My favorite character to date is Caim, the lonewolf biracial assassin from my Shadow Saga. He's independent and driven, and although he works outside the law he still follows a personal code of honor.
What kind(s) of character do you consider this character primarily to be, or how would you describe this character?
Caim reminds me of those old Clint Eastwood western movies. He doesn't go looking for trouble, but it finds him anyway. And he doesn't back down. Pick a fight with him and you'd better be prepared to go all the way. But underneath that, he has a lot of things propelling him in both positive and negative ways. One of those things is a Fae guardian named Kit that only Caim can see or hear.
What is a character from a published fiction story by another author you would compare this character to and why are they similar?
Hmmm. I'd say Caim is a cross between Conan and the Gray Mouser. Conan, because Caim is an outsider for much of his life, because he's a physical presence, and because he's unflinching in the face of danger. The Gray Mouser, because Caim can also be subtle, using alternative methods to get what he wants.
To what extent did you use any pre-existing character formula, template, paradigm, character design, archetype, or theory or principles of making or analysing character in planning, writing, and refining this character?
Not at all. The character was wholly organic, arriving on the page as I conceived him.
How would you describe the first chapter, scene or section of this story in one paragraph?
In the first chapter of Shadow's Son, Caim is preparing to assassinate a powerful noble in his home. When his initial attack is foiled, Caim chases the duke through the castle, finally dispatching him. By this time, however, the noble's guards are closing in. Caim unveils his secret weapon, the power to cloak himself in shadows, to escape.
Pick one of your published stories. How would you describe the introduction of the main character, or one of the main characters, in this story?
In the second book of the series, Shadow's Lure, Caim is heading north to his homeland. He's traveling cross-country, living off the land, and a little lost. After an argument with his best friend, Kit, Caim is attacked.
What makes this an effective character introduction for this story?
I started the second book this way because it connects back to the first book and one of Caim's primary relationships, and also to give a tone of danger and uncertainty to the book. Caim is a little lost, physically and metaphysically at the same time. He's been floating through his life for so long that he hasn't set down roots, and that casual approach is going to be challenged in this book.
What major changes does this character go through, or what major challenges does the character encounter and how does the character respond to them?
Caim has to decide whether he is going to be a part of a community, or forever remain an outsider. He is challenged by the forces of Shadow, who continue to seek his demise, but also by the plight of his former countrymen who fight for their freedom.
How would you describe the most important minor characters in this story and the changes in their character, or the challenges they encounter and how they to respond them?
In Shadow's Son, Josey is almost as important as Caim. She's a socialite who gets entangled in a government conspiracy, and she drags Caim into the trouble, too. She goes from being a girl of privilege to a strong young woman with an important destiny.
What does the story gain from the minor characters?
Josey gives Caim a reason to care when he could otherwise walk away. Caim has been outside society for so long that he needs help connecting to people, and Josey provides it. Kit (ironically) and Josey also give the story more of a humane perspective.
To what extent would you describe the characters in this story as typical or atypical of characters in your fiction stories?
I think they are typical. I gravitate toward characters who struggle internally, who grapple with their situations both physically and emotionally. I prefer strong characters to weak, those who act? even wrongly? to those who sit back and take what life offers. I like protagonists who protag.
Author website: http://www.jonsprunk.com/
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