Oh my gosh, a whole post devoted
to Mas! :P
Masrekah (mas-reh-kah) is, for
my story, the epitome of an unintentional character. As I’ve said in other
places, he was just a backstory character I came up with to explain why Rab was
18 and unmarried in a world where girls typically marry by 15. He was a jerk
who ruined her life because she rejected him. I never intended him to be
anything more. I made him a jerk on purpose, a disgusting creep who was
just…ugh. Gross.
Vindictive, cruel, selfish, leering,
and menacing: that was Mas. And this man has become not only a main character,
but a love interest. Riddle me that. *rolls eyes at my mind*
At some point amid the massive
changes where I decided Rab and the rebels wouldn’t all die, I got the idea for
Mas to become good and fight alongside the rebels. I knew it’d lead to conflict
with Rab, and, let’s face it, conflict drives a story, and Rab is fun when she’s
clashing with other characters.
As the story unfolded, it became
increasingly difficult to figure out how Hikah saved Ari from jail, or why he’d
even risk everything when all he felt for her was infatuation. During this
time, I teasingly asked people what they’d think of a Mas/Rab pairing instead
of Sorek/Rab. No one liked it; it felt lacking. That was when the first inkling
hit me of Mas/Ari. I brushed it off, thought it would be too weird, that no one
would accept him because of his past with Rab.
He refused to let it go, kept
pestering me until I allowed him one scene with Ari. One scene for him to show
me hints of chemistry between the two of them. I really doubted it would go
anywhere, but I figured I’d explore the possibility.
Well. We know how that turned out. (And if you don’t know, uh, Mas got his way.)
Of all my characters, Mas “talks” with me the most. Oftentimes,
when I get ideas for conversations, I envision the characters in my head going
back and forth. I typically just watch and try to remember it all. That is how
things go with Mas, only instead of a conversation playing out between him and
another character, it is him and me. For instance, this happened last night
after I wrote a scene where he dances with Ari at the festival in book one:
Me to Mas: So you’re interacting with Ari a lot in book one lately…
Me to Mas: So you’re interacting with Ari a lot in book one lately…
Mas: Not
really. But, I mean, this way it’ll make more sense that I already like her by
the time she’s at my house in book three. You were worried about that,
remember? That my feelings would seem too intense since we’d interacted so
infrequently?
Me: Yes…
True…
Mas,
shrugging: I’m just trying to make things more realistic.
Me, eyeing
him: You’re trying to get me to be okay with you kissing her at your house,
aren’t you?
Mas: No!
Never! *pauses* Are you saying you’re going to write that, though? Because I
won’t mind. And we’re interacting a lot lately…
Me, glowering:
Shush your face.
Mas, stays
quiet for two seconds: So that means you’re going to think about it?
Me:
*facepalm*
…Yep. As for Mas himself, I have a character spotlight of
him on that page (link is above), but here are some basics (and random things):
~27 (born October 29th)
~Blond-haired, blue-eyed
~Second in command in the town (has been for about two
years) and Siserah’s confidante
~Still vindictive, cruel, and violent, but no longer leering
or a total jerk (though still cocky)
~Sense of humor is dry, sarcastic, and often blunt
~Is the oldest of four; his parents and siblings are dead
~Preferred method of fighting is hand-to-hand; knives are
his go-to blade
~Has extensive scarring across his back and chest from a
near-death experience when he was 17
~Responds to intense emotion or pain by shutting down and
turning icy and sarcastic
~Detail-oriented with a near-photographic memory
~Is convinced he is and always will be a bad person
~Prone to drinking/alcoholism
~Favorite color is green
~Favorite season is fall
~Deepest fear is rejection
Aaand…it is time to get ready
for work!
No comments:
Post a Comment