Ten for Tuesday: Introduce Your Characters

ere we have over 10 centimetres of snow and the blizzard isn't over yet!




It's the perfect weather to stay indoors, wrap up in a blanket, have some cocoa... and think about your novel. More specifically, think about the story, and the characters (not the other kinds of thoughts, the when-am-I-going-to-find-an-agent and let's-see-what-Tahereh-has-to-say-today procrastinatory thoughts. She has a new website, by the way).

Here are ten of my characters from Out of the Water, a historical romance that takes place in 1492-93 (credits for the photographs are here, along with a discussion on anachronisms):

Rosa Magdalena: The heroine; bold, daring, outspoken yet demure. She leaves Spain with her family, becomes separated from them by misadventure, and then learns the truth of her parentage. Captured by the Inquisition, she manages to escape, only to run straight into the arms of another man. Does she have a flaw? She's slightly head strong, and doesn't take advice very well.

Baha: The man who finds Rosa after her escape, and arranges a ship for her to Constantinople - helping rescue some of her other relatives along the way. Unfailingly charming with everyone, with a strict code of conduct; if he has a flaw it's his strong sense of individualism, which sets him at odds with nearly everyone he meets.

Brother Arcturus: The Cistercian monk who befriends Rosa after she's separated from her family, and leads her to the town of Palos, then continues to journey with her as her guardian, all the way to Constantinople. Arcturus is impulsive and generous, yet struggles to align his wishes with the actions that are expected of him.

Santiago: A close friend of Rosa's family, who confesses - on the day of his departure with Admiral Columbus - that he's actually her father. Santiago is adventurous and kind; his one flaw is his tendency to run from a problem rather than stay and work it out. This is the first time I'm posting a photograph of Santiago, and I'm not 100 per cent certain that this is him; the expression comes close, but the hair is too tame. Anyone recognize who it really is?

Salvatore, Estrela, Rafael and Jacob: Rosa's parents and two brothers, whom she's attempting to reunite with in Constantinople, even after she's found out the truth about her parentage. When she confronts them with her knowledge, however, she is forced to leave their house. Where does she turn? Why, to Baha of course.

Eight out of ten isn't so bad; I do have others, but they're definitely not main characters. When NaNoWriMo started, I made a list of all the scenes I still had to write; now that we're a week past, I've got all of those scenes written (!), yet a few still loom (sigh), so let's round off the list with those:

further details on Santiago's voyage with Columbus, when he returns and proper descriptions of first impressions of Constantinople

the action packed ending, which sees Rosa and Baha at odds with everyone else as they try to rescue her father - and Arcturus - from the Ottoman palace...

If you're reading this, consider this a meme and yourself tagged! I'd love to read about everyone else's characters.

Also, congratulations to Solvang and TerryLynn for winning my Middle Grade giveaway! Please email me your addresses.