Reincarnations

[Jay Carpenter]

<dl>
<dt>Quote:</dt>
<dd> </dd>
</dl>
My informal reincarnation (Connor as Tam) used similar traits but things in his life had broken him and he needed to be healed before he could be reborn to do the job he would need to do. This life was to get him to a place where he could be ready to be the father Rand needed. Connor is nowhere near as together (or cool) as Tam was, but hopefully experiences helped heal him to be what he needed to be.

This is kind of an interesting perspective. It's like your character has individual life-arcs but also an entire arc for every turning of the wheel. Its brilliant.

<dl>
<dt>Quote:</dt>
<dd> </dd>
</dl>


I know you don't want to write the same story. But. Have you considered that Jai and Jay are simply at different points of their character arcs?

You're spot on, as usual, thal. I purposefully made Jay younger than Jai was because Jai had 10 years of channeling behind him before his character was introduced. Jay is at the beginning of that same journey and after 10 years IC could be in a very similar place. I always thought of him at the 'beginning' of that arc and wanted to explore that potential char growth as a story with him.

I also agree that the big catalyst for change in Jai is saidin. Jay as well has already manifested some changes to his behavior simply after having been exposed to saidin a few times. It really is like a drug, something the books alluded to but never really showed anyone succumbing or even really struggling with the addictive properties.

The inherent conflict you described that I built into Jai is lacking in Jay. I wanted it to come from this place where he felt the sense that he wasn't doing something he was suppose to be doing with life. He was fine and dandy in Iowa, but the idea of the 'normal' life sickened him. Like it was just wrong. So he went out into the world seeking a place, but he didn't find it. He (and I did too) think he would find it with the Legion, but it's not fulfilling him either. and both of us are toying with the idea of abandoning the Legion completely.

Now I am rambling.

<dl>
<dt>Quote:</dt>
<dd> </dd>
</dl>
Seriously, you excel at making your characters' lives sucky, and doing it in an intricate and downright heartbreaking way. So far Jay has had an easy ride, and maybe that's the problem?

Best compliment of my life. *wink

but you're right, he's not had any sort of "inciting" event. Nothing realistically spurring him to action or change. He's stagnant. Jaxen has had a lot of activity. Even Dane and Declan have been exposed to things that altered them. Jay has been protected from these things so far, excluding the kids thing. I will think about how to incorporate that. If not PTSD, then something else. Maybe its a third child-related event that does it.

Aria has been one of the greatest character arcs ever. I can totally see her rise and fall, her walk in and out of darkness. I have a sense of her intrinsic motivation and how she is trapped by the life she was born into.

Seems that my answer in development lies in plain old action. He needs to do some threads, interact with other characters, and do more channeling.

I'm open to more suggestions. And maybe hear from Ly--
ahem,--Lawrence. *poke.