Brought to you by popular demand, here is a character from my novel, Sanctuary-on-Severn ...
This is Dulcina:
Dulcina begins the story as the spoilt and egotistical daughter of Lord Redstride and the massive pain-in-the-neck responsibility of her maid (and our protagonist), Maven. Stubbon, sharp-tongues, and accustomed to getting what she wants, Dulcina is the kind of character you will probably love to hate.
But, beneath the arrogance is someone shaped by years of noble politics, gossip, and scrutiny. The confidence she wears so effortlessly is, in many ways, a performance - one carefully maintained to survive in a world where vulnerability was quickly weaponised.
More than anything, Dulcina wants stability: the kind that would finally allow her to stop looking over her shoulder and breathe without fear of losing everything. Beneath that desire, however, is someone deeply afraid of abandonment, even as she slowly begins to let people in.
That contradiction became one of the most important parts of writing her character. Dulcina instinctively pushes some people away while clinging too tightly to others, all remaining painfully aware of her own behaviour. She wants to appear untouchable while quietly longing for connection without expectation or pretense.
At her core, Dulcina's sory explores trust, survival, and whether people can ever truly escape the versions of themselves they created to feel safe.
When I first created her, I knew I didn't want her to feel one-dimensional, even though it would have been easy to lean into that archetype. I wanted her to feel reactive, messy, clever, and emotionally guarded in ways that hurt both herself and the people around her. Some of my favourite moments with her are the ones where vulnerability slips through despite how desperately she tries to hide it.
At the start of the novel, Dulcina believes safety means never letting anyone close enough to hurt her.
The story forces her to confront that belief is really costing her.
Fun fact: Dulcina's birthday is November 23rd (1336)
The first thing she says in the story:
The girl huffed and folder her arms. 'How is anyone expected to remain presentable in this weather?'The last thing she says in the story:
'You are late.' Dulcina smiled back.
One of my personal favourites:
‘'But my shoes will be ruined by the mud.' Dulcina lifted the front of her hem to reveal leather cut-out shoes decorated with a blue ribbon to match her outfit. 'Not all of us wear those awful revelins.'’
Keep your eyes peeled for more news on my writing here and on my Instagram!
No comments:
Post a Comment