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Thank you!! I’d really appreciate that:)
Yes, it makes me grin every time I think of them:) When I read that last line, I had to pause for a second and remembered that they aren’t actually real… sigh XD I just LOVE your trio so, so much:D
But anyway, sounds good (I kinda figured she’d be two handed, just making sure), I’m also super excited to share them đOf course! And that makes me grin to know that you love them so much! Honestly, I forget that they’re fictional all the time… *sigh* XD Thank you! You know, I’d really like to know more about your characters, too! đ Great! Yeah, I hadn’t given it much thought until you said something, but I could see Caira being two-handed for sure. Yay! I’m looking forward to them! đ
I know right? I wish there was some machine that could transfer characters from the page to real life, (in fact if I could have a superpower, I’d have to choose that one XD ).
Sure! I’d be ecstatic to answer any question you have for my characters! I love it when people ask questions about them:) Literally, no question is too small. (warning though: I can talk endlessly about them when I get started XD ).
(I can just picture Caira with that sword:)Ooh, yes!!! *hand raises in the air* I would also have that superpower, because then I could meet my charries in real life… wouldn’t that be amazing? *sigh*
Great (I was hoping you wouldn’t mind, but I’d really like to know more about them)! So I know you said your main character was Mejia, right? I absolutely love that name, by the way:) How old is she? What’s her personality like? Where does she live (did you mention something about Russia, or were you just choosing Russian names?)? Anyway, just a few standard questions. I’d really like to know more about her! And I totally understand–I could talk about my characters forever if I had the time, but I think I’d drive everyone nuts XD Haha, me too! I love swords…
That would be so amazing… *also sighs*
I don’t mind at all. Actually, I’m extremely happy that other people are curious about my characters! đ And thank you! Yep, her name is Mejia, (for now that is because I have to invent a Russian version of this name). She was originally fifteen, but I upped it to sixteen after a bit of consideration, and thence, she remains sixteen for the span of the story.
I figured that’d be about the right age because I wanted her to be more of a child-warrior than an adult, but more in the teen range because I wanted a more mature character that would already have a long past, was mature enough to take on responsibility, and danger.
And there’s the love-interest subplot. I call it a love-interest subplot instead of a romance subplot because they are for the majority of the novel, very un-romantic towards each other, (did I mention that I often employ the use of swords in my WIP?)
Age sixteen worked out perfectly:)Mejia’s personality is, put concisely, not very warm and fuzzy in the least. She has had a pretty hard past and has been scorned and abandoned for having a fearless/fighting spirit, (which is a part of the era/culture that plays into the conflict). This makes me sympathetic towards her for although she comes off as gruff and cold, she is very doubtful about love because no one ever bothered to show her any.
But just the same, she is compassionate. Otherwise, she would have never taken on the responsibility of looking after Lila (a one-legged wanderer who shows up in the near northern territory, who -unknown to Mejia- was kidnapped and purposely left by the villain to be found by the protagonist), in a land where fending for yourself is of the extreme difficulty.The cool aspect/advantage point that Mejia has, is her unbeatable swordsmanship, (swords also play as symbols and recurring objects throughout the entire novel) which was something she gained during the three-year-long trials that one had to endure in order to gain the elusive Warriors Title. Mejia is the only one out of my immediate cast who bears the title, but it’s obvious to Mejia – and the villain – that the misfit band (Anton, Morio, Filip, and Lila) that helps her insure her forest’s protection, have the makings of warriors as well.
But back to her personality, Mejia is a commanding presence, expecting everyone to pull their own share. She is clever and alert, (though she, in general, is sure of herself; she has deep fears that she won’t be enough when the time comes that many -including those closest to her- fates will be placed in her hands). And though she doesn’t outwardly fear people (and due to her nomad lifestyle, she doesn’t often meet many), inwardly she is afraid of what could happen if she put trust into anyone. And sadly, her closest friend does betray her to the villain when she most needed him. So, Mejia has a lot of trust issues.
But aside from that, Mejia also has a funny, poetic, and playful side, (although I’ll admit that a lot of her humor is sarcasm). She often exchanges banter with Filip (her hate/love interest) and even snowball fights him in a few scenes. But for the most part, is the contrasting opposite of Lila, who is softer and lighthearted.Mejia lives -in the probably un-cleverly named- Birch Woods. Which is a grand forest, constructed mostly from birch trees and a cold climate. Which is the perfect aesthetic for the novel:) At first, I wanted Birch Woods to be strictly nomadic, but then I realized that I’d need it to be slightly more inhibited. Thence (inspired by a particular collection of winterly exotic Russian illustrations), I am beginning to world build even further. Creating two (one of which I’ve had for a while) villages and other assorted primitive stone and wood structures throughout the forest.
