Characters are the heart and soul of any story. For all that
my stories are very plot driven, they always begin with a character (or, more likely,
two characters arguing). There’s a part of me that would like to hoard my characters forever. But nothing
beats having a reader fall just as much in love with a character as I am. Sharing
my characters is always a special joy.
Today, I would like to give you a special, behind-the-scenes
introduction to Dreamlander’s cast of
characters. “Casting” characters, à la the movies, is one of my guilty
pleasures. Aside from just being plain out fun, it also offers the bona fide writing benefit of a real human being against which characters have to measure up, as well as
built-in inspiration.
So, without further ado, let’s . . .
Chris Redston
Chris is our daring hero who wakes up one morning in the
world of his dreams, thinks he’s going crazy, and accidentally resurrects a
revenge-obsessed warlord with the power to bring down both worlds.
My favorite thing
about Chris: I love that he’s an ordinary guy. He’s someone you might meet walking down the street. But, more
than that, I love the extraordinariness he tries to hide under his surface. I love
how quick he is to jump in and defend others (sometimes without
thinking things through first), and I love his kindness to others.
From the book:
Chris stopped
short and turned around. Parry skidded to a halt and leaned back to keep from
bumping into him.
Chris caught the kid’s arm so he wouldn’t topple. “Where would Allara usually be this time of the evening?” He doubted
she had taken his advice and stayed in bed like a good patient.
Parry screwed up his face. “You know, all
this talk we’ve been hearing . . . you don’t think it’s true, do you?”
“Of course it’s not true! You honestly believe
a Searcher would betray you?”
Parry shrugged. “Well . . . I don’t, you know. But there are lots of
folks what’d like to blame her for stuff.”
Chris gave him a shake. “Don’t say that to my
face again. Prove to me
you’re man enough to stand against slander, no matter whose or how many mouths
it’s spewing out of. You got me?”
Parry’s head bobbed up and down. “Yes, sir. I
don’t believe it, not a word. I was just asking because I wanted to be sure.”
“I’m
sure. Is that good enough for you?”
Another head bob. “Yes. Absolutely. Now I’m
sure too.” He cleared his throat. “Um, if she’s not in her quarters, perhaps
she’s with Lord Thyra.” He pointed down the hall.
Chris released him and turned away.
Parry exhaled audibly, then called after him,
“Your clothes are all dusty. Don’t you want to change them before dinner?”
“No.” He glanced back as he walked away.
“Parry.”
“Aye?”
“If anybody says any of that garbage to you
again, you break his nose.”
“Um, okay. Unless he’s bigger’n me.”
Who I cast as Chris: Chris
went through about five different “casting calls,” depending on the various
aspects of personality and attitude I was focusing on. But if I had to cast him
right now, I would go with Chris Pine. He’s got that edge of saucy attitude,
and his appearance is close to how I visualized my Chris.
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Allara Katadin
Appointed Searcher of Lael before she was born, the Princess
Allara’s life has been defined by her duties of finding and guiding Gifted like
Chris. She blames herself for the crimes of the Gifted prior to Chris, who went
rogue and was eventually executed. She is determined to make amends now that
Chris’s arrival has given her a second chance.
My favorite thing
about Allara: She’s such a wonderfully complicated juxtaposition of traits.
On the one hand, she’s absolutely physically fearless. She’ll dive into battle
without a second thought, but, inside, she’s
this knotted mass of fears and doubts. She wants the strength to believe in
something greater than herself, but she can’t make herself let go and trust.
From the book:
He walked to the end of balcony, across from
her, and tried on a smile. “There you are. What are you doing out here?”
She held one arm out, and her long scarlet sleeve
spread in the breeze like a wing. “Trying to fly away. I came out to be alone.”
“I didn’t mean to intrude.”
“You didn’t intrude. I knew you were coming.”
The dark blue of her bodice and skirt blended with the night. Her face was
still pale, but the gaunt look of pain had faded. “I can feel you, you know.”
“What?”
She spared a tiny smile. “In my head. I feel
your presence. That’s how the Searchers are able to find the Gifted.”
He tried to absorb that. “What’s it like?”
“Different.” She tilted her head back and
forth as if trying to think of a way to explain it. “It’s like sharing your
mind with someone. I can sense an essence of who you are. Sometimes I catch
hints of what you’re feeling, thinking.”
Instinctively, he tried to damp his thoughts
and pull them away from her. She laughed softly, and he tried harder.
“I’m sorry.” She sounded like she meant it. “I
shouldn’t have told you.”
He gave up and released his thoughts. If
she’d been reading his mind all this time, it hardly mattered if he couldn’t
hide it from her now.
“Seems like that puts you at an unfair
advantage,” he said.
“Perhaps I need an advantage.” When she
smiled, her exhaustion showed through the cracks.
