Cam vs Mak

It's been interesting to pound out two relatively in-depth characters in the space of a week. It went from one character with little more than a snippet of action and a poorly veiled name to describe him to two characters complete with full names that suit them, backstories, temperaments, abilities, reactions to people, and, ultimately, a plot big enough for the both of them (it helps that neither is very large of stature).

Cam has become something of a little friend that needs assistance. He doesn't see the world clearly, and doesn't understand all that he could be. He's a sad sight to see, when you understand what you're looking at. The really sad part is that nobody does.

Mak is good with kids, and that's all that really matters about him. Though, he's the first truly shortsighted character I think I've come up with. He lives supremely in the present.

Though I can't claim them as only mine (I have more of a claim on Mak than Cam, even though I care about him less), I at least had a strong hand in their creation. I've never worked this fast before, and it's been really amazing to watch them come to life even before the penning of their story begins.

It's also been interesting to watch the theme of the story evolve into something more than an attempt at fairy-tale reversal. I can look at it, and the little twists that my co-author and I have tossed in "for fun," and see that it could mean something deeper than an anti-hero if we write it the right way. The question is, can we do it?

This is why I write. I can only assume it's a bit like raising children, only different.