A Character Comparison

After recently getting the impression that a certain Phoenix Wright character was a lot like one of mine, I got the idea to try matching the characters from that game to others I created myself. I'm not sure precisely when I started playing Phoenix Wright, but the majority of my characters were created before I had ever heard of it. So this is just a compilation of interesting coincidences, I suppose.

1. The One Who Started It All: Jake Marshall

While his Wild West persona is the most obvious thing about him, for some reason he seriously reminds me of Smith. While I don't think the blues guitarist carries a flask with him or references Texas often, their basic behaviour and tone really seem to be the same. Low-key, a little snide... It's a little hard to say precisely, but there's definitely an eerie similarity there. Their expressions seem to be the same as well. Now here's hoping I don't start writing Smith and suddenly find him calling everyone "bambina" or "hombre"...

2: Kicking Rear with a Loveable Smile: Desirée DeLite

Although I don't imagine her being quite as devoted to her man as the lady above, I think Cayman might be a good match in this case. Both are thrill-seekers, get (and spend) a lot of money because of their husband/boyfriend (who is notably less strong), and give off the impression that they can more than hold their own despite their sweet smiles. They're both pretty determined and active as well, and I could really imagine Cayman using the same poses and gestures as Desirée. I'm not so sure that Cayman drives a motorbike, but anything's possible.

3: The Big-Hearted Big Guy with Not-Such-a-Big Brain: Dick Gumshoe

I didn't think I had any major characters in this, but then I realised a certain scruffy detective is actually a lot like Edwin. Neither could ever be called the brains of the group (of, if they can, the circumstances are pretty dire), but they're still good for a lot more than comic relief. They have their own useful skill sets, both of which include being the imposing one who'll take a hit if it will help the rest of the group keep going. Interestingly, Gumshoe is my favourite character in the series, and Edwin, while not quite up with the competition among all of my other characters, was good enough to receive one of my favourite names for a boy.

4: We Take Our Crimes Seriously: Lana Skye

While there may be an "Adrian" in the game, Lana is the one who reminds me of my own Adrian. Rather cold, rather outspoken when angry, and not terribly much range of facial expression overall. Both have more or less been criminals for a span not entirely voluntarily, but, more importantly, both defend their little sisters fiercely. They may not seem all that similar in, say, the severity of their crimes, but there's definitely a connection.

5: Arrogant Within Reason: Maximilian Galactica

While I still get the feeling that this is a little contrived, somehow I quickly identified Max with Harold. Although both have rather wild hair—Harold's is neon green and spiked—Harold isn't nearly as "fabulous" (nor does he overuse, or probably even use the word), he doesn't call anyone "sweetie," and he doesn't have any interest in magic tricks. Yet both are ambitious and competitive, with rivals in their own group (both of which end up losing their romantic interest battles to the formers). As far as I've gathered, both also come from large families that they don't talk about because they're busy with their current occupations and don't really want to talk about it, as non-traumatic as it may have been. I can't imagine Harold using any of the same poses as Max, and the former has a much more casual speech pattern overall, but somehow they seem alike. Oh, and both of them do their best to not go by their given names.

That's all I can think up for now, but, with the number of characters I have, I could have missed some really good ones. I could try for a second instalment of this if anyone's interested.

No One's Really Sure What Became of Waldo

(Title from the "Hot for Teacher" music video.)

So, what's the point of coming to love my characters or story ideas here if you never get to find out what happened to them? I've decided to post an update of what (little) progress I've made with these.

Most have been untouched, unfortunately. There's just not enough time to toy with them.

The stories that have at least been elaborated upon in my mind:

• Worldbuilding progress: New Fiction Idea #34, New Fiction Idea #17, Macbay Transportation Services
• Plotting progress: Storm Clouds Rise, Wanderers, Mount, Entrapped
• Characterisation progress: Storm Clouds Rise, New Fiction Idea #17

The stories that have received extra attention through prompts: New Fiction Idea #27 (Promptness), Roughhouse (Prompt Writing #3), Bloom (Prompt Writing #4), Macbay Transportation Services (Prompt Writing #2)

The stories that have begun:

• Recently: I'm With the Band (12 words), Piracy Cruise Lines (1,149 words), Figments (124 words), Chasers (981 words)
• In days past [documents lost]: Special, Chemists

The stories that have made serious progress: Mayflies (14,872 words), The Long and Winding Road (107,529 words; 90,286 words in original fiction version)

It feels slow, but it's at least nice to know I have been going somewhere with some of these. What kind of progress do you expect—for me, or yourself?

New Fiction Idea #39

Unrelated, but this is the first time I typed out the New Fiction Idea profile without reference.

Working Title: I'm with the Band

Genre: Adventure/Fantasy

Protagonist: Jaron, a pale, gangly 16-year-old with very curly dark hair and a freckled face. He plays bassoon (third-chair) in his school band and wishes he could play electric guitar. A total doormat, he's cheerful and takes insults and setbacks in stride. He's also a proponent of chivalry and in general just a total dork. It's also quite possible that he's The Chosen One in this story.

Other Main Characters: Erika, a 17-year-old who's on the tall side and of otherwise average build. Her hair is a smooth curtain of uniform brown that hangs to just above her shoulders. She's rather pale and has a prominent nose and slanted eyes. Of few words, she is generally hostile and not afraid to fight. She plays drums for a small, school-friends-type jazz band.
(Luke) Smith, a 17-year-old with longish, shaggy blonde hair that gets in his eyes. He's fairly bulky but of average height. He tries a little too hard to be cool and low-key, but he's a bit of a Stevie Ray Vaughn fanboy. He plays electric guitar for an incomplete bluesy rock band (the only other member being the pianist Hilary).

Antagonist: Rudy, an adult male with long, black hair and an impressive stature. Obsessed with jazz, he will do anything to keep the nighttime jazz clubs going.

Setting: While all of the main characters are in an average, modern-day American high school at the beginning, the setting changes to Gwelan when the plot begins. While it's a sort of medieval-type town, the residents don't seem at all surprised by electric instruments.

Plot: Jaron wakes up one day to find himself in a sandy area of Gwelan with a bass guitar strapped across his shoulder. After discovering that he is able to play the instrument quite well despite never studying it, he wends his way to the centre of town to find that the townspeople are in the midst of a terrible insomnia plague spread by birdlike monsters. While the town has had some defenses against the creatures, they prove to be particularly susceptible to the power of rock music. Jaron is able to take on the smaller creatures by himself, but once the attacks heighten, he must join forces with Erika and Smith to survive and stop an imminent war with the monsters' creator.

Point of View: First person (Jaron).

This probably doesn't need to be said, but this won't be the most serious story I have planned. I'm not sure exactly what type of quest is suitable for the plot, so I'm still toying with various ideas there.