What with life being what it is, I took a mini-break again from little blog to get other things done. But now that deadlines are met I can finish what I started, which is introduce to you the characters of my latest piece: Butterflies. and I have one person left to introduce you to:
Dido Quintessa.
This woman was a mystery to me from the beginning. And a total surprise--she was one of those characters that popped into the story and refused to leave.
Which, as it turns out, was a very good thing.
Dido embodies The Organization, which is the shadow antagonist of this particular show(there's a physical villain, too, but that would be telling). She's a powerful politician and has a very logical working mind but can also surprise you.
Also, she's and excellent foil for Isaac.
I love the celebrity model for Dido. The ironic thing is that this particular actress has played a powerful politician before on a show that you may have heard of. Granted, it took her like six seasons to figure it all out, but by the end of the show she was a powerhouse.
The show was "Game of Thrones", the character was Sansa, and the celebrity portraying her was:
Sophie Turner.
And, as all my characters, do, of course, Dido has a soundtrack. Which is just as eclectic as she is--with a couple of surprises. And I'm not too entirely disappointed with that.
Every once in a while, you run into a character that is...muddled. And not in the same way that Dark Horse Anti-Heroes are muddled. A character that has secrets and shadows and ties both readers and authors in knots(thank you John Le Carre) because no one is sure who's side this person is actually on(spoiler: it's usually himself). That is the type of person that Shea is turning out to be.
She is Emily's older brother, Greta's boyfriend and probably one of Liam's closest allies(I say "probably" cause he's proving to be really difficult to figure out). He hates to Organization to an almost illogical point and has a temper that always gets the better of him and clouds up his judgement. I think they call it Intermittent Explosive Disorder? That has been fun to look in to. Some of his actions make me as the author question his sanity, which is also interesting.
Shea doesn't really have a non-celebrity model, mostly because what I've done is take the faults from several people I know and put them into one person. So that's fun.
I really, really like his Celebrity Model though.
This is Alex Høgh Anderson--aka Ivar the Boneless from "Vikings". Not gonna like, this Romantic kinda fell fast and hard when this actor first graced the History channel screens. For someone who plays such a twisted person, he seems like a really sweet guy, if his interviews are anything to go by. I'd kind of like to see him play this type of person again. Plus, his accent is fantastic!
Shea's soundtrack is another thing that's interesting. It's short, but fits his personality pretty well, I think
When emotions are running high, you need a breather. A mediator. Someone who can see both sides and tries to analyze the situation at hand.
That's what Greta does.
Greta is Shea's girlfriend and also a nurse. She's been one of the easiest characters for me to write to date, because she's so level headed and clear-eyed and the kind of person I like to have in my head when everything else is going to chaos.
It's a little bit of a relief to write someone who is so straightforward and relatively drama-free.
Plus, She's the perfect foil for Shea, the perfect mediator for Liam, and the perfect "conscience" type figure for Emily.
But she's reached the point where she's got to pick a side, and that's got a twist that I absolutely love.
The model for Greta was a little surprising, at least when it comes to non-celebrities. But things that she said, and her speech pattern, and even the way she looked in my head made more sense the further into the story I went.
It's my sister--who happens to also be one of the most level headed and straightforward thinking people I know.
You what's also interesting? The celebrity model for Greta has some of the same physical features as the non-celebrity one.
Ok, fine, maybe their eyes are different and my sister's American and this actress is British, but still.
This is Florence Pugh, from "Outlaw King"(which was brilliant!!!!), "Midsomar" (which I actually haven't seen but after seeing the trailer I don't have any desire to because horror and me are not friends), and most recently "Little Women" (which I have feelings about, but that's for another time).
One thing I absolutely adore about this actress is her voice. It's beautifully husky and so fun to listen to, I'd love to hear her as a voice actress or audiobook narrator as well as on-screen stuff. She has this ability to say things with her eyes that she can't say with her mouth and it draws me in and I love it.
Plus, a voice like that is perfect for a no-nonsense mediator, don't you think?
Greta's soundtrack is a little shorter than the others, but no less awesome. Have a listen:
Today is the birthday of another one of my many many Silver Screen Obsessions.
Idols.
People I Want to Meet Before I Die But Can't Since They're Already Dead.
