Characters: Jennifer Airhart

I’ve started using Scrivener for revising The Little Queen and will be using it more for future stories. Part of the app is that it comes with templates for sketching characters and locations in your story, so I figured I would start using them as I just like filling out forms. Can’t get enough of it. Whenever I’m asked if I want to take part surveys I say ‘hell yeah! That’s the only reason I signed up to your newsletter!’  So anyway, here is some info about Jennifer:

Role in Story: Protagonist

Occupation: Backyard Inventor/Scientist

Physical Description: 5 foot 4 inches tall, blonde hair (she curls it sometimes because she likes the bounce), blue eyes, looks like a fairy. Usually wears pale colors, most often grays and blues, pleated skirts, big boots, and a long overcoat to carry all her gadgets in.

Personality: Intelligent, kind and sensitive. Sometimes too sensitive; she’ll feel bad if she doesn’t get a joke right away, for example, or perceive friendly banter as a slight. She can become impatient if she isn’t understood right away, or if people act in ways she deems irrational (she is far more patient with children, as children being irrational is at least somewhat understandable to her). Despite this, she remains optimistic that other intelligent beings all have the potential to be reasonable and kind – but she will use extreme means to defend herself if she must. In fact Jennifer never backs down from a fight, not even fisticuffs, even though she can’t fight and always loses. She has a very stubborn streak.

Habits/Mannerisms: When awake, Jennifer is near constantly tinkering with something. If she isn’t tinkering, she’ll fidget. In the company of people she doesn’t know well she may appear furtive, but when accompanied by people she does know she can appear confident, especially when she starts to talk about subjects she cares and feels passionately about, then it can be hard to make her stop. Usually though she speaks slowly and in short sentences, thinking of what she’ll say as her brain is often far ahead of her mouth.

Background: Jennifer grew up happily and was close to both her parents. Her father was a researcher working for Stag Corp, and her mother a folklorist and historian. She had only one close friend at school, Kaya, but was a very adventurous child constantly exploring and hunting for ghosts and UFO’s and other mysteries, although as she got older those interests morphed into more solid sciences. That wasn’t the only thing that changed however. When she was thirteen her parents were summoned by Meridiem, the conglomerate that funded Stag Corp, and asked to go on an expedition for them to Antarctica. They never returned, and despite her efforts Jen has never gotten a proper explanation about what happened. Technically her uncle on her mother’s side became her guardian then, although she had little contact with him as he was always away himself and she spent more time with Doctor Sarkis, who had been her father’s assistant. At school though she became increasingly withdrawn and isolated, and even her one friend left her to join another clique. That same clique would often bully her. Despite her obvious intelligence, Jen never pursued higher education after she left school (although she has done some degrees online, including one in Thaumaturgy). Her uncle happened to own a lighthouse near Irongate, and gave it to her to live in. Initially she supported herself with the inheritance from her parents, but now earns royalties from inventions and code she made, and now passes the time tinkering with robots and computers and other devices.

Internal Conflicts: Jennifer has never really gotten over her parent’s disappearance, or feeling betrayed by Kaya. Her former dream of exploring the world and having adventures now seems unrealistic due to her apprehension and anxiety dealing with people.

External Conflicts: Jennifer still has a grudge against Alvin Stag and Meridiem. She hates bullies, especially Candace Mullin, and anyone who abuses or tries to force their will on others, especially if they won’t listen to reason.

Notes: The three robots that she uses to experiment with AI are named after the Animaniacs.