Comparing and contrasting Grace and Lenore

Cover image from Crepesuzette on Pixabay

I’ve written many main characters in my time. Woven alone had four pov characters before I introduced Grace. 

Now, I’ve introduced her. And she’s a different pov character than any I’ve ever written about before.

One thing I was very worried about when writing Grace was repeating myself. I didn’t want Grace to be just a replica of Lenore in a red dress. I wanted her to be her own person. But not just the opposite for opposite’s sake.

I also wanted, needed, her to be more than just a spiteful ex, caught up in wanting a man that didn’t want her anymore. 

She’s always been more than that to me. After all, that’s why I gave her her own book.

To make sure I was writing the character Grace deserved to be, I started with a ven diagram. I like ven diagrams, they help my hand think for me.

Now, I’m not going to share that original diagram with you, because it’s a messy piece of chicken scratch that no one but me could read anyway. But I will share with you some details about Grace and Lenore, to compare and contrast them.

Lenore is a princess. She was born into nobility and it shows. She can be a bit of a pain in the ass about it. She’s prone to losing her temper, but usually only around her fellow nobility. It’s not beyond her to throw teacups at people.

She’s a mage, of course, spinning light and darkness into her thread. She’s a devoutly faithful woman. She’s always wanted to be a leader, of her country and her church. She is her father’s favorite child, and she knows it. She also has no patience for gender rules, for herself or the men in her life. 

Grace, well, she’s none of those things. She’s never had a child. She was a common-born, in a poor little village in Montelair. She has no hold on her temper and has no problem beating someone half to death with a stool.

Religion isn’t something Grace spends a lot of time thinking about. She might call on Hati, the wolf goddess. But it’s not a consuming thing for her.

Grace never wanted to be seen as a leader, either in her village or anywhere else. She has quite enough trouble looking after herself and her family.

Here’s the thing, though. Grace and Lenore are almost nothing alike. But they do have a few things in common. Things that, if I’m being fair, most of my main characters do have in common. Because they’re traits that I respect. Both women are vicious when it comes to protecting their families. Both step up for their community and country when needed. And both are who they are, regardless of who likes it or not.

I loved writing Lenore, and I loved writing Grace. I hope you all love getting to know her.