Last post was just sort of fun, seat of the pants story-writing. Some days I'll do something like that, and others I'll focus more on one aspect of a story. This might spur me to create tags for this journal, but that's another matter. Today's aspect is characters, and today's tool for exploring characters is the character interview.
My character is Prince Seaton (I don't even know if this is his first or last name) from my in-progress Ultimate Fantasy Parody Epic. He appeared only briefly to harass the MC and to give one of her allies a reason to show up, but he struck me as an interesting and complex character, despite his boorish behavior.
I googled "character interview," and chose this particular set of questions (from this site):
- What do you do for a living?
Rule the lands of my parents from the desert territory, along peaks to the West and the edge of the plains to the East, North to the great city Du'latha. I spend much of my days traveling this land, consulting with local village chiefs and the lesser nobility, and relaying the laws of our king. Perhaps I do not travel as far as I should, for I know that there are some at the edges of civilization who do not even recognize the name of our capital. - Are any other people living with you? Who are they?
I travel with my Royal Huntsman, who protect my person. When I am at home in Du'latha, which is not often, I am surrounded by servants, any family of mine who might be at home, and of course the greater nobility, always scheming at court. - Tell me about your parents. How well do/did you get along with them?
My parents rule the entirety of our lands together, dividing the territories between my siblings and me. They are eminently wise and skilled in different areas; my father is an adept diplomat, and my mother can cow the greatest of the nobility with a single word. They're both excellent teachers. I do not see them with much frequency, but I have always been grateful and admiring of them. - What was your birth order? How many siblings did you have? Older? Younger?
I am the eldest child; I have a younger sister and two younger brothers. - Who else was in your family while you were growing up? How did you get along with them?
The greatest of the nobles are those with the closest blood relationship to my worthy parents. I suppose of those, about half a dozen could be called family - the siblings of my parents. They are all people of above average intelligence and charm, but neither my parents, my siblings, nor I have ever trusted them. My mother's youngest sister was my favorite of all of them, if I had to choose. She was not unambitious, but she recognized skill where it lay and so never sought to take on more for herself and her husband than they could manage. I do not think she wishes to be Queen. - What were three things you liked to do when you were a child?
It is hard to say that I was ever truly a child. I enjoyed riding horses, as I still do, and I enjoyed attending court more than I do now. I also enjoyed the rare quiet day when my parents could attend us children in private. - What were you afraid of when you were a child?
I should never have admitted to fear after the age of four or five, but if I must say something, I was afraid of both my parents losing the throne and of developing the wary relationship with my siblings that my parents' siblings have with the royal persons. - How did you respond to the physiological and psychological changes in your life as a teenager?
Having observed the growing children at court for my entire life, I was not wholly unprepared for these changes. I responded to them by pushing myself harder, as I became more and more acutely aware of the responsibility I was soon to shoulder. That is not to say it all went easily; even the harem that is the right of an unmarried Royal Prince used to intimidate me. I sought advice from my father and mother when I could, and I spent more time than necessary training out of doors, to chase away some of my hazy fears. - What makes you happy now?
Serving my able parents, contemplating my own future rule (though this is not an unqualified happiness), hunting, traveling through a particularly beautiful domain, securing relations with the lesser nobility and village chiefs. - What is your greatest fear?
Again, I should not like to admit this, but I do sometimes despair of the day that my brothers and sister turn against me, as they must when I assume the throne. The alternative does not bear consideration, of course. I fear as well strange rumors I hear from people at the outer edges and from the traveling peoples, about activities among the other Sensitive Peoples. But these are far too vague at present to cause much concern. - What would you change about yourself if you could?
I can think of nothing substantial I would like to change. Perhaps I would have greater natural strength of arm, as my brother Reinart does. But this is a trifling thing; on the whole I am quite contented with my person, and I strive to improve in all things. - What is it that you have never told anyone?
Along the road to [forgot village name], there was an accident with one of my Huntsman. He was the youngest and newest of them, a young fellow named Mallory. The events immediately leading up to his violent death remain hazy in the memory of myself and of all the men. This much we have discussed amongst ourselves, but there is one frightening aspect of the situation which I never shared. When I came to myself and discovered the young man slain, I found also sticky blood drying on my sword. - What do you want? (This is the key to your story!)
I want to be a worthy ruler, when I find my bride and assume the throne. I want to do well by my people, even when it means measures they find unpleasant. I wish to defend my throne as well, both from my siblings and from enemies farther afield.
Interestingly, this also helped me establish some world-building points as well. The kingdom is ruled by two people, always a married couple (yes, I suspect this is a very heteronormative monarchy... duoarchy?). The Royal Prince, when he reaches the age of majority and before his marriage, has a harem, for reasons I have not quite thought out yet (this was part of his plot point); while I'm not certain if a Royal Princess would have a similar arrangement, I'm thinking the purpose of this is partly to give him incentives to remain the Heir Apparent and partly to make sure that he's into women and that he can produce children. The hierarchy among siblings is based on age, but if the eldest is clearly incompetent, it may pass to others.
Excellent! A most productive post!
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