The tortured protagonists: McNabb and Circe

I said I would give glimpses of my protagonists, and this is the first of three such unveilings. Don't expect a lot of detail. I will keep these lean and mean in order to protect story lines and characters. I also won't give the working titles. I will start with the protagonists I believe are my most complex.

Sean McNabb is on a losing streak. Everything he put his trust in disappears. He has a definite coping mechanism (sorry, no details, but I love working with the circumstances). The good news is that there are glimmers of hope. The bad news is that not everything is as it seems. His original set of problems would give anyone reason to worry. His new set of problems are simply earth-shaking. Can he overcome? Can he even survive?

He has company in the person of Darrington Circe. His dilemma is that he faces problems that are even more daunting. Does he retreat into a shell? Does he boldly move forward to see where his strange set of circumstances leads? Can he overcome? Can he even survive?

This novel is being reviewed by a few select readers who I know are honest in their appraisal and helpful in their advice. The response to my opening chapters has been very good. That is heartening. I took to heart the advice of Stephen King to not write to an intended audience, but to write for myself. It works. My characters are stronger for it, and I am happier as a writer. The opening chapter of this novel has had at least four phases, which isn't an unreasonable amount. That opening sentence, paragraph and chapter are vital to the success of an entire novel.

I hope my readers will be ready with their reviews in about a month. I will take advice under my wing, and I will make changes as necessary. I already flagged one inconsistency in timeline, but I will wait to alter my wording until my reviews are in.

There is one consistency in these characters, which is their vulnerability. I don't write superheroes. I write about real people facing average or above average problems. They triumph, they fail, they try, they have fears, they hold back because of perceived fears, they are a lot like all of us. They differ only in the enormity of the challenges they face.

Now I have to go write the sequel to this novel, which is my current project. I love this process. I am happy to have the freedom to devote the necessary time to it.


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