Have You Ever Wondered What My Characters Look Like?

Seriously, have you?

I'm not a writer who normally goes around looking for pictures of my characters.  Like, ever.  Actually, I'm more like the person whose afraid to try and draw her characters for fear she won't do them justice, and who doesn't want to look for a picture that similar to them, because she thinks they are just way too unique for that.  If I could just snap a picture of my characters right out of my head to show you, I would.  Really, I would.  That's just how I am.

But the other day, I decided to actually go looking for pictures that made me think of what my characters are supposed to look like.  And (surprisingly enough) I actually FOUND SOME.  No, really! :)  Total surprise to me.  I just don't expect that sort of stuff.

So without further ado, here are (most of) the characters of SOTD.

(Disclaimer:  None of these pictures are actually mine... they are just pictures that I found on the internet that I'm using for character inspiration, and they belong to their respected owners.  That is all.)

Now, let's start with Curron, shall we?  I found three pictures for him.  :D

So this is what he looks like initially.  Just give him slightly longer hair, and WALLA!  And, interestingly enough, he's actually clean in this picture.  That's right folks... Curron doesn't always look this prim and proper.  Comes with working in the Stables a lot.  And with being a lower class servant. ^_^

NEXT!

 

There ya go.  That's more like it.  At least for the beginning of the book.  And I like this picture because I just can't decide on what his face is trying to express.  Which is fine with me: it means I can put that face in several different circumstances.  lol!

NEXT! ^_^ (I'm having fun doing that.)

This picture is fun because it's what I think Curron might look like grown up.  Not bad on the eyes, I'd say.  I like 'im. hehe!

Ok, that's all for Curron.  Now which character should I show?  Hmmm... how's about Olan?  I think I only have one picture of him...

Just make him a little bit heavier, and have him scowl at Curron a lot, and there ya go.  When Olan smiles, however, he looks pretty much like that.  Which is good to know.

Now for Caellahn:

This is probably what he looked like the night he first showed up at Fort Gallant.

 And this is a close up.  Actually, I picture his hair maybe the slightest bit shorter.  And he has blue eyes.  But still.  Good looking, no?

Here... have another. ^_^

Slightly different model for the last two pics, but you guys get the idea.  The mysterious, good-looking ranger type that the author just falls in love with as she's writing about him.  Yeah, that's Caellahn. :D  I suppose it should be that I love the MC the most.  Which I do.  But it's just so fun to think up the mystery around Caellahn... because, after all, he is a man of deep mystery.  *twinkly fingers*

Now For Allim.  You guys haven't met him yet, but he's an awesome character.  In SOTD, he and his son are the leaders of the outcast Believers.  They are Burri, which is a race I picture to look more Arabic than anything else.  They come from the deserts of Southland.  Here's a mix of pictures of what I think he (sort of) looks like... just so you guys can get an idea.  The top one resembles him the most.  (guy from lost... can't remember his name... <_<)

Yep... nothin' says that the burri can't look handsome too. :D  Allim is middle aged, but very in shape... thus that last picture.

And now for Allim's son, Drugan.  I found the perfect picture for him as well.  He's two years younger than Curron, but he looks more mature for his age and is quickly learning leadership from his father.  I have two pictures for him.  The top one is a slightly older looking version, and the bottom one looks closer to the right age but needs longer hair.

Last but not least, we have King Morven.  I'm sure you're all wondering about him.

I couldn't find anyone that looked EXACTLY like him... but I found a few things that I think are close.  Here ya go. :)

The guy would be the king, of course.  Just give him a goatee... and perhaps some sideburns.  IDK... I can't remember what color of eyes I gave him, but I think they were blue... so you'd have to change his eye color as well.

This would be Morven out hunting.  And he has longer hair.  The Morven in my story has shaggy hair, but it's not actually long.  I found a lot of the pictures of the men I looked for had long hair, but I never picture my male characters with actually shoulder length hair.  hmmm.... If you cut this guys hair shaggy up to about the bottom of his chin and taper it back around his neck, you might have it. :D

And that's all for now.  I'll leave you with one last picture...

GWALCH!  No really, that's the characters name.  He actually works in the palace, but you wouldn't know it by looking at this guy... however, if you cleaned him up a bit and made his hair whiter... maybe put him in some good clothes, you'd have him.  Gwalch really does look like this in my head.

And that's all.  Next time I'll have to do pictures of the characters from ELDREI.  See ya later. :D

Character Interview: How does Tibain really picture me?

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to interview one of your characters?  Well, over the weekend I tried it.  I gotta say, it really wasn't nearly as easy as I thought it would be.  My character, Tibain, got to step out of the story and be boisterous, and I don't know if I was ready for it.  Actually, he kept trying to give things away from the story, and since he wouldn't cooperate, the only way I could get him to shut it was to send him back.

But I decided to post the conversation here.  If anything else, it was entertaining, and a bit enlightening.  I have so much fun torturing him, but I've learned now that I must be more careful.  Now that he knows who I am, he might want to come after me at some point in time.  Eeek!  What a scary thought!

***

*Tibain walks in*

“Hey Tibain.  How’s it going?”

“Going?  Ok, I guess.  At least I’m still living, right?  Is my sister alright?”

“For now she is… I can’t very well have anything happen to her yet, now can I?  Considering the story is about both of you.”

“Well I guess not.  Where are we anyway?”

“Right now we’re in a blank room in my mind and I’m trying to think of what should happen next.  I believe we are at chapter 9, correct?  And you’re having trouble with the Gronjhiem.”

“Oh, so that’s what those things are.” *scowls*  “You do seem to like putting us in situations where we almost get killed, don’t you?”

“Hey, I’m the author; I can do whatever I want.  But you’ll be fine, so don’t worry too much about it.  What I want to know now is what you’re thinking as you’re trying to fight this beast off.”