All Of The Above.
I consider him the master of subtext and one of the most amazing actors of the 30s, 40s, and 50s.
He's also a talented writer--I know cause I own his autobiography.
Ladies and gents, I'm going to gush about James Mason.
I first saw him when I was nine. He played Isaac of York in the 1982 television special Ivanhoe. My grandpa gave us his copy of the VHS and while I was watching it mostly for the other younger cuter male characters, I still really liked Isaac of York.
I liked his mellifluous voice.
A lot.
(Did I know what the word "mellifluous" meant as a nine-year-old? No. But did I like the flow-y pattern of the way this actor talked? Oh yes!)
Flash forward...15 years? The apartment complex I was living at had Turner Classic Movies as part of their cable package and I binged all the old movies I could when not doing homework(which, considering I did all my homework on campus before I went home, was a lot of time). One night TCM was showing Prisoner of Zenda--which has become one of my all time favorite oldies--and when they introduced the villain, my jaw dropped.
Like, hit the floor.
Because, number one, the actor was G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S(Hopeless Romantic, remember?)
And number two, I knew that voice from my childhood. Yes, because the actor was younger his voice was less craggy, but the pattern was still the same. But I looked it up on IMDB just to make sure.
Yep. I was looking at a younger James Mason.
Been obsessed ever since.
Here's why I like him so much.
To begin with, he never had any formal training, so everything he learned about acting, he learned on the job.
Yes, he did plays in college, but he was studying to be an architect. He went into films after graduation. And, because he had no formal training, there was nothing he had to "un-learn", which is probably why most directors loved him so much!
He was very picky about the films he worked in.
James Mason knew Hollywood type-cast him because of how he looked. He was perfect for noir films and he usually played the villain or anti-hero. That's fine if you're given a villain or anti-hero with dimension.
But in 30s and 40s Hollywood, the Big Ups were more concerned about cranking out as many films as possible, which meant that being "type cast" meant that you were playing the same person doing the same things in multiple films.
Gag!
Which is why he left Hollywood and went back to England. Personally, most of the movies I prefer are his non-big Hollywood films, because there seems to be a lot more to them than "let's crank out another cause money, money, money".
(that's a whole other rant for another time).
One of James Mason's favorite film roles--and mine--is the leading man in "Odd Man Out." It's the story of a man who is shot during a robbery and the encounters he has as he dies. This is also the role that made him a household name.
It. Is. A. Beautiful. Film.
The writing is beautiful.
The casting is perfect.
The themes are subtle and universal.
It's also one of the few films that James Mason immediately said "yes" to after reading the script once, so that in and of itself should tell you something.
At the beginning of this gush I called him the Master of Subtext.
Because he is.
James Mason not only had a beautiful voice, but he also had an understated way of acting that was--and is--riveting.
He can put so much subtext into one tiny movement that I know exactly what he's thinking and why he's thinking it and I'm pretty sure what he's going to do next.
Which is why it's a delightful surprise when his character does a "bait and switch"--which anti-heroes are sometimes wont to do.
James Mason would be 111 today.
One of the truly great actors of the Silver Screen.
When I started writing, I thought he was one person; and then he did something that made me change my mind about who he was.
And then he did it again.
And again.
And again.
Until I stopped trying to control his narrative and just let him tell the story.
(He's one of those stupidly stubborn types)
Isaac has connections to Liam and Emily, but he's not considered an ally by either of them Anymore.
This particular character is a combination of several people in my life. Several of my family members--immediate and extended--have bits of their personalities that I took and gave to Isaac. One or two of my really close friends are also part of his character. He's snarky, and sarcastic and dry and everything I love in a Dark Horse(go figure).
But there is only one celebrity model Because of course there is.
This is Luke Pasqualino. He's been on BBC's "Our Girl", "Skins", "The Borgias" "Snowpiercer"(the film, not the upcoming TV show) and "The Musketeers"(as D'Artagnan).
Isaac's soundtrack was interesting--as interesting as his character.