TSW is indeed set in Russia. But a very ancient and fictionally enhanced Russia, (and the fact that there is virtually no historical documentation of ancient Russia, the power of imagination is in my favor to re-create what might have been). So all the names that I use are either Russian or of thick Russian origin (which is why I have to invent a Russian version of the name ‘Mejia,’ because, well, it’s Spanish. But I loved the sound of it too much to just replace, believe me, I’ve tried).
Anyway, I did warn you that I could talk a while about my story XD But I do love sharing, so if you have any other questions, please ask:) If not, that’s alright too:) But anyway, that’s a bit about my WIP and protagonist:)
(I think I’m going nuts with the đ ‘s. That was three in a row:) Four:) Five:) Okay, I’d better stop).
(I love swords as well:)Oh wow!! Mejia seriously sounds like an AMAZING character!! Oh, I totally agree on the age thing–my characters used to be younger until I decided to make them around fifteen so that they could be more mature/responsible (plus the whole love interest thing). Oooh, your romance sounds interesting!! And I like the name Filip, too!! đ
Ok, I already love Mejia’s character–she sounds like an incredibly well-developed protagonist, and I just love how she’s both gruff but sometimes compassionate. It really adds a lot of depth to her character. And aww, Lila sounds so sweet (but wait… it was a trap by the villain?) Interesting! I want to know more about this ‘villain’ now! And I’m so glad you’re a fan of swords like I am!! *high-fives* I LOVE THIS SO MUCH, your story is so awesome, Abigail!! And those character names are excellent–I love love love them all! I also like how you’re adding a spark of fiction to Russia–it makes it more interesting, I think, and gives you more freedom to work with it. And I can just see your world so clearly–Birch Woods makes me think of a huge, chilly winter forest with lots of little critters. Ahh, can I visit there? Because it sounds great! đ
Wait, the name Mejia’s Spanish? I would’ve never guessed. I seriously ADORE that name, though, and she sounds like such a heroic protagonist!!!! Thank you for letting me meet her!!!!! I’d love to meet the other charries of her ‘misfit band’, too!!!
Oh, I get it!! Don’t feel bad about talking about your stories–I LOVED listening to every bit of it, and I’d absolutely be honored to read if you ever wanted to post any đ This is my kind of book, I can already tell!:):):):):):):):):)
(That was nine:) Whoops… ten.
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad that you liked Mejia:) That makes me grin like *holds hands up* this huge! She is definitely something else, (in fact TSW’s cast is something else if I come to think about it. Mainly because they’re my only WIP cast that doesn’t want to imprison me for being their author. Which is strange because I usually give them the hardest time).
Haha, yep. You pictured Birch Woods perfectly, (you can visit anytime you want, but the weather is extremely unpredictable. I’d recommend bringing a couple coats:)
Yes, I was disappointed to learn the name’s origin, but I’m sure I’ll find a more Russian way of spelling it because it suits her so perfectly. She was very glad to meet you too!:)As for her misfit-band, well let me see… (yes, this’ll probably be another long post, so I’ll have to apologize in advance. But tbh, I haven’t told many people about the in-depths of these characters, so you’re among the first!:)
First in the band, (actually, the entire band is around the ages 15-16), is Anton, (who is also the character Mejia had known the longest). I originally had him posted in a small hobbit-style fort in the middle of the forest, some half a day’s trek from Mejia’s fortalice. But as the worldbuilding progressed, I moved him into the nearest and smallest of the two villages. Which gave the story a lot of benefits, because it would make it harder for Mejia to visit him, and since he’s the brainy-inventory-doctor type, it would give him more access to resources that he needs. He often will help Mejia out where he can, such as making her winter boots and medicinal items. His past is one of the less tragic ones, but strange just the same. He neither admits nor denies being raised by squirrels. He was mentored in folklore and medicine by an older man, named Dimitri (who also has a role in the plot), then built his own hut in the village and avoids the village Leader at all costs. So thanks to Dimitri, Anton has his head full of mythical creatures and annoys Mejia to pieces with his claims of seeing them.
