Beautiful People is a monthly blog meme hosted by Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In. Every month they pose 10 questions for writers to answer about their writing and give readers the opportunity to learn more about the writer’s characters.
This should actually be Beautiful Books Vol. 2, which would have continued last month’s questions regarding NaNoWriMo or other writing projects. But after reading Cait and Sky’s questions for this month, I realized I answered similar ones last week in the Behind The Scenes Writing Tag. So, rather than repeating myself, I’m REBELLING. 😀
I’m taking a set of questions from Cait and Sky’s Beautiful People archives and introducing you to another character from my YA fantasy novel, The Keeper’s Curse (which I’m currently revising). Today you’ll meet Remigan, or “Remi” for short. Like the protagonist Eva, Remi is a Faerie and a diplomat serving on the Council of Selanaan. He is 16 years old, has light brown eyes and dirty blonde hair with reddish streaks, and is a history buff. And if you read on, you’ll find out why I think of him as the male equivalent to Hermoine Granger. 😉
(Visit the Beautiful People category page to catch up on past BP posts.)
1. What is Remi’s favorite food?
This was the question that helped decide to introduce Remi – because he LOVES to eat. 🙂 He especially likes tropical fruits like mangoes and papaya, and also thinks that roasted venison legs are quite tasty.
2. What does he absolutely hate?
Remi can’t stand incompetence. As the Council’s chief historian, he has high expectations for himself and expects the same from other characters. So when he thinks someone should have an answer or solution and they don’t, it throws him all out of sorts. This has made for some (*ahem*) interesting conversations with his fellow Councilors.
And disobedience. Remi’s a strict rule-follower. If he suspects one of his fellow Councilors isn’t adhering to a rule in the Council Code of Conduct, he’ll call them out on it. He also looks down on people who break the law or dabble in rogue magic (the novel’s equivalent to “dark magic,” essentially curses and other spells that pose a danger to the spellcaster or other people).
3. What does he enjoy learning about?
Remi loves learning in general. History is his passion, but he also finds foreign languages and the Great Isle’s wide range of cultures fascinating.
Also, this isn’t learning-related, but Remi returns to the Kayahie (the Fae school) now and then to visit his former instructors and to give guest lectures on a variety of history topics. His favorite lectures are ones on the First and Second Great Wars, the Bhadurak (a parasitic shadow demon race), and the taigila (the Great Isle’s version of a griffin).
4. Who is the most influential person in his life?
His mother Biniasaana. She’s a rhetoric instructor at the Kayahie, teaching Fae fledglings to be more persuasive, informative, and motivational speakers and writers. Remi admires her for her intelligence and courage, especially since she teaches what’s considered a largely “un-feminine” class compared to other women instructors at the Kayahie. (Most of the other women teach classes like sewing / embroidery, cooking, and clothes-making). As a result of his admiration, he’d ask his mother to give him additional studies or research projects “for fun.” She also taught him how to be a better debater and plays strategy games with him at night.
5. What is his greatest fear?
Remi’s greatest fear is doing something that could lead to him being stripped of his wings and banished from the Fae kingdom. It’s not a unique fear, since other Fae (including Eva) also share it. However, when Remi was 9 years old, his father was found in bed with another woman and subsequently wing-stripped and exiled. (Adultery is forbidden in the Fae kingdom.) Not only was Remi furious at his father for betraying their family, but he was also deeply ashamed to be so closely related to an exiled Faerie. Since then, he’s resolved to be an honorable member of society, which explains why Remi’s an honest, responsible character – and why he’s also rigidly traditional and law-abiding.
6. What is something Remi has always secretly dreamed of doing, but thought impossible?
Remi’s self-confidence is strong enough that he believes he can achieve whatever he sets out to do. His greatest aspiration in life (after he retires from the Council when he turns 25) is to become a traveling scholar. He wants to translate books and scrolls written in Fae into other languages (he’s strongest in Hartlandi and Esteri) and vice versa, then deliver those texts to their respective destinations and begin the cycle again. And he’s disciplined, intelligent, and driven enough to reach that goal.
7. What is something he is impractically afraid of?
I can’t think of an impractical or irrational fear that Remi has… But I know one of his other fears besides risking his reputation: Failure. He’s fearful of letting other people down, especially his mother and the Council. So it’s no surprise that he holds himself to such high standards, and why he feels a keen sense of responsibility and is so intrinsically motivated to work hard and find solutions. It might also explain why he assumed all the male responsibilities in the family household after his father was exiled. (FYI: Remi is an only child.)
That, and he’s also afraid of giving a wrong answer to someone’s question. A know-it-all hates to be less than 100% accurate, right? 😉
8. Is he a night owl or morning person?
There must be a Fae equivalent to the phrase “The early bird gets the worm,” because that would be Remi’s motto. He’s a morning person, through and through!
9. Does he say whatever pops into his head, or leave a lot unsaid?
I like to think of Remi as an intellectual who lacks self-restraint when talking. 😉 He can rattle on about certain topics for too long, and can be blunt and insensitive when trying to prove his point. He tends to be critical of others, too, and won’t hesitate to point out if someone’s wrong or not looking at things logically.
10. What is/are his nervous habit(s)?
Remi has a bad habit of biting his fingernails when he’s nervous. (Something he and I have in common. *blushes*) And this isn’t a nervous habit per se, but he tends to snack when he’s concentrating deeply on something and food is within reach.
What do you think of Remi now that you’ve “met” him? Feel free to share your thoughts and any questions you may have by commenting below.
