Naming traits

I describe myself as a nitpick. It's unarguably true; I split hair, quibble over details, argue formatting and alignment and spelling, and decide that full-page drawings must be done with a 005 Micron technical pen.

Someone today suggested "meticulous" was a nicer word for this.

It is.

It's surprising that (1) I never thought of this, and (2) I feel so very much better about this particular quality now.

This segues, mind you, into a discussion I was having with someone the other night, about wether or not personality affected how you interacted with someone, or just who was doing the interacting; wether or not being shy is part of your personality, or just part of the way your personality presents itself.

Woo-hoo!

You're Devi! Bad people happen to you more than is
normal. You must live a cursed life.


What Johnny the Homicidal Maniac character are you?
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I like Devi.

Drat.

I was reading this article, and came to two depressing realizations:

(1) She's right.

(2) I don't have a hero worthy of my villain. Dammit, I'm not sure I have a hero.

Zed is noticeably lacking in qualities right now. I have a fairly definite idea of her personality, but not so much what drives it. And the necessity of keeping her ignorant for much of the story is extraordinarily limiting.

Brice and Kelly have both personalities and qualities, I think--but they're not the central figures. They can oppose my villain, but they're unlikely to strike any common notes. WHN and Zed strike common notes, but they're ignorant enough of what's going on that much of the potential's dropped.

I think I need to reread Dracula; the Count is a great villain, and about the only thing he has in common with Our Heroes is being a dead white male.

More random thoughts... Common elements are what? The supernatural? The inhuman/archetypal nature, tethered to a human form? Play up what you lose by surrendering to the archetype, maybe... Can I build common elements with the heightened weight of meaning actions get given, as it kicks over to a situation where superstition becomes cause and effect? And can I do that without it turning into an "I zot you with X power!" story/resolution?

Brice, common elements: education, understanding, philosophical understanding of the world? Kelly: idealism, god help us?

Bother. I'm gonna go think about the twins for a bit.