Character Tag

Wow, I really need to get back on top of this whole blogging thing. I know that I promised ya'll a post last Thursday or Friday, but ... well ... you see ... 

I believe I've mentioned the fact that my internet has been giving me troubles. It had been, and on Thursday I got so frustrated with it, that I started uninstalling things from my computer to see if I could find what it was that was slowing me down.

And I ... uninstalled my wifi. Yeah ... I've got a computer programmer for a dad, and I made a mistake like that. 

Anyways, after realizing what I did, I wanted the wifi back ... but wifi is a tricky thing. After thirty minutes of being very frantic, I ended up completely resetting my computer to store-purchase state. So I spent the rest of Thursday downloading and reinstalling various programs that I can't live without, such as Dropbox, Chrome, and Open Office. I technically lost all my pictures, but since I happen to have all of them still on disks, that isn't a huge loss. What I miss is all the book cataloging I did last summer, and that really nice new word processor I got from Giveaway of the Day. I'll have to pay 35 bucks if I want it back. (Though I suppose that that's better than paying 100 a year to have Microsoft Word ...)

I'm also missing all of the free games I had amassed, but they're not the end of the world.

Anyways, today, I'm here with a tag from one of my writing friends, Anne-Girl, who's holding the second annual Writer's conference. So far, it's been a lot of fun to read all of her posts!

1. Do you think it's more important to listen to your characters or to follow the idea of the book as originally conceived?

I think it's important that you and your characters sit down and talk through the story carefully. It's not a good idea to let them completely rule the story, but if you don't listen to them, they won't cooperate. Most of my characters respect when I make an executive decision.

2. If you could pick a fictional man to become alive and marry you who would you pick? {note: this is not asking whom you consider the greatest hero but whom you would be the most comfortable spending the rest of your life with}

I've known since before I was two that I was destined for the Nutcracker. Why are we asking this question?

3.  What is your favorite protagonist and antagonist pair?

Are we talking about my own writing or books I've read. I'm going to answer with my own writing.

In that case, my favorite pair is would be Petra and Amber. I haven't talked about Petra much because she belongs to book 2 of the Rizkaland Legends. However, I have talked about Amber, who is also the villain in book 1.

Honestly, I don't think I have a villain and heroine better suited for each other. They're so much alike (they even look alike), but their paths have made them so different. In another life (literally) they would have grown up to be best friends. (Although, in that other life, it's possible that neither would have been born, as Laura points out, so it all comes out in the end). 

I actually feel kinda guilty pitching her as the villain of Water Princess, Fire Prince, for the mere reason that she isn't their enemy. They just get in the way of her way of passing the time while she waits for the day when she can take Rizkaland as her own. The story works, works beautifully, but because she doesn't see them as a threat to herself personally, she really doesn't have as strong a presence in the book as she will in book 2.

4. If you had to do without one of the following in your story which would it be?
 A. The Dark Moment when the hero is at rock bottom and can't do anything
 B. The Moment of Decision when the hero makes an actual goal and starts following it{leading thereby to the story itself}
C. The Resolution the reconciliation of the hero with his or her inner struggles and outer struggles

I'll go with A, as I don't actually have a Dark Moment in all of my books. I don't view it as always necessary. They're nice accessories, but it isn't necessary to plunge every character to rock bottom.

5. In modern fiction which genre do you think shows the most tendency toward good character development?

I don't think any one genre is better than any other when it comes to characters. It depends on the author.6. Have you ever "fallen for" the villain? {Note I do not mean thought he was a good guy but rather WISHED  he was the good guy and rooted for him}

I have, I know I have ... but I can't name names off the top of my head at the moment.7. Do you prefer writing about your protagonist or side characters? 

The protagonist is almost always my favorite character - otherwise he wouldn't be the protagonist, but my side characters often have a habit of taking over a story.8. What do you think is the most cliched and overdone character in fiction?

The Rebellious Princess, which is precisely the reason I pick on her so much. I love writing with cliches because they're actually quite challenging, if you want them new and fresh.

9. Which do you think is more important, making your reader feel or making him think?

I think they're both equally important, but my aim as an author leans more towards thinking. That and laughter.10.  And lastly what do you think are three most important elements to being a hero?

True bravery (not that he isn't scared of things, but that he doesn't let fear keep him from doing the right thing). loyalty, and a good sense of humor.