Ok, maybe "eclectic" is a better word. Check this out:
Soundtrack
Bloody City by Sam Tinnesz
Tourniquet by Breaking Benjamin
Too Cold a Stone by Peter Brienholt
Never Again by Breaking Benjamin
Army of One by Coldplay
Between the Wars by Allman Brown
Who Wants to Live Forever(feat. Lindsay Stirling) by The Tenors
Apparently, writing one full length while revising two others and outlining a fourth is totally crazy and sucks up your time, especially when life continues to throw curveballs at you right and left. But I've stolen a teeny bit of time to get back to the blog and dive in to more character intros in "Butterflies" so here goes.
Emily is a character type that is really difficult for me to write. I like women who are fiery and independent powerhouses. Emily is still fiery and still a powerhouse, but she's more introverted. She's a little naive and still figuring herself out. She's quiet and sheltered and--yeah, really hard to write.
But what I love is she's the perfect foil for Liam. She perfectly smooths out his rough edges, and csn get him to open up about things that he wouldn't otherwise.
She also has two models.
The first is my sweet maternal cousin. This girl is adorable--when she was little I heard barely a word out of her, and she's still pretty quiet even now. But she's an amazing human being and one of the strongest girls I know.
Which means her celebrity counterpart has gotta be her equal--or as close to that as I can get.
This is Adelaide Kane. I first saw this powerhouse of an actress in season three of "Teen Wolf"(which I LOVE, btw) and then in the CW's reign. She can play fiery, she can play gentle, she can play naive and sweet and independent and I love everything I've seen her do.
Here's Emily's Sountrack:
Plain Gold Ring(Live) by Kimbra
My Immortal by Evenescence
A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton
Carry You(feat. Fleurie) by Ruelle
So there's Liam's foil.
You've met the hero and the heroine of "Butterflies".
Hopefully it won't be too long before you get to meet all the rest!
A) Because I had to reach my #EndofPlay goal (which I did, so that's cool). And,
B) The world has been imploding so I couldn't really think of much else.
But, as I said before I have been occupying my time with my latest script writing project: Butterflies.
And, I've gotta say, this project is quickly making it's way onto my favorites list.
I wrote the final page yesterday at...7:30? I think?
Which means I get to do rewrites andI get to share character tidbits with you.
And that's also my favorite.
Not gonna lie, this protagonist was one of the easiest I've ever had to develop.
Liam is an ex-con who is caught in the crossfire(literally) between regular citizens of the city he grew up in, and the Organization, which is the government entity currently in charge.
He is a Dark Horse(because duh) and he's got a snarky attitude and a sarcastic streak that I love! And he broods, which makes this little romantic swoon so much!
He is also running--literally--for his life. See "caught in the crossfire" above.
Can you spell H-I-G-H-S-T-A-K-E-S?
The other cool thing about Liam is that one of his models is a good friend of mine who has the snarky sarcastic attitude that I gave to Liam and--if I'm being really honest--he looks like a stereotypical Dark Horse, so go figure.
I'm not gonna share his image, though, cause I don't pull images from social media. I'm just not that person.
I will, however, show you the celebrity model I have in my head.
Ed Skrein.
Otherwise known as the first Daario in GOT, Ajax in Deadpool, and (my personal current favorite) Dick Best from "Midway"(I love this film. If you haven't seen it, then see it; and if you hate it after...we'll talk).
Dark Horse.
Brooding.
Snarky.
Sarcastic.
Check, check, check. check.
Ok, he's played roles that do all these things, which recommends him to my romantic little head.
Since this is a sequel to "Wolves of Sherwood", some of the characters you already know--if not, just can find out about Tarquin, Declaire, and Malbete here; Jean-Luc here; Cassian here; and Ravenna and Tirzah here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know I keep bringing up Aladdin, but its the easiest way to describe some things(have you see it yet?!).
Like Carmine Reynaud's personality.
Reynaud is like Jafar from Aladdin. The new one(aka Marwan Kenzari. Google him, cause WOW!!!!).
Yes, I know there are people who didn't like the interpretation of this Jafar, but I loved it! He's subtle; he doesn't explode in public(often); he knows how to manipulate; he can threaten people without even raising his voice.
That's scary.
That is the Reynaud type of scary.
Which is great, because Reynaud is the villain of this piece.
