Behind the Scenes of Creating Characters for The Stolen Queen
- Christina Wallace
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Hi everyone. Today I am giving over the blog to Christina Wallace. She is one of our featured authors inside the "Beyond the Realms" box set. Dive into this post that breaks down how building characters can be inspired by other by: Christina Wallace. If you haven't purchase your copy of "Beyond the Realms" you should while it is in preorder. It is available for 99 cents at your favorite retailer. Click Here to preorder now!
The Stolen Queen was a different writing process for me. Usually, I know who my characters are, and I write the story around them. For The Stolen Queen, the story idea came first, and I had to discover who my characters were.
Building Characters from Scratch
In the 1st draft, Anneska was very naive and had no skills, fueled only by heart. I felt it made the end of the story more rewarding as far as her character growth went, but it was also quite unrealistic. Konnor, on the other hand, was entirely different than the final version. Initially, he and Anneska were already in a committed relationship, but she didn't have her father's permission to marry him. I felt readers would find reading about a couple that already exists boring.
In the 2nd draft, Anneska was smoothed out better. I established she had a few skills, but was still mostly all bark and no bite. My challenge was establishing Konnor as someone she couldn't stand. He was still too soft in the second draft. It was actually quite uncomfortable for me to write a character like him. Usually my MCs are big cinnamon rolls and not spicy boys.
Once I made Konnor the jerk I needed him to be, the trick was finding the right balance of events and actions that could draw them closer without being too easy. The other issue I faced was that some readers almost found him so unlikeable that they didn't know how he could become a love interest. That part was fun, though.
Enemies or Lovers?
I have some favorite enemies-to-lovers relationships, like Anastasia and Dimitri and Buffy and Spike, and I tried to use the little moments that brought those characters together to inspire my own, plus a dash of some favorite tropes. Does anyone else love seeing someone rough around the edges tending gently to another's wounds?
I had the most fun writing the bickering between Konnor and Anneska, especially once they realized they didn't hate each other as much as they thought.
Along with making characters with reasonable skills for the tasks at hand, it's also important that the reader finds them relatable.
I put a small piece of myself into every character I write. For Anneska, it was a stubborn demeanor and an unwillingness to quit. Konnor has a quiet way of caring about people, which is why, even though he didn't like Anneska, he was unwilling to let her try to rescue Jalessa on her own.
While both Konnor and Anneska were complete strangers to me at first, I now feel that I know them inside and out. I have more adventures planned for them.
Read The Stolen Queen to meet Konnor and Anneska and to watch their relationship evolve from "anyone but you" to "anything for you."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christina Wallace
Christina Wallace is a mom of two who has spent the past 4 years dedicating herself completely to her writing to realize her dream of becoming a published author. This dream came true on May 30, 2023 when The Light Keeper debuted. Since then, Christina has published several more books, including YA fantasy romance. She has been invited to attend festivals, bookish events, and even a school to share about her books and author journey.
When she's not busy writing and promoting her books, Christina enjoys spending time with her husband and kids, either playing games or exploring outdoors.
Subscribe to Christina's Newsletter: Author C Wallace Newsletter
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ABOUT THE BOOK
The Stolen Queen
(Featured Story in the Beyond the Realms Box Set)
The faerie queen has died… again. They always do. Every twenty to thirty years the queen dies with no explanation, and when she does, King Lorryn takes a new bride from the island villages—whether she wants to be queen or not.
Anneska will never forget the terror in Jalessa’s eyes as the king’s men took her away. Her parents begged for someone to save her, but because the king blesses his bride’s home village, intervention is forbidden.
Anneska has never been one to ask permission.
To stop the king, she needs a special weapon. But when she tries to steal a blade forged from rare metal, Konnor, the blacksmith’s apprentice, catches her red-handed. Worse? He’s planning to rescue Jalessa, too.
Konnor is strong, infuriatingly skilled, and far too smug for his own good. Unlike most girls, Anneska isn’t charmed by his handsome face or easy smile—especially when he takes every chance to remind her how unladylike she is. But if she wants to save her friend, she has no choice but to partner with him. Together, they’ll face monstrous creatures, a treacherous mountain, and enemies who need no weapon to kill.
But the biggest challenge? Surviving each other.
Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers
One Bed
She Saves Herself
*****
Beyond the Realms
A Limited Edition Box Set
Collection of YA Epic Fantasy Authors
In lands far beyond our world heroes step forward to take on epic journeys into the unknown. They must face the thrill of adventure, love, and magic to find themselves as they go. But when fate plays with their destiny, they find they are on a path they never saw coming. From SwordMasters to Fae creatures you will find a mix of fantasy creatures that will keep you reading until the very end. Grab this limited-edition box set before time runs out.
Written by authors of Fantasy Romance and Epic Quests, this boxset is sure to take you on an epic journey. Featuring tales by Christina Wallace, debut author Joli Campbell, International Bestselling author K.M. Jenkins, Megan Charlie, and R.E. Joyce fill these pages.
Twisting tales of battle, magic, intrigue, love, and tragedy. Perfect for those looking for light romance with epic adventures to enjoy.
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