It takes many people most of their lives to figure out what they want to do. Not just as a career, but as a past time, a passion. For some people, it’s playing video games, or Magic the Gathering… or anything else that catches their fancy. But, it’s just a hobby. Yes, there is a difference between a hobby and a passion. Example, anime conventions are a hobby to me; writing is a passion. I only started going to conventions when I was eighteen-years-old. I’ve been writing since I was twelve.
I started writing because I had a story to tell, voices inside that pleaded to be let out. I needed to refine my skills and learn from my mistakes. It a college instructor and years of practice and toil for me to get here. And even then, I know I’m not done expanding my skills. I write and write every day if I can. The only time I don’t write is when I’m working all day, go on trips, or don’t bring my laptop to a sleepover. That’s about it. Otherwise, my fingers are flying across the keyboard and creating words that all link together and form sentences. Neat, huh?!
I have experimented in my books, taking elements and tactics from other works that I liked. For my first trilogy, I had a heroine. However, I decided that unlike Katniss Everdeen, and Tris Prior, I would not have a female lead character who cringed at the idea of taking lives. I didn’t want that for my character. She still needs help and can’t do everything alone, but she doesn’t crack under pressure. She doesn’t flinch when faced with turmoil, and rules with an iron, but fair fist. She has her moments of doubt, but they did not overshadow who she is. That was something that bugged me about the aforementioned characters. I felt like they eventually developed, but that was still not quite enough. Personally, I still felt like they were lacking something.
For the novel I’m currently writing, I have male lead characters. One based off a person who actually lived, and the other I created. I want them both to have certain weaknesses and strengths as well. They will face challenges that will make them question their paradigms and morality. Good characters do that, but they don’t have unnecessary baggage that just makes them sound like whiny youngsters. Oh, wait… they are. I try to avoid making more characters like that. I know not everyone can be strong, but the world is full of weak people. Why should we put them in our books? Why should we force them upon ourselves in our fantasy world as well as the real one?
And on that note, it’s been real!
It's Been Real! 