Unfortunately, Reynaud's physical model is not from Aladdin. He's from the films "Alpha," "Atomic Blonde", "Game of Thrones", "The Last Kingdom", and the upcoming "Where'd You Go, Bernadette".
Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson. You know what's great about this actor? He can say things in a single look than some actors can say in a paragraph. Watch "Alpha" if you don't believe me. Or just watch "Alpha" cause it's that good. This is a guy you don't want to mess with. He's dangerous, but he never lets it be known in public--all his threats come in private. You guys, Reynaud scares me. And his soundtrack is perfect for the kind of human being that Reynaud is. It's dark and gritty and...well here, give the highlights a listen: Feed the Wolf, by Breaking Benjamin
Since this is a sequel to "Wolves of Sherwood", some of the characters you already know--if not, just can find out about Tarquin, Declaire, and Malbete here; Jean-Luc here; Cassian here; and Ravenna and Tirzah here. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remember how I said I love Dark Horses?
And how I was really excited about this new play cause one of the characters was Chaotic Neutral?
Well, this is why.
His name is Declan, and he's one of the leading men in "Lure of the Fox"(and currently, my favorite).
My hopeless little romantic heart is Character Crushing so hard on this guy, it's ridiculous! Which makes him the third Character Crush I've had since creating this "Wolves" Universe, the first two being Tarquin and Jean-Luc.
I've already said how much I love the new Aladdin movie. As of this post, I've seen it six times, and I'm going to buy the DVD for my birthday as a gift to myself, just because I can(and I can, cause it comes out nine days after my birthday)! You know what's great? The celebrity model for Declan is also from that movie:
This is Mena Massoud aka Aladdin. If you haven't seen Aladdin, go see it!!!! If only to see this adorable face for two hours, because GAH!!!
He was also in Amazon Prime's "Jack Ryan"; and he has an amazing smile, which I would like to utilize at least once in my head. I have no idea how yet, but Declan is going to smile.
Declan is Chaotic Neutral, which is a fantastic challenge for me, since I've never written one of those before. For those not in the D&D Know, any character who's alignment is "Chaotic Neutral" are people who don't like being told how/where/why/when, and challenges the status quo(there's other places on the inter-webs that describe this more eloquently, but I like my definition).
Aka Declan's personality to a T.
He's got a "what's in it for me" attitude, and if he swings to the "good" or "evil" side, it's not because someone told him to. He cares about certain people and certain things, but he's not about to wear his heart on his sleeve. He's enigmatic, and dangerous, which (to me, anyway) makes him really sexy.
Currently, Declan's in the pay of Raynaud, the man who's holding Sorcha and Tarquin hostage(blog post on Raynaud forthcoming), and has a little bit of a crush on Sorcha, and....someone else, but he's not about to own up to it(see "not about to wear heart on sleeve" above).
Declan also has a connection to--and history with--Jean-Luc--which is so much fun to write! Some of my favorite scenes happen when these two are in the same room(which helps since I am still not--and probably will never be--over my Character Crush on Jean-Luc, see above); and, needless to say, some bits of Declan's personality rub off on Jean-Luc later.
Also, Declan is a Master Swordsman. In my head, he makes Inigo Montoya look like Stanley friggin Yelnats.
(if you don't know who either of those characters are a) that's just really sad and should be remedied ASAP; so b) go Google them because WOW)
I don't usually do this, but because I love Declan a little bit too much, I'm going to share his entire soundtrack with you, because why not?
Declan
Friend of the Devil, by Adam Jensen
Apologize, by grandson
Tombstone, by Adam Jensen
Somebody To Die For, by Hurts
So Cold, by Breaking Benjamin
Darkest Part, by Red
Great Wide Open, by Thirty Seconds to Mars
Where I Want to Be, by The Dangerous Summer
Declan on Sorcha
My Enemy (feat. Matt Berniger), by CHVRCHES
Into the Night(feat. Chad Kroeger), by Santana
Lead Me Into the Night, by The Cardigans
Declan on...Someone Else
Hunger, by The Score
Fuel on the Fire by Bear's Den
Declan and Jean-Luc
Hide, by Red
I Know Where The Bodies Are Buried, by Adam Jensen
Alibi, by Thirty Seconds to Mars
Forever, by Breaking Benjamin
Silence (feat. Khalid), by Marshmellow
Declan's Final Scene
The Fight, by The Phantoms
Home(from "Bright" soundtrack), by X-Ambassadors, Machine Gun Kelly, and Bebe Rexha
Since this is a sequel to "Wolves of Sherwood", some of the characters you already know--if not, just can find out about Tarquin, Declaire, and Malbete here; Jean-Luc here; Cassian here; and Ravenna and Tirzah here.
