Sarah Hoyt and Amanda Green started this exchange of posts where you meet a character from their writing. More writers have been added each week. They introduce the writer briefly and then link to the writers blog where a few basic questions are listed about the character. Then other authors are linked at the end. The writer I tagged hasn’t responded so it may end here. This is my post about my main character in “Famiy Law” a young girl named Lee Anderson.
1.) Is he/she fictional or a historic person?
Fictional person. (Without arguing about the validity of the infinite parallel universes.)
2.) When and where is the story set?
In the future. No hard dates given. But most Earth cultures and governments can still be recognized or their successors. There are separate nations both in the Solar System and at other stars. The story opens on a new found world and then moves on to other worlds including Earth.
3.) What should we know about her?
Lee is neither typical of her era or ours. She has an unusual, perhaps unique childhood growing up on a family owned exploration starship. Except for a few very brief return visits to civilization for resupply and to file discovery claims, she grows up with her parents and their business partner who is not human. She has a lot more practical skills than your average planet bound child but is utterly unsocialized and has no idea what is acceptable or safe behavior in a Human city. She never had to deal with classmates or neighbors or the bureaucracy of schools and local governments. Her parent’s alien business partner is far more familiar and lovable to her than Earth Humans with whom she shares few desires or fears. She is both more and less mature than normal children in different areas.
4.) What is the main conflict? What messes up her life?
The death of her parents on the habitable planet that was their ultimate prize to find as explorers completely disrupts everything she has known. The alien tribe to which her ‘uncle’ Gordon belongs is not thrilled at him accepting his partners mandate to adapt Lee. Neither are Humans accepting of the idea. None of which would have mattered to Lee or Gordon if the Humans hadn’t kidnapped her under color of authority when they visited Earth. Gordon’s tribe wasn’t immediately accepting. But once they agreed to her adaption they viewed snatching their children with even less favor. The Humans horribly underestimate both their resolve and capacity to do something about it. Red Tree Clan has not fought a war in over a thousand years. They haven’t forgotten how.
5.) What is the personal goal of the character?
Lee is far too young and inexperienced to have complicated goals. Most of the time she is dealing with the moment life hands her. Like any child she just wants to grow up with what family she has left. She tries to get along with everybody, but doesn’t fit in the society most planet dwellers find normal. Even Human videos are confusing and alien since she doesn’t have context. When she figures that planets aren’t her cup of tea then her goal becomes to remain in space.
6.) Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?
“Family Law” is published DRM free on Amazon for kindle devices. A sequel “The Long Voyage of the Little Fleet” is also released. Within the year there will be paper editions. The link for the Amazon sales page is: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006GQSZVS/?tag=kindleboards-20
Post errata
Adapt and adaption when you mean adopt and adoption.
thanks
Ah it is not my post to change. It is Sarah and Amanda site. Don’t have a link to it even. Unless it is used wrong in the book. I’ll check that. I never saw that posting although I was tagged…
Checked manuscript – I had one location of many where adapt was used instead of adopt. Not going to reload it for that one. But changed my copy. Will be included if other changes are made.