Q is for Queen. When
I started working on my second book, I had a story outline and little else. I
knew that my protagonist, Marabella was to encounter pirates at some point. This
is the story of how I created one of my most interesting characters, Dorinda,
the Pirate Queen.
Dorinda
was my sister in law. She married my brother when I was just 7 years old. I am
the only girl in the family. She was the
only sister I had while growing up. She taught me to use make up. She helped me
with the girly things my Mom just wasn’t into. Dorinda was fancy. She was a
natural red head complete with sharp blue eyes and freckles everywhere. She was
elegant and one of the only people I’ve ever seen who could truly rock an
animal print. She loved autumn colors, owls, and sunflowers.
The
last time I saw her I asked if I could use her name for a character in my book.
“What kind of character?” She asked suspiciously.
“What
kind of character would you like? You could be a magic user or a healer or a
fighter or a pirate.” I told her.
“I want
to be a pirate.” Her blue eyes lit up. “And I want to kick ass.”
I
laughed. “With a whip or a sword?” I urged her on.
“With a
whip.” She smiled. “And a sword.”
“Done.”
I promised. We talked about a few other particulars for the character and I
wrote it down in my notebook.
That was one of the last lucid
conversations she was to have. The cancer that wracked her body pulled a veil
over her mind and took her less than two days later. I’ve replayed that conversation
over in my mind many times since. “Come and talk to me. Nothing morbid. Make me
laugh.” She had commanded in her gentle voice. I complied.
I sat there as if there was no
oxygen generator humming at the foot of the bed. I fed her water from a spoon when
she was too weak to suck from a straw. Though her body was emaciated and frail
I could still see the steel backbone and elegant beauty that not even cancer
could take. Dorinda, Queen of the Pirates was born. Q is for Queen.
#atozchallenge
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