You know what I really love?
I really love a woman who knows who she is and what she believes in and will stand up for it--even if I don't necessarily agree with her beliefs or methods or whatever. When I was little, my favorite Disney princess was Belle, because she had spunk and attitude and stood up to people who tried to intimidate her--and she was willing to make sacrifices for people she loved.
That's the kind of person Sorcha is.
Sorcha is the older sister of Tirzah Massimo(from Wolves of Sherwood, see link above). Currently, she's being held hostage in Normandy, and she's also caught the eye of Tarquin. And let me tell you, when Sorcha and Tarquin are together, sparks fly!
Sorcha is stubborn, and independent, and knows her own mind. But she also knows that sometimes you have to make really hard choices in order to look out for and protect people you love. Being the writer I am, y'all know that I need a celebrity model who fits this picture in my head. Someone like this:
This is Nathalie Emmanuel--aka Missandei from "Game of Thrones", aka Ramsay from the "Fast and Furious" franchise(7, 8, and 9, to be specific), aka Harriet from "Maze Runner: The Death Cure". This actress--what can I say? She's fierce, she's got a spine of steel, and she's up for anything. She can play defiant, and vulnerable; she can make me cheer and she can make me cry. Which is why she fits Sorcha so well (plus, seeing Robb Stark and Missandei as a couple would make this fangirl really happy).
I'm also in love with Sorcha's soundtrack--especially her theme song. I don't care what anybody says, I loved the new Aladdin adaption, and not just cause my childhood got an (in my opinion) amazing live-action treatment. One of the best parts for me was Jasmine! I bought her new song and listened to it on loop for days! And it's the perfect theme for Sorcha because it fits her journey to a tea!
Sorcha's Theme: "Speechless" by Naomi Scott
There's more to her soundtrack, but it's ridiculously long, so I'm only gonna share the highlights. Such as:
Sorcha on Tarquin: "Bones" by MS MR, "I Still Remember" by Blackamore's Night and "Keep the Streets Empty" by Fever Ray
Sorcha's Hard Choices: "Crash and Burn" by Lifehouse, "Beggin for Thread" by Banks
and "Breathe" by Fleurie
And as a final intriguing tidbit:
Sorcha and Declan: "Lead Me Into the Night" by the Cardigans
November is almost over and I'm behind in the NaNoBlog!
Ok, fine, not really, but I should have posted about NaNo last week but was so crazed I forgot, so this week y'all get a twofer because--I'm awesome. Yeah.
The leading lady in any show I write tends to be both a firebrand and have the ability to be vulnerable. Because, let's face it, this two things are built into feminine DNA and there's nothing we can do about it. That's my opinion, anyway.
When the world does eventually blow up, it's nice to have someone who can always make the day a little brighter, fight for all she's worth, and never ever give up, no matter how much others try to break her.
Yes, that is the type of person Riley is. One of those amazing people who believes in things with every fiber of her being, and will do whatever it takes to do the right thing. And of course, she has to have a celebrity model who can carry that personality out.
Last year, I saw a movie called "Tracers", which was about a heist carried out via parkour. If you know me--or you've read this blog for a while--you know one of my weird obsessions is parkour...probably because I don't have the hand-eye coordination or athletic ability to do it, but whatever. And one of the stars in this movie was Marie Avergapolous:
Truthfully, I really wish I could see more of her work(I know she's in "The 100", but I mean things besides that). She has the ability to be fierce, fun, and fiery, yet also vulnerable when the occasion called for it. In other words, the perfect fit for Riley.
Besides a friend(Riley) the other thing a protagonist inevitably has is a mentor. Someone who can tell it like it is, and has seen what's happened--or what's going to happen--and prep the protagonist for whatever's to come(thank you Joseph Campbell). In the case of "B/V", he also has a dry sense of humor and a streak of sarcasm a mile wide. I'll even admit there are pieces of his persona that belong to some of my relatives, which adds to the fun. His name is Deac, and he's also one of my personal favorite characters.
