It’s here! I’m excited to be doing this monthly now, and can’t wait to see what costumes you’ve managed to come up with. Remember to place a link to your post in the comments so I can stop by. :)
For this challenge, I decided to pick the main character from a series that I’ve just started writing. This character and her story have been growing in my mind for some time now, and I recently sat down and wrote up two or three chapters of her book.
Since then, I’ve had to set it aside and work on other projects, but her character is still developing in the back of my head, and her story is still growing and nagging at me, so I look forward to the day when I can drag By Sword out of obscurity and experience again the beauty, tragedy, and glory of . . .
The Epic of Aedonia
A noble king’s death leaves his kingdom in chaos, with treachery and deceit simmering below the surface, enemies on the doorstep, nobles clamoring for surrender, and his daughter to take up his sword and save her people.
Ceridwen, or Gwen as she is more commonly called, is the daughter of King Esmond of Aedonia. After her father is slain in battle, the country of Aedonia is ripe to fall. An army of invaders steadily pushes their way inland. The chiefs are divided, and whispers of treachery set them still further at odds.
When Gwen claims her father’s sword and throne, she expects that her greatest difficulty will be leading her men to victory in battle. She doesn’t anticipate the dangerous politics that threaten to tear her country apart from within.
“I, Ceridwen, daughter of Esmond, here claim my father’s throne. By right, by blood, and by sword.”
I’m still figuring out exactly who Gwen is as a character. At first glance, she appears so strong and determined, but I know that most of that is an act. Still, the act is so good, I couldn’t pierce it for the longest time. I’m still working at it. Gwen doesn’t like to show weakness to anyone, even me, her author! ;) But leading a country at war is no easy task, and Gwen has her fears and faults the same as anyone else. Sometimes it takes writing your character into a terrible situation in order to figure out what those fears and faults are.
“Aeon, help me.”
And yes, I realize that if she actually tried to fight in this dress, chainmail, and cape, she would be slain instantly. But I like the way it reflects the dual aspects of her personality – warrior and maid, captain and queen.
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Next month’s challenge Character Accessories takes place on March 9th, and answers the following question: What is one object (not a weapon) that your character is likely to have around at all times? I’ll post more information about this challenge as it draws nearer.
Don’t forget to link to your post and share the Challenge with your friends! :)
Participant Links: (I’ll continue to update these throughout the day!)
Oh my gosh, that cosume is gorgeous!!! And I have to say Gwen sounds like a pretty wicked character too – fierce, but flawed, and probably desperately afraid, though I get the feeling she'd pounce on anyone who dared to say as much.
Cannot get over the amazing quality of that costume . .. *dribbles*
oh my gosh, your costume is beautiful!!! I linked up but my post and pictures are as amazing as yours!
Charley – Thanks! It's been sitting around gathering dust in my closet, so I'm always thrilled to have a chance to take it out. :) And yes, Gwen is decidedly fierce. Trying to get her to reveal her character to me is . . . dangerous, to say the least!
Emily – So glad you decided to join in the challenge! :) I love the pictures you took.
Fantastic pics! Sadly, can't ever take part in one of these because my main character is 1. Male and 2. Not human. Ah well. Such is life! Love the outfit.
This reminds me slightly of the Snow White character from Snow White and the Huntsman (really good movie actually, just keep controllers handy to fastfoward a few creepy blackish things).
I love your costume! I would love to find some costumes. Maybe the thrift store? Ah well, here's my entry. :)
http://www.ramblingsbybethany.blogspot.com/2013/02/characters-in-costume.html
What wonderful Characters you all have! I am jealous of the creative writing skills floating around. You all have clearly explored your characters and they each have a lot of personality! I'm loving it!
Scarletinkwell- Pity. Male characters are undoubtedly harder…I did one last time, and it was fun, but just a bit challenging! ;)
Bethany – Yes, thrift stores are awesome! You can get dresses for cheap, and with a little reworking here and they, you can make a great costume.
Wow, beautiful photos! I love your character descriptions. The costume looks incredible! I have been wanting to put together a medieval outfit for a while now…It's just hard finding anything that would work for it properly.
Where did you get that sword???
Thanks for authoring this challenge! I will try to participate next month : )
Sweet costume! I would totally read about a character like Gwen.
My own MC's name is Gwen (though it's short for Gwendolyn) and she even kinda looks like you. Go figure :)
I'll have to participate next month. Accessories, hmm…
Hallo Gillian!
I found your blog through a good friend of mine who linked up to your wonderful challenge. The outfit you wear here is absolutely gorgeous! Might I ask from where you collected all these amazing items? The mail shirt (that IS what they are called, aren't they) and the sword especially intrigue me. I dearly love medieval clothes–ever since I fell in love with Narnia around a year ago. :)
Love in Christ,
Emily <3
Leah – Thanks! I had a lot of fun writing Gwen's character description. It helped me figure out some things about her that I hadn't known before.
Maria and Lily – I'd love to have y'all participate next month! :)
Emily – Yes, of course. My sister made the dress, and gave it to me once she outgrew it. The chainmail shirt I found for sale at a local costume store. It was sadly in need of repair, so I learned how to make chainmail while fixing it. And the sword was a an ebay purchase. Unfortunately, it's not quite battle-functional, but it sitll looks cool. The cloak was a gift from a friend!
I've always remade other clothes as costumes (thrift stores are awesome!) but lately, I've been trying my hand at making them from scratch, which has been quite fun! Y'all should get to see a picture of my latest endeavor at some point soon!
Wow! This is such a great idea!
I took some pictures of me dressed as my antagonist. Could I count that as my part of this 'contest'?
Absolutely! We'll probably have a challenge later on for antagonist pictures, but if you want to post the ones you've taken now, go ahead!
Sorry about the long wait in not replying.
If you wanted to look at my costume, here it is:
http://rahthacker.blogspot.com/2013/02/characters-in-costume.html