Sara Letourneau 
I love this Remi! I also would like to be a travelling scholar and eat a bunch of mangoes. 🙂 But I think we would probably argue a lot if we met because I’m not really a stickler for rules.
I really like his personality. Since he seems to talk a lot and is a bit critical, I assume that it will cause some amusing situations for him. It would be interesting to see what he chooses to do when placed in a situation where he seems to not have a choice but break the rules and risk humiliation and failure. How would he cope after such a decision? No need to answer that since it could give things away.
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Yay! 😀 And you just made me realize that Remi will need to pack an awful lot of snacks before he goes on his scholarly travels. Well, when the time comes when he can do that. Not right now, of course. *lol*
Yeah, Remi doesn’t get along well with characters who aren’t sticklers for rules, or who are willing to bend the rules a bit to do what they think is right. It does make for some interesting conflicts. 😉
Confession: Remi is one of my favorite characters to write dialogue for. He has no idea how funny he is. XD
“It would be interesting to see what he chooses to do when placed in a situation where he seems to not have a choice but break the rules and risk humiliation and failure. How would he cope after such a decision?”
This does happen in the book. So you’ll have to wait and see. 😉
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Haha. All tempting. I look forward to it.
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I like Remi already! He sounds like the smart one of the group–I tend to like the logical smarties in stories. 🙂 Part of me is one lol, I’d probably end up arguing with Remi a lot. 😀
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XD XD XD You have no idea how much fun it is to write dialogue for Remi. He’s not meant to be a funny character… But he takes things so seriously and literally, I can’t help myself. *lol*
I wouldn’t say that Remi is the “smart one” of the Council, since they’re all knowledgeable in their areas of expertise. But he’s very studious and diligent, like Hermoine. And he’s also haughty and a bit of a know-it-all, like (younger) Hermoine, from the first couple Harry Potter books. 🙂
Thanks for your comments, Elizabeth!
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Every author needs that fun character to work with. 😀
Ohmygoodness, young Hermoine was such a cute know-it-all! 🙂
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He sounds like a fun character… though I’m not sure I’d define him nice 😉
But there is soemthing endearing in him, maybe his absolute faith in the law and the logic of people. There’s a child-like quality to him, I think, and that’s what I like.
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Yeah, he’s not one of the kindest characters in the story, and a little detached emotionally. But he’s quite interesting and a lot of fun to write. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cracked up writing his dialogue. XD
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Don’t you love characters who just flow onto the page? Especially ones who make you laugh. Their dialogue and character interactions just come so much easier.
Remi is the Hermione = lots of sense. While I am a scholarly type, I am not really a stickler for much, so I have a feeling I’d get on Remi’s bad side too! And you stated above that he isn’t the “nicest” character, but he sounds like a word such as “nice” might be too trite and narrow to someone as intellectual as him 🙂 He sounds like he’s full of good qualities though. I’d assume that his father’s “betrayal” of moral/social codes, as well as their family, is one of the deep roots of how Remi treats others. It would probably be really hard to trust rule breakers and mavericks when you were so badly burned by one!
I’m interested to see how he interacts with Eva. I expect plenty of humor (intentional or otherwise!
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Ohhhh yes. In some ways, Remi is the most predictable member of the Council in terms of actions and reactions. But when it comes to dialogue – AHAHAHAHAHAHA. XD He’s my favorite character to write dialogue for, so far.
He does have his good qualities, yes. He’s honorable, loyal to the people who matter to him, and very hard-working. And you’re right about the depth of impact his father’s infidelity and exile had on Remi.
“I’m interested to see how he interacts with Eva. I expect plenty of humor (intentional or otherwise!”
😉 That’s all I can say for now!
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I am woefully behind on reading and commenting to blogs. I’m sorry! But oooh my goodness, I SO enjoyed reading this! GAH. Your characters and world are so in depth. Remi seems so REAL (and I love his name). He’s sounds like he’s way too fun to work with. A stickler for the rules, but loves to eat. Far too fun a combination. XD Characters who love food are always the best!
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No worries. You’re focusing on NaNoWriMo. It’s understandable. 😉
It’s funny you mentioned the “stickler for rules yet loves to eat” bit. I just revised a scene yesterday where Remi’s in a library (one of his favorite places) and someone offers him food, and he FREAKS OUT because Heaven forbid anyone bring food into a library and stain the books with their dirty hands. XD So, guess which side of him wins out in the end?
Thanks for stopping by, Christine! 🙂
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Remi sounds like an interesting character! I like that his knowledge makes him a bit over the top haha, but he also has a sympathetic backstory. That must have been so hard for him. 😦 Great to know more about your characters!
storitorigrace.blogspot.com
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Thanks, Tori! 🙂
It was incredibly hard for Remi to lose his father. They had a bit of a strained relationship, since his father disapproved Remi’s scholarly endeavors (he wanted Remi to be more of a soldier-in-training). But knowing your father was caught cheating on your mother and then banished (with his wings cut off) in a public ceremony (including Remi and his mother in attendance) can be really traumatizing.
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Geez. I can imagine.
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Ha, ha! I loved reading about Remi because he sounds quite like my lovely husband. He’s a train driver and has to be very particular details and procedure, obviously. So Remi is going to be a firm favourite with me! Again, an impressive grasp of your character with plenty of depth – well done!
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Thank you, Sarah! Would it surprise you if I said Remi has become one of my favorite TKC characters to write dialogue for? 😉
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No… I can imagine that if Remi’s a tad pedantic and fixated on something, plenty of opportunities open themselves up to have him unintentionally funny. If John wasn’t so very, very clever, he could fall into those holes – but he is, so he doesn’t… Mostly!
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