Characters are Bigger than People
Hello all. My name is KS Turner and you, my friends, can call me Kate. I’m the author of three epic fantasy books, so far; Before the Gods, Tumultus, and Time: The Immortal Divide. These three (large) novels make up The Chronicles of Fate and Choice trilogy. Today, I’m having a nice chat about fictional characters and how they are much bigger than people.
Nobody likes being stuck with someone really boring at a party – you know, when you’re standing there, desperately trying to find a polite reason to excuse yourself, considering chewing your own ears off. Well, a boring character in a book is just as bad, if not worse. We don’t just want to get away from the character. We want to get away from the book.
I love nothing more than an amazing, well crafted, interesting character; someone to fall in love with, befriend, or hate – someone whom I’m urging to do the right thing as the pages turn, or I’m desperate for them to have a happy ending. A novel can only be great if the characters connect to us in one way or another. There, right above my writing desk, I have written one of my mottos; ‘Characters are Bigger than People’. No, we are not talking bigger size-wise, but their personalities must shine through the pages of text and drive us to feel something for them.
I always start off knowing what a character’s personality is. Then, my tip for an amazing character, is to craft back-story. I don’t usually write a character’s back-story into my novels, but, I do know it myself. That way, I understand what drives them, what their hopes and fears are, and why they behave the way that they do. With this, my characters will always act true. Well, I wouldn’t feel comfortable if my best friend had a different personality every time I saw them – the same is true with characters in a book. Consistency is good and if they change, there must be a good reason and I want to know what that is.
One of the most complex, yet beautiful, characters I have written about is a being named Jychanumun. With him alone, I chose a name that was near-impossible to pronounce, as that suited his multi-layered, intense, secretive, and silent personality. Jychanumun has featured strongly in all three of my novels from The Chronicles of Fate and Choice and I knew I needed a memorable, interesting, character that was strong enough to represent fate itself – no small task.
Everything about Jychanumun’s back-story was important. From the fact that other characters called him the mute prophet, to how a being from the shadow realms came to exist within the light. Every piece of that back-story could be a novel in itself: How he was once living a life of solitude, writing his knowledge as to the origins of his species. How and why he sees life and death as equal. How he sees the future and what is different about him to enable that. Why his powers would be useful to others. Why he spent thousands of years trying to hide his knowledge. Before Jychanumun is introduced into the novel, I had formed everything about his past and knew what he was searching for. I had an amazing being that people could feel something for.
Perhaps, the more of an interesting back-story that a character has, the more likely he or she will have the capacity to become a hero or heroine, or arch enemy number one, or the bravest warrior, or most passionate lover, or even represent fate itself. I love to create a character to connect with. I like to think big. Then, think bigger. After all, all the best characters are bigger than people.
by KS Turner
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Ruby Blaze Publishing
29th October 2016
Pages: 576
Paperback: 978-0-9562242-9-3
EBook: 978-0-9562242-7-9
This is when it will change.
For them. For us. For everyone.
Destiny, freewill, intent, magic, science, life, everything.
This is when all those named gods will fight to the end.
This world and all worlds are fated to end. The prophet, Jychanumun, has tried to prevent it. He has spent millennia walking between life and death to find a way. The powerful Shaa-kutu have tried to prevent it. They have fought with wits and weapons and given their all. Despite their best, nothing seems capable of stopping the formidable Arrunn from completing his final fateful move. So, can Tachra change that fate?
Tachra stands between shadow and light. She has no tools or weapons, only the Earth power and true-vision. Perhaps her fellow humans will ascend to greater knowledge and unlock a new discovery. Or, if she can decipher the Book of Fate, perhaps that will hold a key to saving them all. But when that last prophecy comes, will she make the right choice?
After all, that fate has already been written:
"If any survive, it will be known as the three day darkness. If none survive, the darkness will swallow all."
amazon
Excerpt from Time: The Immortal Divide
The passageway had widened to a large square, clad entirely in matte-black stone that seemed to draw in any light. It was dark, almost black. I sensed shadows. I sensed deeper shadow. I sensed shadows within shadow.
At the end of the square, sitting, was Meah. She was tense, agitated, and defensive. Low growling sounds were coming from her throat. Her fur had risen to bristles. She was facing a direction I could not see. Her eyes had narrowed. She did not like what she was seeing, but she would not look away.
“When you also see,” Viir spoke, “do not fret. You are quite safe.” I walked forward to stand beside Meah.
I looked.
By the skies! A Nigh-kutu!
Before me was a Nigh-kutu imprisoned. Several transparent energy walls and several walls of metal bars stood between us. Nevertheless, my inner defensiveness immediately rose, creating another barrier between the creature and Meah and I. He looked fearsome.
The huge black kutu crouched at the back of a large room. His broad black wings were splayed out, undulating in time to the slow, tense rhythm of his deep breaths. I could hear guttural growling as he breathed. Every breath he exhaled released pent up, furious tension. His hands were tethered by golden rope. The rope was secured to the walls behind him. His pure black energy darkened the space around him. He was fully dressed in war wear. His black skin trousers tucked into strong boots with straps around his legs and body where once he would have kept weaponry. He was muscular, and emitted the power of one of the most formidable Nigh- kutu warriors.
The Nigh-kutu felt my presence. He looked up. His eyes flashed with shadow-light. His expression was full of hate. His breathing and growling did not change. He just held my stare with restrained fury. He wanted to kill me. He wanted to kill us all.
About the Author:
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Originally trained as an illustrator and designer at Saint Martins School of Art and at Middlesex University, KS Turner turned to fiction when she saw the limitless possibilities of connectivity it offered. Before her shift in career, she worked as a fashion designer for major high-street brands, a graphic designer for musicians, and a product designer for corporations, as well as dabbling with designing technology, sustainable energy, and textiles.
A vivid series of dreams were the inspiration for the Chronicles of Fate and Choice books. Kate initially tried illustrating her dreams, but found the medium too limiting for the story she had seen, so began writing. At first she didn’t have any intention of writing novels, but the books soon started to come together.
Her first two novels, Before the Gods, and Tumultus, were featured in many magazines, won book of the month with Spirit and Destiny magazine, fantasy of the year with Bookbag, and the ‘Must Read Now’ awards with SciFiNow magazine.
When Kate isn't writing, she draws, paints and sculpts as well as studying maths, science, theology and philosophy. She loves to play music, explore, nurture nature and spend time with friends and family. She lives in Somerset.
website-twitter-goodreads
Originally trained as an illustrator and designer at Saint Martins School of Art and at Middlesex University, KS Turner turned to fiction when she saw the limitless possibilities of connectivity it offered. Before her shift in career, she worked as a fashion designer for major high-street brands, a graphic designer for musicians, and a product designer for corporations, as well as dabbling with designing technology, sustainable energy, and textiles.
A vivid series of dreams were the inspiration for the Chronicles of Fate and Choice books. Kate initially tried illustrating her dreams, but found the medium too limiting for the story she had seen, so began writing. At first she didn’t have any intention of writing novels, but the books soon started to come together.
Her first two novels, Before the Gods, and Tumultus, were featured in many magazines, won book of the month with Spirit and Destiny magazine, fantasy of the year with Bookbag, and the ‘Must Read Now’ awards with SciFiNow magazine.
When Kate isn't writing, she draws, paints and sculpts as well as studying maths, science, theology and philosophy. She loves to play music, explore, nurture nature and spend time with friends and family. She lives in Somerset.
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