Inspiration for "Thoughts"
The Idea:
The idea for "Thoughts" came from a challenge my friend, Bailey Brook, told me about. The challenge was to write a supernatural story, and while I imagined people would be writing about vampires an werewolves, I wanted to write something different. When I was younger, I wished I could read minds. And I've always believed women have this power inside of them that's something men can only dream of. This individuality of women and their strengths fueled the idea for the deadly female Seers.
Admittedly, I really enjoy the romance between Shea and Slaughter. They're such opposites.
The team was an idea that sprang out of nowhere. I wanted a group of men that were willing to protect Shea but in the end didn't have to.
The overall inspiration for the idea of the story was the question "What if someone could read minds?" Pretty simple, but that's basically it.
Characters:
The characters were pretty common as far as I was concerned. Jacob Slaughter is the surly boy with a past no one really knows about. Berry Shea is the strong, brave, albeit sometimes too sensitive and caring girl who wants to believe she can handle anything, but often needs the help of others. Her friends make her stronger. Boys will be boys is what I used to build the team. Common, but incredibly strong and compassionate at the same time. They love Jacob and Chase, no matter what, and are willing to welcome Berry as well. They all loved Maggie like a little sister.
Berry's family wasn't too complex. Dad was a druggie, Mom was a drunk and neither wanted kids, but got them anyway. Max and Jason are the loving older brothers, but Jason felt like he needed to get away and follow a dream, so he joined the Army. Max wasn't overly ambitious and agreed to take care of Berry while her sister was at boarding school. Max is a very compassionate, courageous, although slightly ignorant character. Mercury isn't elaborated on much. She's just a little sister, and being so, her family loves her, which makes her death all the more difficult.
The Dark Souls are generally evil people. Selfish, greedy, blood-thirsty liars, who will do anything to get what they want. They're manipulative, making them fantastic enemies for the team, and a great challenge for Berry's ultimate decision. The Blind Ones--which are not heavily involved in "Thoughts," but will be in "Memories"--are the middle child. They feel unloved, unwanted, forgotten. Neither good nor bad, the Council feels so bad for them about not gaining their powers, they allow them to hold courts to decide if a Seer captured is Good or Dark, resulting in either execution or release. No one knows that though they say they hold a trial, any Seer they can get their hands on that has reached full power, they kill. Once they're dead, you can't prove whether or not they're Good or Dark. Highly jealous, the Blind Ones also want Berry's power, but will settle for killing her instead.
Relationships:
Berry and Slaughter was planned from the beginning. Oliver and Maggie sort of just...happened. They were the same age and I liked the idea that Maggie had a love interest before she died and it gives Oliver more of an attachment to her. Rodney and the team's relationship is like a big family. Rodney is the father with three children--Jacob, Damien, and Chase--who think they can do anything, two children who half the time don't know or care what's going on--Ken and Francis--and two who sometimes care too much and want to do as much as they can--Nate and Oliver. Because he lost his daughter, Kara, and they never see their parents anymore, the relationship works. We never know what happens to the team's parents and it's possible that we never will.
Character Songs:
Jacob Slaughter--
"Half of My Heart," by John Mayer ft. Taylor Swift
Disclaimer: Song belongs to the artists, John Mayer and Taylor Swift.
I think what struck home for this character with this song was the lines, "Half of my heart is a shotgun wedding to a bride with a paper ring, and half of my heart is the part of a man who's never really loved anything." It really made sense with the character. Slaughter is empty and he doesn't know how to be filled, but half of him thinks Berry might be the girl to help him with that.
The idea for "Thoughts" came from a challenge my friend, Bailey Brook, told me about. The challenge was to write a supernatural story, and while I imagined people would be writing about vampires an werewolves, I wanted to write something different. When I was younger, I wished I could read minds. And I've always believed women have this power inside of them that's something men can only dream of. This individuality of women and their strengths fueled the idea for the deadly female Seers.
Admittedly, I really enjoy the romance between Shea and Slaughter. They're such opposites.
The team was an idea that sprang out of nowhere. I wanted a group of men that were willing to protect Shea but in the end didn't have to.
The overall inspiration for the idea of the story was the question "What if someone could read minds?" Pretty simple, but that's basically it.
Characters:
The characters were pretty common as far as I was concerned. Jacob Slaughter is the surly boy with a past no one really knows about. Berry Shea is the strong, brave, albeit sometimes too sensitive and caring girl who wants to believe she can handle anything, but often needs the help of others. Her friends make her stronger. Boys will be boys is what I used to build the team. Common, but incredibly strong and compassionate at the same time. They love Jacob and Chase, no matter what, and are willing to welcome Berry as well. They all loved Maggie like a little sister.
Berry's family wasn't too complex. Dad was a druggie, Mom was a drunk and neither wanted kids, but got them anyway. Max and Jason are the loving older brothers, but Jason felt like he needed to get away and follow a dream, so he joined the Army. Max wasn't overly ambitious and agreed to take care of Berry while her sister was at boarding school. Max is a very compassionate, courageous, although slightly ignorant character. Mercury isn't elaborated on much. She's just a little sister, and being so, her family loves her, which makes her death all the more difficult.
The Dark Souls are generally evil people. Selfish, greedy, blood-thirsty liars, who will do anything to get what they want. They're manipulative, making them fantastic enemies for the team, and a great challenge for Berry's ultimate decision. The Blind Ones--which are not heavily involved in "Thoughts," but will be in "Memories"--are the middle child. They feel unloved, unwanted, forgotten. Neither good nor bad, the Council feels so bad for them about not gaining their powers, they allow them to hold courts to decide if a Seer captured is Good or Dark, resulting in either execution or release. No one knows that though they say they hold a trial, any Seer they can get their hands on that has reached full power, they kill. Once they're dead, you can't prove whether or not they're Good or Dark. Highly jealous, the Blind Ones also want Berry's power, but will settle for killing her instead.
Relationships:
Berry and Slaughter was planned from the beginning. Oliver and Maggie sort of just...happened. They were the same age and I liked the idea that Maggie had a love interest before she died and it gives Oliver more of an attachment to her. Rodney and the team's relationship is like a big family. Rodney is the father with three children--Jacob, Damien, and Chase--who think they can do anything, two children who half the time don't know or care what's going on--Ken and Francis--and two who sometimes care too much and want to do as much as they can--Nate and Oliver. Because he lost his daughter, Kara, and they never see their parents anymore, the relationship works. We never know what happens to the team's parents and it's possible that we never will.
Character Songs:
Jacob Slaughter--
"Half of My Heart," by John Mayer ft. Taylor Swift
Disclaimer: Song belongs to the artists, John Mayer and Taylor Swift.
I think what struck home for this character with this song was the lines, "Half of my heart is a shotgun wedding to a bride with a paper ring, and half of my heart is the part of a man who's never really loved anything." It really made sense with the character. Slaughter is empty and he doesn't know how to be filled, but half of him thinks Berry might be the girl to help him with that.