So who's the best celebrity candidate to portray this character in my head? Actually, it wasn't that difficult to figure out; because about the time I pulled "B/V" out of my head and began putting it on paper a film got released, with an actor I had never heard of before. This film was actually this guy's film debut. He blew people away--and not just because of who he's related to. Who is this guy? O'Shea Jackson Jr.
Deac has been hurt in more ways than one. He's lost people, so he's ultra protective of those he's still got. The one thing he has no doubt about is the hatred be feels for the Agency who started tagging people in the first place. Sarcasm is his defense mechanism along with dry humor. Based on what I've already seen, there's not doubt in my mind this guy could pull off Deac--if, that is, pigs could fly and he'd ever say yes. A girl can dream, right?
Those of you who have followed me for a while know what this means. Every NaNo, I get to share with y'all the celeb models I have in my head for each character. Because that happens to be my writer's quirk.
At the center of every story, you have the protagonist--the one who asks the questions and is a conduit for the readers and the audience members. Jason has grown up in a world where every thought, action and word is known by the Agency. Jason is actually being trained as an Agent, but he has questions that aren't answered by the Agency, so they'll have to be answered by someone else.
Once upon a time, I saw a film called ATL. It was your typical coming of age story, and being a sucker for these kind of things, of course I bought it. In this film, there was an actor--who is also a singer(and married to a singer). ATL was his first film, followed by According to Greta and....MOCKINGJAY. Know who it is yet? Does this help?
This is Evan Ross. And yes, he's the perfect match for Jason. He's fiery, he's got that awesome glare down, and, his smile isn't too bad either. Plus, I'd love to see him with the rest of my cast--which is forthcoming. I promise!
Robin Hood always has his nemesis--and often more than one. In this particular incarnation, he has three-- and two of them are ones that every Robin Hood aficionado is familiar with.
First, there's Guy of Gisbourne. Traditionally, he is Robin Hood's ultimate nemesis--a bounty hunter who is usually in the pay of the Sheriff of Nottingham(my favorite portrayals of this character have been done by Basil Rathbone and Richard Armitage. Google them, I'll wait...). Sometimes, he is also given Robin Hood's title--Earl of Huntingdon--when Robin is made an outlaw. This is the case in my version. Gisbourn is the Earl of Huntingdon, and also Ravenna's father. He returns to Nottingham to a)root out the latest Locksley spy(which I will talk about later; and b) marry Ravenna off to the Sheriff of Nottingham. Gisbourne was a tough character for me to figure out. While he's still a sly, calculating jackass too prideful for his own good, he's been softened a tiny bit by fatherhood(he cares about his kids maybe 2% more than he does about himself, as they're actually great to use as pawns in order to win this little game he's always playing) and he knows all of Locksley's tricks, which is unhelpful, but also really fun! The celebrity who has the honor of portraying him in my head is:
Adam Croasdell. He's in the CW's "Reign" and I'm not gonna lie, that show is my guilty pleasure and I kind of really like the way he looks and I also love his voice. Like, a lot. He can play both the harder as softer sides of a character, and he can be sympathetic even when we as the viewers hate his guts--which, in my opinion, take talent. The song I hear when I write Gisbourne? This one( I wish I could find something that wasn't a cover, but I can't, so..):
Speaking of hating guts, here's the next enemy that Locksley and co. have to deal with: Josse DeClaire, the Sheriff of Nottingham. DeClaire is younger, angrier, and more rash than Gisbourn--and he's a snake. He's also Cassian's nemesis. In my head, he's:
Toby Kebbell, aka Koba(Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), aka Massala(Ben-Hur; I don't care, that movie was FABO; go away). He's played villains, and anti-heroes, and his accent is killer, so I know I'd love to hear it whether he's spitting venom at Cassian(which he does), or trying to seduce Ravenna(which, again, he does--Ew. Ew, ew, ew). This song is GREAT for DeClaire's personality:
