Personality Emerges Part 2–Getting to know some of the other Main Characters.

So, for the last little while, I’ve been sharing how a tiny seed of an idea becomes an entire book. We started with how the idea came to me, then went on to writing a very loose, short premise for the book idea. Last week we got to know the primary character this book will be about. This week, we are going to meet some of the other key characters.

A quick note—this won’t include everything about each character. As I have said before, I get to know characters better as I’m writing. This just gives me enough to start with. Here is what I do know about the following:

Mikae- Mikae will probably end up being the primary protagonist in the story, (though who knows where a plot twist might take things. I certainly don’t yet). He is the leader of the outlaw gang Markin is trying to stop. Nearing six feet, he is a bit taller than the average male in Aviandria. With his dark blond hair and almost violet eyes, he is fairly good looking and he knows it. He fancies himself popular with the ladies (whether or not this is true is up for debate) and tries to maintain a look he considers handsomely rugged. He is rather charismatic, good with words, and very convincing when he wants to be. He pretends to be loyal to his followers, but if it would save his own skin, he would betray any one of them in an instant without second thoughts or a hint of remorse. He is rather lazy when it comes down to real work, and has chosen the life he leads because he can make fairly good money with minimal effort. He spends this money frivolously and always needs more to fuel his careless lifestyle. As charming as he might seem up front, he has a very short temper, and a cruel streak wider than the Anamer river. Watch your back for sure if he’s around.

Jennalea- As the daughter of the tavern keeper who runs the tavern the outlaws frequent, Jennalea, often known as Jen, has developed enough sass and spunk to hold her own against almost anything. She’s friendly and jokes with the customers in the tavern, but she has firm limits, and if anybody tries to cross them, she won’t stand for it. She has her father’s dark brown hair and her mother’s eyes, which change from a golden brown to a darker shade depending on her mood. She also inherited incredibly sharp hearing from her mother, who was an Elf. Jennalea’s mother died when Jennalea was only about five, so her father has done his best to raise her well, but growing up in the environment that comes with a tavern, she hasn’t learned refinement to the extent many Aviandrian girls do. She has somewhat tomboyish tendencies, but also an eye for pretty things. Though she doesn’t alway show it, she has a fairly soft heart. She is probably the type that would break your nose with a good punch, but sit there and nurse it right after.

Conyr- For an outlaw, Conyr seems fairly likable with an easy smile and a laid back disposition. Though he goes along with the group, he doesn’t seem to care as much about getting all the money and spoils. He also doesn’t seem to enjoy the violence many of the others do either. If asked about his story, he would tell you he was with the outlaws because he accidentally killed a man in his village, and he ran away because he was afraid of what the consequences might be. He joined up with the outlaws because he can live mostly comfortably without the worry of anybody condemning him for his past.

Nallae- A girl that comes to help in the kitchen of the tavern. She is small and easy to overlook. She is also very shy,  hardly coming out unless it is required. Her fear of having to talk to strangers often conflicts with her desire to fit in and feel important, though she never really lets anybody see this.

Ben- Ben is a Rider in the Sky Corps of Aviandria. He and Markin came from the same village. They both have assumed they are the only survivors for years. At the beginning of the story, they still don’t know that assumption is wrong. They end up running into each other at some point in the story, but I don’t know exactly when, where, or why yet. I don’t know if he will play a very big role in the story, but I’m including him on this list anyhow.
While there are likely to be other minor characters who are in the story, these, I believe, will be the main ones. Now, after coming up with these descriptions, I think I have an idea of what role most of them will play and how it will influence the plot. They have brought me one step closer to actually knowing how this story will go, not just what it is about. That’s the beautiful thing about good characters. If done right, they can reduce half the work of coming up with a story. They almost seem to write it themselves. Let’s hope these ones do their job.

What ideas for this story do these characters give you? What guesses do you have as to what role they will play?