Out with Mina Greyfalcon and in with Arden Falconer

Admittedly, I’m only a little less than halfway finished my fantasy-esque novel. Keeping in mind this is since late February, I’m still generally pleased with my progress.

Now, a bite that’s a bit tough to chew: the name of my main character was beginning to annoy me. Don’t get me wrong! I love the name Mina. It’s so sweet and soft and delicate.

But my protagonist is none of the above described. She’s opinionated, fiery, stubborn, and hard as a rock. She doesn’t let anyone into her heart easily and is practical rather than emotional. She is destined for something large, important, political, and grand (though I’m not exactly sure what yet).

Originally she didn’t even have a name. I only knew that her surname was Greyfalcon and that her family bred and raised falcons atop a mountain. And, because I wanted to start putting her story to paper (or Word document), I needed a name. I settled on Mina not 100% satisfied, but I knew it could be changed later.

After the first 13 chapters it was harder to write about her. HER NAME DIDN’T SUIT HER. I was becoming annoyed because her hard actions were reversed by such a soft name. It became more and more difficult to write her story.

I was actually looking up the meanings for some other characters’ names (a post for another time) when I found it.

Arden. Meaning: great forest, ardent, passionate.

Well, she lives in a great forest and is passionate about her work, her little brother, and her mountain. And, it sounds more of a fantasy name than the more common ‘Mina.’

Then came her last name. I could hardly have both end in *in* sounds, but I still wanted it to reflect her profession. So I swapped Greyfalcon for the simple, more effective Falconer.

Arden Falconer.

Voila.

I search and replaced the first 13 chapters with the name Arden. And, as I read back, I like her more as a character because her names suits her more.

Let’s call it victory.

Happy writing.

~

Read my post on naming characters here.

Selfish Characters Are Popular?

It’s been recently brought to my attention that many popular main characters are too selfish. The prime example given was Katniss Everdeen from Suzanne Collins’ bestselling Hunger Games trilogy.

I didn’t know how to take this. Yes, when you think about it, Katniss might be selfish. Then again, she’s a sixteen-year-old girl thrown into an arena of teenagers forced to fight to the death and trying to fulfill a promise to her sister.

Of course she’s selfish, especially in Book One. She’s trying to survive.

This got my mind whirring. Are other main characters selfish? I thought of Bella Cullen from the now-disgraced Twilight saga. Yes, she’s unbearably selfish, though no one really pays valid attention to her anymore. I thought of Harry Potter. While he’s a kid with way too much to handle and trying his best to be sacrificial, some of his actions betray the selfishness of a teenage boy. Eragon from the Inheritance Cycle — if you look at him deeper, he’s a selfish kid too.

Then I thought: are these characters selfish because of their youth? All of them are teenagers, and teenagers are inevitably selfish.

Are they selfish by accident of the author? Are they made that way?

Does it bug the reader when a protagonist thinks of nothing but him/herself? In poor Bella Cullen’s case, yes. That girl would have no self-esteem if she could hear people talk about her. In Harry, Eragon, and Katniss’s cases I don’t think anyone holds it against them because of their later actions.

Characters have to be flawed, but no one wants another Bella. So when do you draw the line and make a protagonist a little more selfless?

I’m figuring that out. Now I’m painfully aware of how others might read my character’s actions. Out of selfishness? Or out of love? I don’t want my Mina to be annoying to the reader. 

While I couldn’t care less of what other people thought about me, I want people to like my character. And, as Mina and I are still being acquainted and don’t trust each other 100% yet, I’m trying to be acutely aware of what her actions/thoughts might provoke in others. To a degree she is selfish — she wants to go home to her little brother and salvage her business. But I’m trying to make her see the bigger picture: maybe it’s best for everyone if she stays at the country’s capital of Naphiring.

I think she’ll come around. We need to get to know each other more; I need to figure out what makes her tick. Once I become situated with being in her head, I’ll be able to pull myself away and tell her to think of other people when necessary. “Think of Tristan and Ilex. They might need you more than you need your brother. Think about it, Mina.”

Just some thought. Take it how you will. :)

The 1000-Word Challenge

No, not the new movie with Eddie Murphy in it (A Thousand Words).

This is a goal I’ve made myself and am trying my hardest to stick with.

I am trying to write a novel in less than two months (eek!). To do that, I’ve decided to write at least a thousand words per day. I started nine days ago and currently have 7, 191 words. I’m slightly behind where I want to be, but those were the first three chapters: I hate writing beginnings. Now that I’m getting settled into some gentle rising action, I’ll hopefully keep on top of my writings.

Writer’s block is my ‘frenemy.’ While I hate him for keeping me from my ideas, I also have to keep on good terms with him. If I get a healthy dose from good ol’ blockhead I’ll print off what I have done, grab my notebook, and go for a walk. With spring starting to creep back I’ll be doing this more — writing outside, I mean. Last week I spent an hour and a half sitting on a log in the woods; today I was sprawled out in a field, jeans getting wet and grass-stained, but who cares? If it unclogs the words from my pen, it’s all good. I can get my best ideas surrounded by frozen moss or dead grass, and this season won’t last forever! Soon the black flies will be swarming, spiders will be hatching, and ants will make the ground an unfit place to sit on unless you want them crawling in your pants. Spring is the ideal writing-outdoors time. It’s making my 1000 words a little less forced and a little more enjoyable.

Today I’m going to try to catch up on those 2000 words I’m behind on. Do you have any rituals, charms, or theories on how to banish writer’s block?

Happy writing to you! 

PS: I may have found a name for my nameless girl. Mina. It’s a little softer than I’d like, but if I find something more suited to her blunt and cheeky personality I can always change it.