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Meet K. JUST K.
🕑 Added 2019-10-01 22:26:02 +0000 UTCAs we get closer to the release of Monsters Don’t Cry, some of you may be wondering why there’s only a letter for the main character’s name. There’s a good bit of history behind her and why she refers to herself by a letter and not her actual name, but like any good story, we need to start at the beginning.
So, who IS K, anyway?
K was originally conceived as far back as 1999 as my first attempt at writing a furry-themed story; she was written as a no-nonsense street punk she-wolf, determined to change the world (as a teenager learning to write characters for the first time is wont to do), only for her story to be cut short with her death by a rival gang’s hands, which served as a catalyst for the main character’s own personal growth. Basically, her entire purpose was to be a sacrificial lamb for the plot and not much else, and in the most basic way possible.
Hey, I never said I was a good writer out of the gate. :-p
But that’s the funny thing about writing a character -- you tend to get attached to them. And in K’s case, while her purpose was originally as a straight-forward character with one purpose (basically to die), I still found myself enamored with her as a concept, and felt awful about having her go away after 10 minutes.
So, K evolved to become something else -- a catalyst that served the purpose of moving the story forward, usually through her own personal suffering. She also bears the dubious honor of being a character who always meets with a bad end in some fashion, usually through death, but oftentimes being stuck in a position far worse than when she started. In every iteration I’ve ever made of her, written or otherwise, things never end well for her. She’s played several roles, from a begrudging anti-hero to straight-up deceitful villain, but not matter her role, things always end the same way -- in some way, shape or form, everything ALWAYS goes bad for K.
However, there’s something I’ve never tried in the 20 years since I created her. She’s never starred in her own story, and never had the chance to be anything more than a means to move the plot forward or stir some kind of character development ahead through a tragic end. And I feel that’s not fair to someone I’ve had for 20 years, especially considering her only purpose in those two decades has been to serve as a punching bag.
So, I decided to give her new life, and a chance to tell her story with her as its star.
Also, she can make herself gigantic because of course she can. :)
And what better way to breathe new life into an old character than to turn her into a punching bag? (This isn’t a joke, by the way.)
Now, we’re not going into spoiler territory here, but K is still going to be in for a bad time. Of course, I know where her story is going to go, and what will happen to her, both good and bad, but writing a character whose life has always been on a knife’s edge is a challenge, both because it’s hard to find situations that are exciting and emotional for the reader (and in a way, for the writer as well; it helps when you enjoy what you’re putting to paper, just a little bit), but also because of the risks you take when writing tragic situations, while also avoiding making the story a bit too melodramatic for its own good.
I also briefly touched on this a few months ago, but of all of my cast, I’d consider K to be my most “rampage-worthy” character, due to her personality. Always sarcastic with a bit of a dry wit, but deep down, she’s the one most likely to break your teeth without feeling too beat up about it -- and the most fitting to explore a more dramatic tale where people can (and will) die before the story reaches its conclusion.
This may be a minor spoiler, but yes, expect a rampage scene or two in Monsters Don’t Cry -- my first real attempt at writing one, anyway. It’ll be a challenge, but I hope it’ll still be fun to read for at least a few of you.
Of course, my biggest challenge with Monsters Don’t Cry is to nail its theme -- the power of one’s choices, and what happens when someone feels they don’t have a say in the direction their lives take, even if that direction isn’t a safe or healthy one, all while still making that character sympathetic to the audience. Yes, K does do awful things, but I want to do my best to make people feel for her without justifying or forgiving her actions. In other words, she may be a monster (or at least, perceives herself as a monster), but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a heart buried underneath her cold expression. It’s just a matter of bringing that heart out of her.
So, the ultimate question -- why just a letter and not a full name? Well, to start...I’m bad with names. Notoriously bad; it takes me a while to come up with a fitting name for a character, and it’s not uncommon for that name to change halfway in developing them, only for me to change it back. :-p
But the real reason is embedded in K’s character -- someone determined to bury her past in the hopes of moving forward. But the past never stays buried forever, and K is no different. (Don’t worry, there’s an actual reason in the story as to why she hates her actual name.)
I’ve put a lot of thought and care into K, and I truly hope that shows as you dive into her story this Saturday, as well as the rest of the cast! Right now, I don’t have a lot of art of her (at least art that isn’t outdated), but I’d be happy to share a bust shot of the main star hopefully with more to come in the future.
Art courtesy of AlefGP, who is just a total sweetheart and who you should all be supporting; Patreon here! https://www.patreon.com/AlefGP
Without further ago: Meet K. She’s been through a lot. And she’s about to go through a lot more.
See you Saturday. :)