Also, I know he's willing to undergo combat training(see Ben-Hur/Apes for refrences), so there's no problem there. Plus, a "Spider-Man" vs "Massala" fight? Yes, please! Especially if this was playing the background:
If there's one of the badies I hate writing though(even if it's necessary--grrrr) it's the third of the enemies of Locksley and Cassian. I hate him. He's a weasel. His name is Etienne Malbete and he's a mercenary hired by King John to assist DeClaire to maintain order in Nottingham. This makes casting difficult, because I don't really want to hate the person who portrays this character. But, needs must, and when I finally got around to it, I realized that my choice was perfect:
This is Rossif Sutherland, and yes, he's also from "Reign". He's also been in a couple of Candian indies which I've seen clips of, and he's played villain/anti-heroes in this indies and is utterly brilliant and can do this thing with his voice that just makes him sound--icky. I know he can play a weasel. Plus, he knows how to sneer. And Etienne sneers a lot. His theme song? This one:
Right, so much for the villains. In the Robin Hood legends, Robin Hood has scores of allies, named and unnamed. So too, in my version, Locksley has allies. The first is not in the original story. He is Gisbourn's son, and his name is Tarquin. Tarquin is supportive of Locksley's cause and can't stand DeClaire. He's also got a snarky mouth--another tendency I have with my male characters. And this is the beautiful face that fills my head when I write Tarquin:
Yeah. That's Rob Stark(Game of Thrones), aka Prince Kit(Cinderella), aka Richard Madden. He's also Scottish, which is one of the reasons I love listening to him talk. And I know he can pull off the snarky sarcastic bits of Tarquin's character. AND, I love the idea of his being related to Adam Croasdell; don't ask me why. For some reason, Tarquin's got an "Angels and Airwaves" vibe. Hence his theme:
Locksley's second ally is one y'all are familiar with: Friar Tuck. According to tradition, Tuck is a Friar/Lay Brother/Churchman, who assists Robin and his Merry Men in various capacities, depending on the storyline that is chosen(my personal fav is the "fighting friar" portrayed by David Harewood from the BBC version). However, in MY version, Friar Tuck isn't a person at all. "Friar Tuck" is a pseudonym for the spy in Nottingham. Someone who reports all his findings to Locksley; someone Cassian found in London and recruited; someone Gisbourn, DeClaire and Etienne all want dead.
Who is he?
I'm not going to tell you.
A writer has to keep some plot spoilers to herself. 😜
In honor of this day, Imma share another tidbit of "Locksley of Sherwood" with y'all. One of the archetypal plot points of the Robin Hood legend is that of LUV!!!! And my adaption is no different--there is romance in this story, and not just between Marion and Locksley. Let me introduce you to the two lovely ladies that will be swept off their feet in Nottingham.
Locksley and Marion have a son. Locksley's nemesis Guy of Gisbourn has a daughter--Ravina(more on Gisbourn coming soon). Ravina is fierce and fiery--and has caught Cassian's eye. She's grown up in London, and is affianced to the Sheriff of Nottingham, but that doesn't mean she's meek and easily cowed. I think of her a little bit as a snarkier "Junior Marion". And in my head, she looks like this lovely lady:
This is Rose Williams, from the tv show "Reign". She's amazing. I love her ability to portray an ingenue, or someone who can look after herself, but still get swept off her feet. And I'm not going to lie, I love her theme song:
The second lovely lady is a Romani and a healer who lives in Nottingham, and is called Tirzah. Her personality is a tiny bit rougher around the edges. And she has caught the eye of Jean-Luc. This is who's playing Tirzah in my head:
Holliday Granger, aka the step-sister from "Cinderella", aka Estella from "great Expectations, aka Bonnie from A&E/HISTORY's "Bonnie and Clyde". Gorgeous, sassy, and phenomenal. Tirzah can take the heat and give it and she's so great with Jean-Luc. And yes, she has a song:
Also, because there are couples, there are couples songs. I know, I'm a soft hearted little mushy romantic whatever. I happen to like making up "Love Soundtracks" for my couples; and since this is the Day of Hearts, here are the songs I have come up with for these couples:
Cassian and Ravenna
Jean-Luc and Tirzah
Bonus: Both Couples, because why not?!
And there you have it, the Ladies of Sherwood--my Valentine's Day presi to you all. You're welcome!