“Thinking?  I’m thinking I’m going to die!  I’m thinking it’s just waiting to rip my throat out.  And now I’m really confused because I’ve started to hear voices in my head, and I don’t know why, or where they’re coming from, or even if I’m still sane or have lost my sanity completely.  I’m thinking that Dakore is never gonna get here in time and that I might as well put my weapons down ‘cause they aren’t going to do any good in the long run, and right now I’m thinking that I wish I had them with me so I could do something to you and make you pay for all you’re doing to me!”

“Woa!  Calm down there!  I’m not going to kill you off or anything; I’m not that heartless.  Why don’t we just forget this subject, ok?  And you can tell me more about your life and such.  Tell me about your child-hood with Dakore; he seems like an interesting type for a guardian.”

“He really is.”  *calming down somewhat*.  “I don’t remember much of my parents before hand; in fact, I can’t remember my father at all and my mother disappeared when I was four.  Dakore showed up soon after.  It was really strange too… It was as if he knew exactly where we were and who we were, and all about us before we’d even met him.”

“Yes, well… Dakore does have some secrets, but since I know you don’t know what all they are yet, let’s just get back to what he was like as a mentor.  Was he…. Fatherly?

“I don’t know how a biological father should act because I don’t remember having one…”

“Oh right.”  *sheepish*

“But Dakore was everything a kid could have wished for growing up… he knows so many things and has so many different talents.  Like, did you know that he’s just as good as a blacksmith as he is at farming, or even at carving?  After mother was gone, he taught me how to use some of the tools around the place and we fixed each room with its own door, and each of the windows is covered with hide scraped so thin that you can see through it.”

“Sounds quaint.”

“It is, and lovely.  I really loved our old home.”

“Yes, well… I’m sorry for your loss.  What about stories, though?”

“Dakore is the best story-teller.”

“Do you have a preference of his tales?”

“Yes, actually.  My favorites are the ones he tells about the constellations.  It seems there are hundreds and hundreds of legends about the stars, and he knows every one.  Did you know that the Dragon King has never harmed a living soul because the twin warriors figured out how to quench his fire breath?  They used his own fire to do it, too, and as long as one of them keeps hold of the Dragon king’s tale, he’ll never be able to breathe another tongue of flame.  But he still has sharp claws and teeth, and he uses them to fight off the other twin, who guards the book of Adamant.”

“No actually, I don’t remember all that, but it’s good to know.  Thank you; I’d better write it down while it’s still fresh in my mind.”

“You’re welcome.”

“But now I wonder, was there anything about Dakore that you found unsettling?”

“Unsettling?  Do you mean like how he seems to know so much about things that have nothing to do with farming, how he talks to himself in a different language, or how he goes out at night and sings to the sky?  Or perhaps you mean his short temper?”

“Yes, well…” *clears throat*  “He is a very complicated character…” *fidgets nervously in her seat.  Clears throat again.*  “Perhaps we can move on.  Shall we talk about your sister?”

“Why?”

“Because she’s your sister and I’m talking to you, so I can’t very well ask her if she’s not here, now can I?”

“If you’re the author and this is just a blank room in your mind, then you can do anything you want to do, couldn’t you?  Including bring my sister here.”

“But I’m not going to, because I’m asking you.  So, what is Arien like?”

“Like a sister.”

“No, no, no!  Give me some details about her personality.  Is she finicky, common, easily angered… what?”

“Well…” *leans back in his seat and crosses his legs* “We get along alright, but she does start fussing over the smallest thing.  Like the other day, for instance.  She was so put out that I went to talk to Dakore and she had to stay behind.  When I came back, I hardly had to say anything and she was all over my case.  If there’s one thing I know about Arien, it’s not to get her too mad.”  *leans forward*  “I’d never tell her this, but if she got mad enough, she could probably kick my butt in a fight.”

“Yes… well, butt kicking aside, what else can you tell us about her?”

“Us?” *looks around* “isn’t there only you?”

*straightens* “for now, yes.  But please continue.”

“She’s a good fighter, but too much of a girl.”

“She is a girl.”

“Exactly.  And from what I’ve noticed of the other farm girls, she’s too much like them.  We used to love to wrestle in the living room, or race each other through the cornfields, but as we’ve gotten older…” *shakes head* “well, she just doesn’t want to do those things anymore.  And now we’re running away through a desert with…”

“Enough!  You’re going to give everything away if you keep on so liberally like this.”

“Hey, you’re the one who’s asking questions.  I’m just answering them.  It isn’t my fault if a few things come out with it.”  *crosses arms*

“Fine then.  If you want to be so stubborn, I’ll just send you back.”

*jumps up*  “What, to that place?  With that… that thing trying to kill me?!”

“Exactly.  You don’t want to cooperate so…”

*the room starts to fade away.*

“No, wait!”

*The room comes back into focus.*

*I look up*  “Yes, what is it?”

“Just tell me quick before you send me back…”

“Tell you what?”

*shuffles feet*  “Am I going to win this fight”

*evil grin*  “Well, I can’t very well tell you that outright, now can I, or else I’ll give everything away.  What I will say is that IF you do come out of this one alive, you’ll be a little worse for wear.  Now get!”

*Room fades completely, and Tibain is gone*

***

On another note, this is finals week, and after that comes Christmas Vacation.  Since I don't have a good internet connection at home, there's a very good chance that I won't be on the internet much until January when school starts up again.  So, just in case I don't get the chance later, I'll say my good byes now and wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

But you'll probably still see me on every once in a while before January.  I must say, I've become addicted to blogging... almost as much as checking my email... which is REALLY BAD.

Until later! :D  Hugs for everyone! *throws out hugs*

Signed with an Ink-Stained flourish,

Nichole