Darin didn't have any specific questions he wanted to ask, so I'll just jump in.
I'm sure your book is much more specific with what exactly Draghixa is, although it was hard for me to tell from your intake form. But you wrote that she looked like an animal, so I've kinda got this picture of one of the actresses from CATS or something. Is that about right? (Please answer this below! I'm so curious!)Being raised in a cage is something I could talk to, b/c that's fairly translatable to today's time, as is the rape, of course. Some children are brought up so overprotected, they might as well be in a cage. The cage would be stifling, limiting, bringing up questions for her about her lack of freedom. Children who are held on too tightly always wonder about the "outside." What it would be like to break free. Usually there is a period of time when the child goes through a great rebellion, though I didn't see any evidence of that in the intake form. Would it hurt for her to have a short killing spree (or whatever you meant by the "carnage" that might ensue when she was let go)? Perhaps them to feel remorse over killing would be more powerful than to simply let her want to be better than they had anticipated her being.
Perhaps the biggest concern I have is contradictory motivations from her. She wants to live happily ever after with her son (and she's dead-set and determined to find him, which gives her a rock-solid motivation to live, I'd think) and Jacob, but yet she doesn't want to live? When I read that part of the intake, it totally threw me off, because it was inconsistent with her strong desire to reconnect with her son. In fact, most counselors utilize the existence of children as huge motivators not to commit suicide, such as what would they do without you, what kind of legacy would that leave them, etc.
Quite honestly, this story premise interests me b/c it's so unusual. I wish you the best with it. I think you can go deeper with her, for sure.
Logging you in...
MSS · 682 weeks ago
Thank you, Jeannie. :)
jeanniecampbell 76p · 682 weeks ago
Darin Elliott · 682 weeks ago
You first mentioned that you were curious about Draghixa's appearance. At one point during the book, Jacob assures her that she is, in fact, quite pretty to which she responds, "Anthropomorphism." (Ironic you found the picture of the anthropormphic "cats" character.) She was designed to be as least frightening as possible given her genetics. At nearly 6'6" tall, her skin is the glossy black of hematite and her eyes are black. She has long ears (a trait from her more animal side) and fangs which often get hung up on her lip in curious and "cute" manner. Her limbs are long and her hands and feet end in long talons and have bony, spike-like protrusions. Her most striking characteristics though are her long, veinal red hair and copper-colored lips. She is both beautiful and demonic.
She herself, is very confused about her own motivations. Having been grown in a laboratory, she is legally classified as livestock. Therefore, her son is not legally hers, but the property of Biocorp. She wants so much to believe Jacob when he tells her they will be able to live happily on Earth once they find him, but she also understands that she may only see her son for a scant few moments before he is taken away for further testing by the company. (Biocorp has to wait for him to mature before they start applying the new genetic protocol they developed, making him the most dangerous weapon they have yet produced.)
Also, even though she is only 5 years old, she has the body and mind of a 30-year old woman. Emotionally, she is very confused, further compounded by the information she's been given; that she doesn't have a soul so if she dies she will just cease to exist, but she just wants to end the suffering she endures.
As a writer (and a poor one at that), Draghixa is the single most difficult character to write that I've ever developed. Both confused and frightened while being strong and compassionate.
The final draft of the book is nearly complete so hopefully (crossing my fingers) it will be available soon so everyone can find out what happens to Draghixa and Jacob.
jeanniecampbell 76p · 682 weeks ago
Darin Elliott · 682 weeks ago
You are quite correct, one motivation does overcome the other and her actions, as they develop through the narrative, drive her further and further in one direction (I don't want to give away the ending). She had to be so complex because Draghixa is the Impact Character of the novel (if you're familiar with Dramatica Theory). She had to provide the opposing view for Jacob who is actually "pretty straight forward".
Ultimately though, I just hope the reader gets as embroiled in their lives as I did for a short time.
Thank you again for considering her for your blog!
Darin Elliott · 682 weeks ago
You first mentioned that you were curious about Draghixa's appearance. At one point during the book, Jacob assures her that she is, in fact, quite pretty to which she responds, "Anthropomorphism." (Ironic you found the picture of the anthropormphic "cats" character.) She was designed to be as least frightening as possible given her genetics. At nearly 6'6" tall, her skin is the glossy black of hematite and her eyes are black. She has long ears (a trait from her more animal side) and fangs which often get hung up on her lip in curious and "cute" manner. Her limbs are long and her hands and feet end in long talons and have bony, spike-like protrusions. Her most striking characteristics though are her long, veinal red hair and copper-colored lips. She is both beautiful and demonic.
She herself, is very confused about her own motivations. Having been grown in a laboratory, she is legally classified as livestock. Therefore, her son is not legally hers, but the property of Biocorp. She wants so much to believe Jacob when he tells her they will be able to live happily on Earth once they find him, but she also understands that she may only see her son for a scant few moments before he is taken away for further testing by the company. (Biocorp has to wait for him to mature before they start applying the new genetic protocol they developed, making him the most dangerous weapon they have yet produced.)
Also, even though she is only 5 years old, she has the body and mind of a 30-year old woman. Emotionally, she is very confused, further compounded by the information she's been given; that she doesn't have a soul so if she dies she will just cease to exist, but she just wants to end the suffering she endures.
As a writer (and a poor one at that), Draghixa is the single most difficult character to write that I've ever developed. Both confused and frightened while being strong and compassionate.
The final draft of the book is nearly complete so hopefully (crossing my fingers) it will be available soon so everyone can find out what happens to Draghixa and Jacob.
briannasoloski 62p · 682 weeks ago