The second is Morio, who is the more dispirited character of TSW, (since I wasn’t very fair when writing up his past). He came from a distant, more populated land and his family was actually very wealthy. His parents arranged his life, profession, and future marriage for him. He decided to run away and he spent many years going from one place to place, looking for work and shelter. But that resulted in him being broken down and treated miserably time and time again. He returned one night to apologize to his parents for the sadness he’d caused them, but a stranger answered the door and told him that the former occupants died from sickness and depression. Thence Morio took to being a loner and later on met Mejia who eventually accepted his alliance after he managed to prove himself in the Roga Olenya mountain. He begins to forgive his past as Mejia learns to trust him, and becomes more or less, a kindred spirit to her.
Thirdly is Filip, who is as I said, Mejia’s hate/love interest. In the scene where he is first introduced, he is challenged as a stranger by Mejia, (sword again) and his first impression of her is a mix of fear and awe. He is the Third-to-be-Leader of an archer band in a regional territory in the west and is deathly afraid of horses, (which is ironic because his ancestry is full of great equestrians and his name literally means, ‘lover-of-horses’). Ironic yet understandable since he and his father had been caught in a stampede when he was a child. Fortunately, Filip only attained a broken arm, but his father was lost under the herd’s hooves.
Though Filip, by nature, has a charismatic personality, Mejia is often supremely unimpressed with him. They often argue when they can; the rest of the time they are too busy surviving or being forced to work with each other. But just the same, Filip (though he often thinks she’s nuts) trusts Mejia with his life and puts faith in her plans.Fourthly is Lila. Whom Mejia found in a stone ditch and took in as a more or less ‘adopted sister’. Lila came from a region closer to what is now known as Prussia and grew up as a wanderer’s child. She was then kidnapped by the main villain, Artur, who left her for Mejia to take in. This act was aforethought on Artur’s behalf. To fulfill his father’s legacy and control the largest treasure in Birch Woods, he needed to weaken the renowned Snow Warrior and her alliances. He believed that giving Mejia the responsibility of fending for a crippled girl would take away from her advantages on him and knew that Mejia wouldn’t turn Lila away into the brutal climate. And his plot partially proves true as Lila’s actions, accidentally result in Artur capturing Mejia.
Lila is mostly lighthearted and not as suited for Birch Woods’ lifestyle as Mejia is. And though she is disobedient to most of Mejia’s orders and advice, she deeply cares about the warrior and tries getting rises out of her by referencing Filip as more than an alliance. But Mejia doesn’t see the logic in it however and shrugs at such farfetched ideas.Artur Rogozin, the villain, is a crafty, foxlike, and slightly insane villain. His past is not a very happy one either, but unlike Mejia, he never got over it. His clear advantage over Mejia is his extreme stealth skills and ability to trick people in his favor. He often thieves from the others, (including Mejia’s few and prized possessions), and employs his uncanny knowledge of the characters to instill doubts in them.
Anyway, that’s a bit about the other characters, I tried to keep it relatively short, (*puts hands up in defense* I said “relatively”).
Thank you so much!!
I’d be honored for you to read someifwhen I decide to post a chapter for reading. I’ll be definitely sure to tag you:)
(Surprisingly I only used about five đ ‘s in this whole post:) Six…I’m not sure if my reply duplicated, so I’m sorry if it did, but I just thought I’d re-post my response:)
Eeeeeeek!! Your charries (I love calling them âcharriesâ ) sound SO AMAZING!!! Oh, I know, right? Iâm pretty sure all of my characters would want to imprison me for making them suffer so much⌠*cough Newton cough* so I can relate. And yay! Iâll pack up my coats and step through my portal to fictional worlds to get to Birch Woods, then
I really like how all of your characters have such different personalities, and they all sound like they have such depth to them!! Anton sounds wonderful, and I think Iâve heard you mention his name before. He sounds very interesting, and I already adore his personality! AndâŚÂ squirrels? That just added to Antonâs awesomeness by 10000%.
Morio sounds interesting, too! His backstory is so deep, and Iâm sitting over here sympathizing with him already!! He sounds very well-developed, and ahhhh he sounds so neat!!!
I love Filip already!! And the âdeathly-afraid-of-horsesâ thing is ironic but adds to his character! And awww, I feel so bad for him with his father And by the way, Iâm already shipping Mejia/Filip because I ship characters together all the time XD Awww, I loooove the name âLilaâ! It sounds exactly like her personality! And I already love the sisterly bond between her and Mejiaâitâs so sweet!! OooOooh, Artur sounds like a very suspenseful (and clever) villain! I can smell the tension already!!! Ahhhh!
*runs away to fangirl about these awesome characters* *returns 5 minutes later* Thank you sooo much for sharing these amazing characters with me!!! They all sound so well-developed, interesting, and I canât wait to see this story unfold! And YES! Please tag me when you share! I want to read about these characters sooo badly!
