Friday, December 18, 2009

Who are my main protagonists?

I wanted to be able to come away from some videos I recently watched describing what a character is having learned something. So... another rewrite of the prologue is in order.

In the mean time, here's some insight into the man Mulvey is.
  • Curious about the world.
  • Self assured. He knows he's smart, which can a liability.
  • Wealthy. Despite trying to remain class blind, his upbringing makes those efforts difficult.
  • Affable. He's very friendly and very, very loyal. Also a liability.
  • Confident. He believes he is a good judge of character. He's not.
  • A little misogynist. Also part of his upbringing- he's completely unaware of it.
  • Adventurous. This trait defines him more than any of the others, and his wealth and genius allow him to have many adventures.
  • A genius at inventions.
All of these main traits make him a likable snob. His character arc will break down his worst bits.

Fanny, on the other hand is very different.
  • Curious about the world.
  • Ahead of her time. A suffragette with ties to Susan Anthony.
  • Educated. She went to Wheaton Female Seminary. She speaks Chinese and Russian.
  • Passionate. She falls in love with her father's Chinese manservant against his wishes.
  • She wants what men of the Victorian era have- comradeship, freedom and acceptance.
  • Confident. She knows she is good judge of character.
  • Independent. Much to her fathers dismay.
  • Strong. Wu has taught her some fighting skill.
All of these traits make her intractable and distant to people she doesn't know. Once her shell is cracked, however, she is very much in the moment.

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