Who I cast as Allara:
Save for a brief consideration of Madeleine Stowe, Kate Beckinsale has always
fulfilled my vision of Allara. Tough, lovely, and a little wistful.
Orias Tarn
Orias is a Cherazii, a race of noble (if slightly savage)
warriors, who cling to their traditions with a fierce honor. Orias is a Keeper
of the Orimere, the dreamstone that allows the Gifted to move physical objects
between the worlds. He sacrifices his commitment to his time-honored role in
order to protect his people from the threat of genocide, then finds himself
adrift in guilt, unsure if he made the right choice or which side of the war he
should be fighting on.
My favorite thing
about Orias: I have a thing for tortured warriors, and Orias definitely
fits that bill. I love his ferocity in battle (helped out by the Cherazii’s
mental battle fire, which gives them speed and power and delays their
reaction to pain), but, even more than that, I love his dedication to caring
for and protecting his two Rievers, a midget-sized race who live in symbiosis
with the Cherazii.
From the book:
Orias turned for a closer look. If the new Gifted
was a Guardsman, that might put things in a more reassuring light. The skill
and dedication of the King’s Guard almost rivaled the Cherazii’s.
He took the triangle and ran his finger over
the center medallion. “At least if you get into trouble, you’ll know how to
handle yourself.”
“Why? What do Guardsmen do?” Chris asked.
“They’re the king’s crack troops.” Orias looked
him up and down. “You’re not in uniform, so you’ve probably been discharged.
All Laeler men are required to train with the army for a two-week period out of
every year so they’ll be ready to respond if the kingdom comes under attack.
But the Guard is the elite.” He let the tiniest of grins escape. “I thought you
looked like a fighter.”
Chris shook his head. “I have a feeling
fights around here are a lot different from the ones I’m used to.”
“If you get into trouble, blank your mind.
Let your body take over. It’ll know what to do.”
“That’s mighty comforting.”
Orias handed the Guard badge back to Pitch, who
bound it around his upper arm. He had to wrap the thongs twice and hold one end
with his teeth while he tied it off.
Orias turned back. “Do the same with the
horse. Listen to your body.” He mounted slowly, so the Gifted could watch and
learn.
Raz scrambled up behind him, but Pitch stood
waiting for Chris. He was quite enamored with his new prize. No doubt, he had
completely forgotten Chris would be his servant only until the Searcher claimed
him.
The pony didn’t budge, and the Gifted managed
to haul himself aboard without too much difficulty. Pitch clambered up Chris’s
leg to stand on the horse’s hindquarters and rest his hands lightly on Chris’s
shoulders.
“Kick him,” he advised.
Chris did, and the pony lumbered a few steps.
Orias urged his own horse forward before he
could change his mind about leaving. But he couldn’t stop a long backwards
glance. If the Koraudians did attack, his one lone sword could hardly make much
of a difference. He told himself that twice over. But he didn’t believe it. The
strength and power of a single Cherazim had turned the tale in too many battles
to count.
He needed to be here with his people.
He needed to be on the road, taking the
Gifted far away.
Two impossibly
conflicting duties. He had to choose one or the other, so he turned away and
rode into the trees.
Who I cast as Orias: Orias was a tough cast, since he’s not
exactly human. I based the Cherazii people on both Norse and Native American
cultures, and the image that flashed in my mind most often when writing Orias
(especially his battle scenes) was Daniel Day-Lewis in Last of the Mohicans.
Faolan Mactalde
Thirty years before
the beginning of our story, our villain extraordinaire was Sovereign of Koraud.
Executed for his collusion in the previous Gifted’s treachery, he prophesied he would return from the dead to take his vengeance. Refined, handsome, and
savvy, he’s a formidable enemy—especially now that he’s a little bonkers.
My favorite thing about Mactalde: Despite his bad guy status, I’ve always been
rather fond of Mactalde. As someone fighting to conquer his own fate, he
appeals to me. Of course, that wicked twinkle in his eye as he’s outwitting
everyone is also as fun as it is frustrating.
From the book:
Always their eyes returned to the clump of
trees behind which Mactalde had retired. Occasionally, they glanced at Chris as
well. But a crazy dreamer just wasn’t as interesting as someone returned from
the dead.
A man, tall and broad, stepped into the
clearing. He wore a knee-length leather coat, buckled up the front with half a
dozen silver closures. A snowy undershirt gleamed through slits in the sleeves.
Suede breeches, boots stretched above his knees, and a rapier dangling at his
side completed the picture. Only the short trim of his tawny hair and beard spoke
of another world.
Chris sat up. Mactalde seemed to have grown
six feet. In Chicago, he had been an ordinary man. Now he was a conqueror, a
general. He exuded power.
Harrison Garnett’s words crackled through his
head. Mactalde will destroy you if he
finds you! Destroy Lael! A fingertip of cold touched the back of his neck.
What if the old man had been right?
