Since I'm getting ready for NaNo I thought I'll answer some questions from readers, simultaneously doing an analysis of my characters so far.
Q: Why are your MCs Asians or half Asian?
A: Um, probably because I'm Asian?
Q: Don't you think that Leah and Lei are frighteningly similar?
A: Huh. Actually, this has never occurred to me because to me the differences between them are pretty clear cut. Leah, my character from
Touched is damaged by the disappearance of her mother and her part in causing that. She's spent her life containing herself, practicing self-disciplined and controlling her every reaction and her feelings. She does her very best to not attract attention, ever. Leah doesn't have a social life, she rarely goes out and more often spends her time trapped inside her home out of necessity. Outside of her family and Gabe, she doesn't have a social life. Leah is very prickly, very cynical, and no matter how much she tries to control her emotions, she is very honest with it; she gets angry when she's angry, and sad when she gets sad and tends to be very explosive with expressing her feelings. She handles violence in a very practical way and it is possible that her morals are somewhat skewed.
There's not a lot of things in her life that she can control, even her own body, so Leah is very strict with herself and in her martial arts training.
Lei much from
WATD has a happy childhood, especially once she met the Lyall boys. She has a quick wit and has this steadiness to her that people gravitates to. She is ever polite and watchful and careful. She's also loyal and protective. Family and Pack is everything to her and she would do anything to protect it. She has a straight view of justice and right or wrong when it comes to her friends and family and Pack Protocal but when it is about herself, Lei is pretty chaotic and careless.
Her artistic bent often makes Lei the observer in every situation she was in, and raised under the tutelage of her mother, and the Alpha Pair, she can also get very cagey and manipulative although it is not in her nature.
As the only human in a wolf pack, she has her insecurities, but she handles them pretty well. She is fairly tolerant but is able to easily adapt to every situation that comes her way.
When Leah often fights her way to acceptance, Lei bends naturally....just as long as she could see an advantage in there somewhere. When Leah often mouths off, Lei watches and listens. When Leah uses her fist, Lei uses her words and her delicate looks.
Both of them are intelligent and strong and fighters, but they have different strengths to them.
Q: Why do your female MCs always knows martial arts? Do you equate their ability to kick ass to strength?
A: My MCs know martial arts because I LOVE martials, because I want my characters, being in constant danger, to be smart enough to learn some skills in order to protect themselves.
But both Leah and Lei has very different views about martial arts. For Leah, it is her way of having control, to vent her anger and to fight the feeling of helplessness that often washes over her. It is also her way of bonding with her family and with Gabe. For her martial arts is power and a way of life. It's a mental thing for her.
For Lei, at first martial arts is just something that she had to do, it was the condition that Cana and Caleb gave, if she wanted to hang out with her, she should know how to defend herself. Then as she grew up and learn the way of the blade from Cana, she begins to like it, it was something between her and Cana, something that she could do alone, something that sets her apart from the boys. Something that gave her confidence because she was good at it.
But, that's pretty much it.
