Character Sketch #1: Meryl Fairweather

My recent analysis of Brendon Weeks' series has made me interested in the more technical aspects of writing. Stylistic choices, description of combat, narrative points of views, and other such devices noted as I was reading carried over to my new book, Matter, written by Iain Banks, who is in a completely different class than Weeks. I notice foremost that while Weeks uses a more neutral POV for his narrative, Banks narratives are driven essentially by the characters currently in that scene.

For example, regardless of who was in a particular scene, Weeks uses the same language and style to describe a scene, independent of the characters involved. In other words, the narrative is a device that describes Weeks' own voice, and as such is separate from the characters.

Banks however uses a more integrated approach. If a character is sort of flighty, then the narrative reflects that. If a character is more cynical, then the language shifts to incorporate that. Thus the narrative is a tool used by the author to explain how the character perceives the world around them.

I'm probably being unfair, but that's the major impression I got shifting from Weeks to Banks. So as such, I want to try to emulate the second of these narrative approaches. I've never really tried to write before in any serious capacity, so I've decided to give my hand a go at it during the next few weeks, while I'm relatively free at work.

The story will take place in the Birthright world, and will be a sort of techno-thriller. In an attempt to get inside the heads of the characters, I will spend the remainder of this week writing character sketches of the main actors for now. The character sketches will be intentionally short, designed to explain the character in a paragraph. However, I make no such claims about the author notes.

Meryl Fairweather
No-nonsense, serious to the point of being dour, and suspicious of almost everything, the main character of this story is a Rose of Avanil, an organization which can be termed as the Intelligence arm of the Anurean Empire. She has a tendency to analyze things, theorizing motives in peoples' responses. She speaks in short sentences, carefully guarding her words and giving out information only on a need-to-know basis. She works best alone or in small groups where her and everyone's roles are clearly defined, and she is not afraid to use the fact that she is a Halfling as a tactical advantage. Skilled with short-blades, daggers, knives, bows, crossbows, and poisons, she is dangerous because she is a believer.

(Author's Notes: I'm not yet sure which way I will take this character. On one hand, this character is logically similar to The Operative from Joss Whedon's Serenity. Yet that character is the film's antagonist, and seems unsuited to be used as a model for the protagonist of this story. So I am tempted to include a sense of morality, at odds with the blind and dangerous ultra-patriotism that Meryl exhibits. Indeed, we might justify the inclusion of morals as a point of conflict, as Meryl's dual idealisms are challenged by some sort of event which is morally despicable but vital to national policy [or what have you].)