Meet My Main Character Blog Hop

I was tagged by T.M. Hunter to talk about my main character. For those who don't know, currently, my main character is a charismatic vigilante that goes by the name of Jax Marlin. Let me introduce you to her...

1. What is the name of your main character? Is she/he fictional or a historical person?

Jax Marlin is most definitely all made up. She is a vigilante, a path she chose from very early on in her young life. It's her calling.

2. When and where is the story set?

The story is set 300 years in our future. I quite like that era, and I've already done another story in that time, so you can say I'm quite familiar with it. In this future, we've got amazing gadgets and technology, there's space travel (of course!), humongous space stations scattered throughout the galaxy, and space pirates (some of which are really good friends with Jax). In the Marlin short story series, I've have the opportunity to scatter the storylines throughout the world and into space. Makes for such fun writing!

3. What should we know about her?

Jax is a complex person. She's a mixture of characters/personalities all balled up into one. For one thing, seeing someone do bad riles her up. Yet, she'd do anything, even something worse to stop the bad thing from happening without thinking twice. She's a confident woman, smart and well-educated, a techno-geek, an expert at martial arts, but in an instant, real, crippling fear can plague her, cutting her down to an insecure mess. Jax has her own demons, especially the one inside her, that she must fight and control. She also has tendency to be obsessive-compulsive, has a wicked sweet-tooth and unhealthy appetite for junk food, but is also disciplined enough to perform her daily exercise regime without fail. She's cold, calculated, ruthless, determined, has a wicked sense of humour, and walks around with the self-assured knowledge that if you want something done right, you do it yourself. And, as if she didn't already have a complex personality to deal with and all the troubles that brings, she's fallen madly and insensibly in love with the one person that can destroy her, an inspector chasing her. Of course, Special Inspector Pedroni has also fallen for her charms...

4. What is the main conflict?

While each short story, coming off from the main novel, To Catch A Marlin, has its own set of conflicts and story arc, the main conflict throughout the entire series is the fact that Jax has fallen for the cop that's chasing her -- and he's in the same boat. There is much resistance at the thought of falling in love with a cop, everything inside her resists the very notion. As the storyline progresses, we see how she (they both) deal with it.

5. What is the personal goal of the character?

To stop bad things from happening to good people. Plain and simple. And how to have a happily ever after despite the life she's chosen. As Jax sees it, it's a tough life, but someone's gotta do it. As much as she wants her own happily ever after, she knows what she must sacrifice in order to fight crime.

6. What is the significance of the title of your book?

The main novel, To Catch A Marlin, well, that pretty much speaks for itself (of course, some might confuse it with a book of fishing...I may have to rethink it and relabel). The subsequent shorts since each have a catchy name, relevant to the storyline in the tale.

7. When can we expect the book to be published?

To Catch A Marlin is already out and available at Amazon. You can find the short stories (so far) all listed on my Author Page. So far, there are only 6 shorts completed in the projected 10. So keep checking back!

Well, this has been fun! Next up is Patrick Stutzman. Also, click back, too, to see what characters came before.

Cheers!

Blog Hop - Writing Processes, et al...

I got tagged by my writer pal S.A Check to participate in this blog hop about writing processes and what it takes to shape and produce a book. Oh, boy! Where does one start with a question like that, right? Let's start with some simple questions first...

What am I working on?
At the moment, I'm trying to finish up #7 in the short stories series for To Catch A Marlin, (which was a full-length sci-fi, action-adventure story). Of course, I'm afflicted with numerous distractions and also that proverbial block that keeps smacking me in the head. So, aside from imaginary concussions and wandering-mind-syndrome, I'm plodding along. Hopefully I'll be done before the end of the month. Since this series is also about solving a mystery, sometimes I have to bend my mind and think like a criminal and make sure all the little loose ends are tied up and 'solve the mystery' in a nice, neat package. It's harder than it sounds. So, what's the distraction I'm suffering from? There's another huge full-length novel that I'm trying to finish up. While its 'completed' there's still a lot more work that it needs. It's a monstrosity that I've been working on for the last 3 years. My goal is to finish it by summer.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Uhm, good question. To date, I've written four novels and various short stories, all of which have been fortunate enough to be accepted by publishers who actually wanted to publish them. I'm still kinda wondering how I did that...but they must've seen something worth publishing, right? Going by reviews and reader comments and what editors have told me, they've all agreed that my stories are strongly character-driven and my action scenes written effortlessly. Wow. But, it's true in a sense. I'm enamoured with my characters, enough that I want to tell their stories and make it all about them. Just like I love reading stories about characters with incredible stories to tell, who are unforgettable, I want to offer the same to my readers. While I like to read tech-stuff -- especially if it's a science fiction tale -- I don't like it so much when it goes overboard. I try to keep my tech-stuff toned down. My stories are about the people, their adventure, the tech just helps them along the way.

How does your writing process work?
I blow thought bubbles that float about that pop and sprinkle story-dust inside my head. Nah... Ideas just come and smack me in the face, or worm their way into my head, or join up from other ideas and merge and fester until a new story emerges. Once the idea is there and I like it enough, I'll write a few outline notes and think on it some more. Since I like things done in chronological order, I usually need to see a clear beginning, a middle, and an end in my notes. If I don't 'see' it, then I get frustrated and shelve the idea for a while. Lately, what I've been doing, as a test or something like an experiment, is diving straight in and just writing. It's a different way for me (pantsing, is what it's called, as opposed to plotting), but it's not unpleasant. I think, with a little more practice, I can smoothly incorporate the two methods. What doesn't help in the writing process is that same thing called distractions. Right now, I've got about three stories ideas, one of which is clearly outline and which I'm itching to start. Soon.

So that's about it really. Since my job now is to tag someone else, I'm grabbing T.M. Hunter, whose numerous science fiction tales of Aston West has entertained me countless times. Check out his site right HERE!