Writing: Character Sheet: Minta Stopford

Hello everyone! It has been too long since I introduced you to one of my characters. I thought this was a good day to do that as my head is too immersed with editing my second book, which finally has a name! Many of you understand how hard is to find one. Anyway, I have been editing slowly. My head has been in the way, too hung up with trying to get everything right by some standards I think are out there. I tossed those away two days ago and started writing/editing from my heart, and the text flows and feels good. You could say I have relaxed and accepted that instead of trying to be something I ain’t, I play to my strengths. And it works. I’m not saying I don’t try to get better as a writer, but mimicking others or following some narrow guidelines aren’t for me. I want to write from my heart. So that is what I have been doing. Also, I have been in nature and a lot, photographing macro pictures. (Betters than the butterfly I posted last week.) Two days ago I found an Oil Beetle, two mating black beetles, and Orange-tip butterfly. I’m feeling good, and I hope you are as well.

Anyway, here is Minta Stopford:

Role in Story: Major character. Shows the governmental side of thins. Also, mean to be opposition to both Petula and Ira and his buddies.

Occupation: The Mayor of Necropolis. A necromancer and former monster hunter (the Necropolis’ Foreign Aid.).

Physical Description: Elderly woman, robust, tall, strong. Black short hair with a dash of gray. Huge muscles. Dark brown eyes.

Personality: Intelligent, huge heart, needs to be in control (even when acting disinterested). Adventurous, helpful, capable, encouraging, fair, fearless, independent, impartial, valiant, reliable, quarrelsome. Had to learn to negotiate, before that barked her orders. Her being nice came because of that and after reading a book called How to Make Friends and Influence People. (Change the book name.) The book changed her life and her leadership style. Dow gave her the book. Extroverted, sensing, thinking, judging.

Habits/Mannerisms: Cleaning under her fingernails, taping her feet when feeling nervous or bored, to dream about hunting things, cleaning her spear.

Background: Minta was part of the Necropolis’ monster hunter force. Went around the world killing those who threatened their existence. Left overseas as soon as she graduated from the University of Necropolis where he trained to be part of the force as well as necromancy, but was born and raised in Necropolis. Found Dow in her travels and rescued him from hanging. Dow had tried to tamper with the economy and power structure of the city. Minta took pity on him and took him with her to her travels. He had followed her ever since, refining her talents and skills as a hunter and as a politician, making sure she climbed higher and higher at the monster hunter force. So high she got her own unit, own boat, and later she had to return home and take part in the city’s politics. Back at home, she noticed they were ruled by an incompetent tyrant, and after years of Dow priming her to do the one decent thing for the city, she killed the leader and took his place. And so began her process of turning the city into democracy. (Danger of democracy is it’s so easy to influence masses with sweet little lies and promises, but what other options she had?)

Internal Conflicts: Is tired of the city’s politics. Wants to go back hunting, but she isn’t young anymore. Now she has to wrestle with politicians instead of trolls and werewolves.

External Conflicts: Ira, economy, Petula, politics, politicians, all the craziness around her (murders, protests, and so on.) And Mrs. Maybury!

Notes:

It was her first day back at Necropolis. She found the city air stagnant, heavy, and dirty. She had gotten so used to the open seas and the forest hunting grounds, and being away from humans and their poisoned habitats. Minta listened to the city, it was too noisy as well. She gave herself a week before she was out there and had resigned from her post as the head of the Necropolis’ Foreign Aid or the monster hunter force as it was better known. She could go back out in the world and build rodes or something else as long as she didn’t have to be stuck inside the city and be part of its politics. Even now she could be under the open sky, watching the stars shine. But in here, nothing shined.

Minta navigated through the streets. She was heading to the palace, to her office. Dow had found her a desk and a pile of papers to go over. She rather looked for rabid werewolves or minotaurs than arrange them behind her desk from the grace of Necropolis’ supreme leader. A foul man, or so they said.

Minta glanced up and watched the corpses hanging from the lamp posts. Some of them were still fresh and blood dripped down onto the street from their open wounds. She had nothing against blood, she had seen her fair of it arranging from red to blue to green and even to black, and she understood exemplary punishment, but this was too much. This was a grotesque gorge. Minta shook her head and pulled her leather jacket tighter around her.

She could already see the palace. So grand, unwelcoming, and indulged. Minta was starting to see the point why Oliver the Great was hated. She was out of here by the end of the day. Dow nor anyone else could convince her otherwise. But that wasn’t a promise she could keep. As soon as she stepped into the palace, she saw where the real monster laid and had to do something. By the end of the year, she had moved the city’s rule from the palace to a mansion she turned from home to a Town Hall, where old tyrant’s embalmed head greeted the new generation of politicians. (Just as a friendly reminder.) It had been the right thing to do. And now she was stuck.

Thank you for reading, have a nice day!

© K.A. Ashcomb