My Heroine…Situation (TBKIA)
So I’m currently in the throes of composing Chapter 3 from Redric’s POV. It’s looking pretty spiffy so far considering I had a lucky moment to make up the scene and it turns out to be really beneficial in unraveling a layer of mystery from Auri’s past. I guess she’ll be my first true test in character development because I really would like her character to start off sort of detached and somewhat numb and then eventually progress into a stronger fighter who is finally aware of herself, by the end of Book 1. Her past was traumatic (there’s another complication too that I can’t expose) and I want her behavior to reflect that but my aim is realism because as a reader, I really cannot stand anything contrived. I want Auri’s raw emotions to show and her reactions to her problems to be as natural and realistic as possible.
When I’m reading a book where the protagonist is female, I really like the kickass, strong, independent ones. But from a more personal stance, I especially love reading about the NOT-so-strong ones, how they overcome their fears and struggles and eventually do become stronger… Because I just don’t really see the appeal in starting off with a protagonist who is already strong to begin with. Auri may be strong in terms of her (supernatural) capabilities, but when it comes to dealing with “life,” and “people,” that’s when I find writing her character most critical because I’m actually injecting some of my own experiences and I hope that I’m translating them in a believable manner.