The Shared WIP Tag – Week 2: Protagonist Questions
It’s time for the second week’s Shared WIP Tag questions, and they’re all about the protagonist. (I’m super excited to read everyone else’s answers. ^-^) Most of y’all know Coraline from Preptober Prompts, but if you don’t… you’re about to learn about her. On to the questions!
Introduce your MC a little (name, maybe a description or picture, etc,) and tell us something quirky about them.
Coraline Seralen is a compassionate Paladin who has a passion for helping people and would love to be a healer. She’s most comfortable somewhere full of sunshine or nature, and she adores apples. As far as a quirk… she stinks at making eye contact. She’s really shy and eye contact feels invasive, to her, like you’re looking into someone’s soul.
What does your MC value the most?
As far as ideas are concerned, life and healing. As far as physical… entities (if you ever need a word that applies to inanimate and animate objects: entities works great. XD), she values her best friend Gabel a lot.
What is your MC’s wildest dream? What is their greatest fear?
She probably has a desire to start an apothecary somewhere out-of-the-way and nature-filled, like a forest or something (just not the forest near the castle). She’s terrified she’ll misuse her powers as Paladin and hurt someone.
What is your MC’s favorite food? Can they cook?
Apples. She can almost certainly cook, and she probably most enjoys baking.
What do you (the writer) have in common with the MC? What do you not have in common?
Um… We both like baking. We both value life and healing, but she’s far more passionate about it than I am. Or maybe just in different ways. Something she has that I don’t is crippling fear. I’ve always been pretty confident in myself, and she’s always thought she’s the weakest of the group. She’s terrified of the responsibility and power that comes of being Paladin.
What lie does your MC believe about herself/the world?
That she can’t handle the Legacy, as Paladin, and she’s doomed to hurt someone with it.
Who is their best friend and why?
Gabel Tyrell. The two of them trained together to become Paladin–along with four other kids–and while the other four were competing and vying for a chance to be the final choice, Gabel and Coraline were just sticking to their studies and doing their best. They both really enjoy reading, and they would often read together while the other four were fighting, and they’ve remained friends to this day.
What song best describes them in this book?
*scrolls through 10+ hour trilogy playlist for the songs that fit her* Carry You by Ruelle and Fleurie.
What is their personality type?
INFJ, Hufflepuff, Amity, lawful good.
Why should your readers care about this person?
She goes through real struggles with feelings of inadequacy and responsibility. She’s caring herself, and caring people tend to make people care more. She doesn’t have any harsh edges or sharp tongue to break her softness or make you want to stuff her foot in her mouth. Her mistakes are realistic to the average person; she doesn’t kill people or steal things constantly, she runs from responsibility. She provides a balance for the sharper protagonists with fantasy problems from the first two books, I think.
Check out the other participants’ blogs to learn more about their NaNoWriMo protagonists! (I think they’re all going to be super cool. I can’t wait to read about them. ^-^)
Jules @ Saver of Memories
Nicole @ Legend of a Writer
Ceci @ Ceci Creates
Lisa @ Inkwell
Gray @ Writing is Life
Julia @ Lit Aflame
Jem @ Jem Jones, Writer
Melissa @ Quill Pen Writer
Brooklyne @ Showers of Blessings
Ariel @ Scribes and Archers
Keturah @ Keturah’s Korner
Sarah @ Pen of a Ready Writer
I think Coraline and my MC Marywyn would get along! Marywyn loves gardening and she helps her village healer from time to time, so she does know a bit of that sort of thing. But she loves helping people and is friendly and kind-hearted. I can’t wait to see how Coraline’s story arc plays out!!!
That’s awesome!
Oh my goodness, now I want to know Coraline in real life! Honestly, though, I totally feel her on the eye contact thing – why does it have to be so gosh dang HARD?? :)
Can’t wait to see the next part! If the villain is as good as Coraline, this is going to be an epic story!
That’s something I drew from myself, actually. I STINK at eye contact, and I think I figured out it’s because it feels so personal. (I will fall in love with a person based on their eyes, I swear. People have GORGEOUS eyes, no matter what color they are.) I am working on getting better at it, though, because otherwise I worry I seem disinterested when the truth is I’m LISTENING super attentively, I’m just not looking at them. :P
Thank you! I certainly hope so, lol.
I love that she’s a healer! That’s something I always love finding in stories, especially after I wrote The Herbalist’s War. I can’t wait to read more about her!!
Thank you!
heehee, I share a few quirks with your protagonist. Specifically, the love of apples and horrible eye contact.
You’ve got a really cool protagonist, R.M!
Thank you!
Love this! and love how you used entities hahaha. Actually suits well ;) While I love eyes and making eye contact, I feel alot of people will relate to Coraline’s inability to make eye contact ;D
keturahskorner.blogspot.com
Thanks. ;D
I actually need to play it up more in the story. It’s one of those things I know is a big thing for her when I think about it but keep overlooking while I’m actually writing, lol.