While reading the first volume of Nura: The Rise of the Yokai Clan, I noticed I'm drawn to characters with conflicted natures. The main character Nura, Rikuo is three quarters human, one quarter yokai or demon and the story is about how is comes to terms with his demon blood, using it to help humans instead of torment them. I haven't read much of the story so far, so I don't know much other than this.
Another example of a character at odds within himself, is Lian Hearn's Otori, Takeo. In the beginning of the series Takeo is called Tomasu, raised among a secret sect of religious believers called The Hidden. As a member of the Hidden, Tomasu is taught, never to take a life, whether that of one's own or someone else. At the age of twelve, Tomasu's village is burned and he is rescued by Otori, Shigeru, the heir of a predominant samurai clan. We later discover that Takeo, as Shigeru had renamed him, is not only Shigeru's adopted son, but his nephew. On top of this, Takeo's father, Imasu, was a member of the Tribe, a secret society of people with special abilities-what ninjas were thought to be. So Takeo has three different natures waring inside him and I love the way Hearn writes this.
However, as much as I love Takeo, there are characters I wish she'd explored more and I do wish Hearn had stuck with first person throughout the series. It would have been awesome to really get inside Maruyama Naomi or even Otori, Shigeko's head because than I could have had lots of examples how to write powerful women in Japanese culture.
Don't get me wrong, I love the Tales of the Otori series, otherwise I would not still be reading, but there are places where I feel Hearn could have expanded and developed several female characters more. I would have liked to see how Lady Maruyama ran the west back in her day. We only get glimpses.
The reason I'm saying this is because I'm looking for someone to base my own Hogoshiro Chronicles characters on. I can't help but feel somewhat disappointed when Hearn switches from first person narrative for Takeo, and third person for everyone else.
Yes, I have got a better grasp on traditional Japanese culture in a fantasy setting by reading this series and the idea of women as rulers is a very interesting addition, but I think I was expecting Hearn to elaborate more on the idea and from a first person point of view of the women involved.
I really am at the point in my writting proces where I need to get a better grasp on who my character are, what their individual quirks are, and on the story itself.
I know that I want Hibiki to be conflicted, torn between her Oshiro and Shikibu natures and that her journey in the story is to figure out how to resolve that conflict, as several members of the two clans do not get along very well. Have to keep the bloodlines pure now don't we;) ? Hibiki is more of a scientist, like her father, Akihito Shikibu, but also has the legacy of the Oshiro kaikimushi with which she was born and her mother, Misaki's bull-headedness, plus her father's impatience. After her mother commits ritual suicide, the telepathy she inherited from her father activates. Hibiki will be the Takeo of my story.
I know that Rin, the main kitsune in my story, has a weird fasination (for a kitsune that is) with human technology and that she has more of a girly-girly personality to Hibiki tomboyish one. Rin is more playful than Hibiki. She is a fox shapeshifter afterall. She will be Hibiki's conpanion and one of her lovers in the story. And yes, Rin will get at least one more tail before the story is finished as she helps rescue her brother (yet to be named) from the clutches of the evil Dr. Takahashi and avoids getting sold as a slave on the black market.
Kakashi Shikibu, one of my human to creature telepaths is Hibiki's mentor and uncle. He helps take care of and study all the creatures and humans in the Mt. Kumotori hogoshiro. He is the main scientist at the Mt. Kumotori hogoshiro. I liken Kakashi to Shigeru in personality. He is very calm and knowledgable. I haven't quite figured out quite what some of his quirks are yet, but I'm sure as time goes by and dwell on it more, they will come.
Shikibu, Akihito is Hibiki's father and Kakashi's older brother will be the most Western influenced of all my characters. At first we will only get to "meet" him through Kakashi's flashbacks and Hibiki's reading of his journal. He won't physically enter the picture until after Hibiki's telepathy awakens. Of course, everyone except Rin, Misaki and the Oshiro elders think he is dead. He has entrusted Rin to keep his fake death a secret from both Kakashi and Hibiki until the time is right (Misaki's suicide). He is a bit of an "open canon" if you will. More carefree but high strung than his younger brother; he has had some anger management issues in the past and can be impatient at times. However, he is capable of being serious when he needs to be.
My fifth core character will be Nakamora, Hideo. He is a healer with eyes that can detect "chi" or living energy. This is his clan's special ability. Knowledgable in many healing arts, including accupuncture, he could just as easily be an assassin. He is one of the characters I don't know as well and need to develope more.
Another character I need to get to know better is Oshiro, Miki, Hibiki's grandmother. She's strong and set in her beliefs, yet compassionate and caring. Firm, but loving. I feel I don't really have a good example of her to work from yet and don't know how to write her as a result. There's a scene that I still haven't written coming up between Miki and Hibiki in reguards to preparing for Misaki's funeral where I really have a chance to develope the relationship between grandmother and granddaughter, but I don't have a good enough grasp on Miki yet to write it.
And then, there's the supporting characters and the feel of the hogoshiro itself that needs more developement. Your readers need to get a good idea of what life is like at Mt. Kumotori before the major characters loose that life to really empathize with them. I believe I have a opening scene worked out that will do this better, but of course I won't really know until it's written.
Any suggestions are always welcome.
Sayonara!