@abigail-m So I didn’t actually read all of ur stuff but I did see one thing….
RAISED BY SQUIRRELS??! Is it bad that, from that one thing, I IMMEDIATELY ADORE THIS CHARACTER XD!!! Bruh…..(That and the fact that I like boy charries for obvious reason XD)
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSebGirl u got me hooked on a character from ONE SENTENCE!! THAT IS TALENT!!!
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSebI mean….not that im SUPER hard to plz with guy characters….lol
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSebThat’s alright, I don’t think it was duplicated.
Yep, I am just grateful that I’m safely on this side of the pen/screen from my characters XDThank you:) Yeah, I’ve talked about him a little here and there before, but this is the first time I referenced the squirrels XD Though I haven’t officially decided about how the scene will go in terms of the mentions of squirrels, here is a first draft/paragraph of it:
The hazy orange light flowed from the fire ring.
âYou know you were raised by squirrels, Anton,â Mejia said, hiding her smile as she folded her arms across her chest.
Antonâs head shot up from his work, âah, ah,â he waved his finger at her, âyou were the one who said that, not me. Then when I didnât answer you, you took that as an answer. You have no proof based on that ridiculous theory.ââSo youâre denying it?â Mejia asked, raising an eyebrow.
Anton didnât respond, instead, he returned his attention to the leather sole in the boot he was trying to finish and would have finished already if he hadnât been interrupted.
So that’s mostly how that went XD
Haha, yes, I ship Mejia/Filip all the time, (Mejia would be so horrified if she knew XD ), but they are too adorable to do otherwise, (she’d horrified by that too… *sigh* it’s a good thing she can’t hear me.) But speaking of ships, one of my absolute favorites is your Caira/Newton, I just love those two:)And you smelled correct, tension is indeed brewing up:)
NP! I was super excited to share them! And I’m even more excited that you liked them; that means so much to me. It is a huge encouragement to me that others think my characters are good and want to know what happens to them:) Thank you so much!! đHaha:) No, I don’t think that’s bad at all, (that was one of the things that made me love Anton so much too XD
Oh, good! Phew… *wipes forehead* Of course!! I enjoyed meeting all of them, and honestly would love to know more about them!! Oooooh, that scene is flawless! I love how Mejia isn’t shocked–she’s just bringing this up casually, and Anton’s response is great XD
Awwww, I know, shipping is one of those things that I just can’t help doing XD Yeah, Caira would be sooo embarrassed if she knew I’m shipping her with Newton đ Aw, thank you!! That honestly means so much to me, because sometimes I worry other people may not like the romance subplot (since romance can be a challenge to write), but I’m glad you love them! đ
Oooh, interesting! *rubs hands together as an evil grin spreads across face* I love tension! And no problem!! I’m very happy to finally meet them!! They all sound like such fun characters to write about. How long have you been working on The Snow Warrior?
Thank you! (I was worried it wasn’t all that great, so I’m super glad that you liked it!:) I think it portrayed their personalities pretty well. Mejia usually isn’t surprised by much or at least doesn’t act like it. And sure! I’d love to
monologuetalk more about my characters! I mean literally, I’d be happy to answer any questions, because well, I could talk about anything at all from TSW endlessly XDI know exactly what you mean, it’s almost impossible for me not to ship characters XD I can just imagine Caira’s face if you told her that XD What would Newton do if you told him?
Do not worry in the least! Caira/Newton is the BEST romance subplot in existence! (It is definitely hard to write, but also fun at the same time).They are all indeed a ton of fun to write. In fact, writing about them is my favorite part of working on The Snow Warrior. During NaNoWriMo, I enjoyed having to type out my daily eighteen hundred words, solely because I loved the characters and working with them so much.
Tbh, I’ve been working on TSW for three years, (I know. Which means I should be a lot farther ahead than I am), but the math of those three years, is two years and eleven months taking notes and building characters; one month to write the first draft. NaNoWriMo saved my novel from another year still in the thinking stages. But now, I’m going to have to tear down the first draft and start rebuilding, because it was just barely salvageable. But KP has been a huge encouragement to me and is helping me get my pen back on the page (or finger to keyboard, but that doesn’t sound as literary), that and hearing that you like these characters so much has also given me a lot of encouragement because honestly, I wasn’t too sure about them and was contemplating whether to continue with some of them or not. That and I wasn’t sure if they were interesting enough or whether Filip was likable, (because it’s important to me whether or not the love interest is likable).I’m hoping to finish the second draft by the end of this year and perhaps have a readable chapter or two even sooner:)
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