Behind him, Raz exhaled in a whoosh. “Sweet
Garowai in the sky, it is him.”
“Yalarin
pitish sé,” Pitch whispered.
Mactalde made his way through his men,
shaking hands and slapping backs. The troops parted before him. They touched
thumb and forefinger to their closed eyes and slid them down their faces in
some kind of salute. Mactalde accepted it as if he’d done it all his life.
Evidently, he had, up until twenty
years ago.
When he reached Chris, he clapped his hands
in front of him with a smile. His eyes were bright, ecstatic almost, like
someone jacked up on crack.
“Well.” He raised his voice. “Mr. Redston. How
do you like your dream now?”
Who I cast as
Mactalde: Who else but Hugh Jackman? Handsome, refined, but with an
undercurrent of brutality when needed, he fit my needs for Mactalde from the
very beginning.
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For more casting fun, be sure to check out my new Pinterest board of characters, which includes the entire cast.
***
And don’t forget to vote for which prize you’d like to win in the Dreamlander Launch Party Grand Prize Drawing on December 2!
Tell me your opinion: Based on the descriptions of the characters, who would you cast in Dreamlander?
Related Posts: Watch Dreamlander’s Book Trailer!
Story by K.M. Weiland
Tags: Characters , dreamlander , Feature
I agree wholeheartedly on Chris and Allara! Yes, perfect. Exactly how I saw them both.
And Orias, too. Hard to cast because of him not being human, I'm sure. I will say I imagined him a bit bigger/buffer than Daniel Dey-Lewis :).
I'm glad to see your vision of Mactalde. I'm not sure why, but I had him in my head as a little older, not so handsome. A bit like Mads Mikkelsen (the villain from Casino Royale) but older. Why older? I have no idea. Preconceived image of gray-haired psychologist? (Thanks, Dr. Phil :P.)
I actually cast Mads Mikkelsen in a tiny roll as a Guardsman, so that's fun that you'd pick him for Mactalde. I'm always fascinated to see how other people view my characters.
That was a lot of fun! I loved both the snippets and the characterizations. Great read, Katie!
Thanks for stopping by, Cecilia!
I'm not sure who I'd cast as Chris. I can't think of an actor who looks like the man I saw in my mind. Spot on for Allara though. Orias would be difficult since he isn't human, but your description of him, "On its back rode a giant of a man with skin the color and translucency of an egg white, veined with dark blue" doesn't make me think of Daniel Dey-Lewis or any actor, so I'm not sure what I'd do about casting him either. Definitely lots of makeup and costumes to cover any human features.
Like Kat, I saw Mactalde as older and not so handsome, but with an arrogance to his expression.
Allara's casting is the only one that's spot-on for me too. I like all the other choices (of course!), and they all helped me bring out the characters' personalities in one way or another, but they all have other actors I could see playing their roles as well.
Ah, love this cast, en-total no changes.
Well done :-)
Glad you approve! :)
This is a fun idea.
I love the fact that you not only have an Aussie actor in the mix, but you've got Captain Kirk himself.
Not *the* Captain Kirk. ;)
I'm utterly fascinated by your plotline and the actors you envision as your characters--especially Beckinsale and Jackman as the heroine and villain. Brilliant! So looking forward to reading your upcoming book. :)
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the book.
I love seeing the characters as you envision them! I too have a specific cast in mind, from actors to models to nameless people I found in magazine ads. Hugh Jackman was originally in my cast as well, but I decided he was too physically intimidating for that character and replaced him with Johnny Depp. Now he's perfect!
It is fun, isn't it? One of my favorite #WQOTD (Writing Questions of the Day) to ask people on Twitter and Facebook is who they would cast as their main characters in a movie.
Well, I have only 40 pages left to finish it!
I LOVE your cast. But I liek Emma Watson more for Brooke cause Kat i too old already, and I like Anne Hathaway for Allara :)
You REALLY hit it with Kaufman and Tireus :O And Mark too!
I´m still in doubt about Chris... but maybe HAyden Christensen strikes me as a good option. AND about Errol... I like your choice, but I like Jud eLaw better ;)
Of course, these are your characters after all ^^ My opinion doesn´t really count :P
Oh, and answering the qestion of the day mentiones in your last reply... definitely Christian Bale and Diane Kruger for my main pair! But Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig are in my cast too ^^ (Along with Anne, whom I´m suggesting here)
Hugs and happy new year!
Jude Law could totally play Eroll. I love hearing how readers perceive my characters! So glad you're enjoying the book. :)
Oh, he so could :P
Still not sure about Chris and Allara :O
I supposed you woud like to hear it ^^ As a writer I would too!
About the question on the home page, I did acomplish my resolution, finishing my first novel, and I owe you a big THANK YOU because of that. I´ve always thought I would never talented enough!
Yay! Congrats on finishing!