be found at: www.kathleenewoodiwiss.com
I can’t really say what it is I like most about her writing, except that it is really believable. She does a great job painting the visual for her reader so you can almost imagine yourself there with the characters. Her dialogue is compelling and often funny, and for the most part her characters are wonderful, fully fleshed personalities. I will say that I really prefer her earliest works over anything more recently. If anyone has read “The Flame and the Flower” and knows Heather and Brandon, and Brandon’s brother Jeff, knows that Jeff got the short end of the stick when it comes to brides. Raelynn is just a moron, and I can’t stand stupid female characters.
Ok, enough ranting, here are my top picks and absolute must reads by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.
“A Rose in Winter”
“Ashes in the Wind”
“Shanna”
“The Wolf and the Dove”
“The Flame and the Flower”
My next favorite author would have to be Jude Deveraux. You can read about her here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jude_Deveraux . Her official site through Simon and Schuster is a pain to navigate, and mostly just trying to get you to buy books, rather than link them in any sort of sensical fashion.
I can’t tell you which of her books I read first, but she has a tendency to do things in groups, primarily by family. Almost every one of her books will feature a Montgomery or a Taggart. (If you get to reading her, you’ll know what I mean.)
Jude also does a great job of setting the scene for her readers, and she moves through time periods with ease, even having one book about a time traveling knight. (“A Knight in Shining Armor”) But what I love about her most is her gift for dialogue. Her characters are witty, funny, and very to the point. It makes for really great reading, and I wish someone would make one of these books a movie already!
My top picks for Jude are:
The “Velvet” Series – introduces the Montgomery family, very important to understanding later family stories
The “Taggart” Series – introduces the Taggarts, cousins to the Montgomeries, and just oh… so yummy!
“The Duchess”
“Mountain Laurel”
My next favorite author is Johanna Lindsey. I love her pretty much for the same reasons as I love Jude Deveraux, but she is more prolific. I can’t really say much more except demand that you start reading her! You can find a great site for her here: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/l/johanna-lindsey/
My top picks are:
The “Malory-Anderson” Series, but specifically “The Magic of You”
“Defy Not the Heart”
“Warrior’s Woman”
“Man of My Dreams”
I love to read many different authors, but when it comes to romance novels, these are my top three. Other favorite authors include:
Louis L’amour, Stephen King, Anne Rice, Nora Roberts (J.D. Robb), Amanda Quick, Laura Kinsale, Rebecca Brandewyne, LaVyrle Spencer, Zane Grey, Michael Crichton, James Patterson, Dean Koontz, Nicholas Sparks, Jeffrey Deaver, (just to name a few).
I also have a big interest in trying to get my oldest son to enjoy reading as much as I do, so I’m all into the Harry Potter series, and other popular children’s books out there now. Here are a few good ones: The “Redwall” Series by Brian Jacques, The “Chronicles of Narnia” and “Lord of the Rings” Books, the Lemony Snicket books, and well… I could just go on and on and on… But I think I will stop here for now!
The very first romance novel I ever read was “A Rose in Winter” by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. I loved it so much I then read everything she had ever written to that point and have kept pretty good tabs on her work since. She does have a newer book out that I haven’t read yet, but now that I know there is one, I’ll be picking it up soon. Her website can be found at: www.kathleenewoodiwiss.com
I can’t really say what it is I like most about her writing, except that it is really believable. She does a great job painting the visual for her reader so you can almost imagine yourself there with the characters. Her dialogue is compelling and often funny, and for the most part her characters are wonderful, fully fleshed personalities. I will say that I really prefer her earliest works over anything more recently. If anyone has read “The Flame and the Flower” and knows Heather and Brandon, and Brandon’s brother Jeff, knows that Jeff got the short end of the stick when it comes to brides. Raelynn is just a moron, and I can’t stand stupid female characters.
Ok, enough ranting, here are my top picks and absolute must reads by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.
“A Rose in Winter”
“Ashes in the Wind”
“Shanna”
“The Wolf and the Dove”
“The Flame and the Flower”
My next favorite author would have to be Jude Deveraux. You can read about her here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jude_Deveraux . Her official site through Simon and Schuster is a pain to navigate, and mostly just trying to get you to buy books, rather than link them in any sort of sensical fashion.
I can’t tell you which of her books I read first, but she has a tendency to do things in groups, primarily by family. Almost every one of her books will feature a Montgomery or a Taggart. (If you get to reading her, you’ll know what I mean.)
Jude also does a great job of setting the scene for her readers, and she moves through time periods with ease, even having one book about a time traveling knight. (“A Knight in Shining Armor”) But what I love about her most is her gift for dialogue. Her characters are witty, funny, and very to the point. It makes for really great reading, and I wish someone would make one of these books a movie already!
My top picks for Jude are:
The “Velvet” Series – introduces the Montgomery family, very important to understanding later family stories
The “Taggart” Series – introduces the Taggarts, cousins to the Montgomeries, and just oh… so yummy!
“The Duchess”
“Mountain Laurel”
My next favorite author is Johanna Lindsey. I love her pretty much for the same reasons as I love Jude Deveraux, but she is more prolific. I can’t really say much more except demand that you start reading her! You can find a great site for her here: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/l/johanna-lindsey/
My top picks are:
The “Malory-Anderson” Series, but specifically “The Magic of You”
“Defy Not the Heart”
“Warrior’s Woman”
“Man of My Dreams”
I love to read many different authors, but when it comes to romance novels, these are my top three. Other favorite authors include:
Louis L’amour, Stephen King, Anne Rice, Nora Roberts (J.D. Robb), Amanda Quick, Laura Kinsale, Rebecca Brandewyne, LaVyrle Spencer, Zane Grey, Michael Crichton, James Patterson, Dean Koontz, Nicholas Sparks, Jeffrey Deaver, (just to name a few).
I also have a big interest in trying to get my oldest son to enjoy reading as much as I do, so I’m all into the Harry Potter series, and other popular children’s books out there now. Here are a few good ones: The “Redwall” Series by Brian Jacques, The “Chronicles of Narnia” and “Lord of the Rings” Books, the Lemony Snicket books, and well… I could just go on and on and on… But I think I will stop here for now!
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