Yoinked from . Looked like fun.

Write out the names of your characters and explain
1) how you thought of their name
2) what made you create the character in the first place
3) how the character has changed over time (if they have changed)
4) any random fun fact about that character

Because I expect there's interest (Warning, potential spoilers.), I'll start with:

Thanatos [link] (the second one)

1) Oh, man, if I knew, I'd have stopped it. I didn't make up the name, as it's obviously the Greek god of death and the underworld, and I'm pretty sure I just liked the syllables and it seemed to suit him. It was meant to be a temporary name while I developed the character, but it stuck. >_< I eventually came up with some extra world setting and backstory details to explain why he has such an unsuitable name. He doesn't like it either, and prefers to go by "Than." He also likes to go by his family name, "Hamaad," where appropriate. (As a side note, he regularly introduces himself as "K'al" Hamaad, which is how one would address someone of a noble line greater than theirs, as opposed to the regular "al." In other words, by blood, he considers himself superior to just about everyone he meets.)

2) Uhm... Since "I dunno" is not a good answer, I'll answer with why I decided to use this particular character. Than is pretty much an artistic/writing exercise in charisma. I wanted a character who, all told, didn't have much going for him (black skin, short, oppressive childhood, effeminate, ...poor name) but still managed to coast through opposition and difficulties by merit of an unexplainable "gift" for doing so. I thought that a story exploring such a subject would be unique and interesting (Little did I know we'd elect a certain Barack Obama before I finished the story! ). I knew the potential for him being written off as a "Mary Sue" character was high (and it's happened), but that didn't scare me too much because I just wanted to explore a *gasp* potential character prototype, and didn't care if people don't get it right away. I think the Sue complaint will fade in time. Characters that know Than do wonder at his apparent luck and sometimes complain about how he gets it easy. Than himself is aware of his ability (and eventually becomes aware of its full potential) and has taken/takes steps to enhance it (for example, he's been trained in oration and public speaking). He's content in his power over people and readily manipulates them. He's arrogant, as well. On the other hand, when his pride takes a blow because he makes a mistake, he takes it out on himself and works hard to learn from it. He has a kind streak, a mild one, and is protective and loyal to those he counts as his own. He's also sensitive and highly emotional, and is always angry with himself when he lacks the self-control to hide this. I tend to think of him as thoroughly developed and balanced as a character. Which, hey, is what I wanted.

3) For one thing, he's older. When I started working with him, he was 13 equivalent. He's introduced in Ambition as 15/16 equivalent. He's gotten more calm and taciturn, but also more...lessee, not angry...hormonally charged? He's also less arrogant than he was initially. I thought a more subtle arrogance would be more believable. Really, who goes around saying "I'm better than you, your mom, and your little dog too?" People who don't actually believe it, of course. *cough* He's also more focused in his manner and education. Early Than just wanted to learn and know everything, while developed Than has an agenda and readily sacrifices personal interests in pursuit of it. It also became clear that although Than shows interest in others, is talkative, and even supportive, he has a very difficult time forming close personal relationships, and worse, keeping them. Because of the way he is, very few people can relate to him beyond adoration, so even though he tries to grow close to them he's left with a lot to live up to and he either eventually fails and leaves them disenchanted, or he gets too stressed and leaves himself, starved for real companionship.

4) Than's an avid dog lover. As a child, he would sneak out during bedtime to visit the kennel and eventually adopted two crippled hounds that he invited to sleep in his bed with him. While he turns his nose up at a variety of people, you can count on him to crouch down and introduce himself to a random dog and be very happy to get his face licked.

Audriel [link]

1) Wanted this character to have a vanilla elfy name, plain as plain can be. Tried a couple phonemic combinations out and "Audriel" seemed suitably uninspired as well as clearly elf. I later realized that this is a name in the Silmarillion. Bonus!

2) In the early conceptions of Ambition I was aware that Than would need a foil that readers would at least find familiar if not relate to, and Jerome was not the one. I started to try for someone down-on-his-luck, without much hope, and quick to lash out and slow to take responsibility (yeah, pretty much the opposite of Than). I'd initially wanted a high elf because I thought it'd be awesome to have a surly high elf as the narrator of the story (given that they're either, what, serene, angsty or somewhere on a scale between, right?), but I'm pretty free form with character creation and Audj just didn't go that way. I wanted him to be very familiar for the reader, so for his design I went with standard long, flowy hair, tall and willowy, archer, dressed in green, etc. I also went with blue-eyed blond to try to instill a sense of all-American boy that you get from old movies and comics. He gets mistaken for Link a lot, so I guess I went a little overboard, there.

3) Change...that's something Audriel has a hard time doing. I don't think I changed the character much. His self-doubting, second-guessing nature appeared only when I started actually writing scenes, and was a pleasant surprise. Another pleasant surprise was I found when working with some of *Luthrai's characters that he strictly refuses to inflict pain on animals, and even when hunting them makes a quick and clean kill his priority. Has no problems with lashing out verbally at people, though. 9_9

4) Hm... Okay, an extra layer of potential on the spoiler warning... Audriel's dreams and flash-backs throughout the story have a strong autumn motif to them. It reflects the melancholy with which he looks back, a kind of present mindset filter that is constantly reminding him that perpetual winter is coming, even when he tries to recall good memories. Contrast with Kevlin who has a spring motif to his flashbacks and looks back on things with the fondness for lost youth, but life for him goes on.

Jerome [link] (the guy)

1 French variation of Jeremiah. Yup. Read into that too much and spoilers may abound.

2 Jerome was the original foil to Than, but his role got a bit downsized in the process of fleshing out the narrative. This is in part because he's actually a VERY intimidating character to write (don't let the smile and the bad hair fool you!) It worked better for Than to take the spotlight while Jerome smiled softly in the back, a simple reminder that there are other forces at work here. Jer is as similar to Than as he is different, which made him another charismatic/inspiring figure and therefore not so relate-able to the reader. That's why Audriel became necessary.

3 Jerome's become more intense with time. lol It's true! The more experience I have with religion I get, the more refined this character gets. He's not a commentary on religion and spirituality the way readers are used to. He's more a commentary on why so many people in the modern Western world do not understand religion and spirituality.

4 Jerome's most disarming feature is not his smile. It's his cowlick. When his hair is cut shorter (which happens on several occasions through the course of the story), it stands straight up like an antenna, and when his hair is more grown out, it hangs in front of his face the way it does now.

(More to come, after I sleep. This took far too long to type up. 0_0)