Tea G
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Dear Lois, I just read the Curse of Chalion and I really liked how the plot was fluid. I was delighted by Caz. My question: is Caz designed as a central character or occurring after the idea of the curse? What came first the chicken or the egg? Big warm greetings from Croatia.
Lois McMaster Bujold
Caz came first, and hung around in limbo for rather a long time till his setting, with a lot of pre-fabricated plot elements, arrived in the form of 15th C. Spanish court history. The idea of the curse slotted in subsequently -- I mean, a curse would explain so much about the real historical place and period...
The proto-Caz might have alighted in some other country of the era, as I was especially interested in that cadre of men who rose from the middle classes to become the right hands of assorted kings and queens and wrangle the transition from medieval realms to more modern styles of nation-states. Walsingham, Cisneros, Richelieu, the ill-fated David Riccio, etc.
In general, potential ideas or settings don't do much for me till an interesting character arrives. Only then does a story come alive.
Ta, L.
Caz came first, and hung around in limbo for rather a long time till his setting, with a lot of pre-fabricated plot elements, arrived in the form of 15th C. Spanish court history. The idea of the curse slotted in subsequently -- I mean, a curse would explain so much about the real historical place and period...
The proto-Caz might have alighted in some other country of the era, as I was especially interested in that cadre of men who rose from the middle classes to become the right hands of assorted kings and queens and wrangle the transition from medieval realms to more modern styles of nation-states. Walsingham, Cisneros, Richelieu, the ill-fated David Riccio, etc.
In general, potential ideas or settings don't do much for me till an interesting character arrives. Only then does a story come alive.
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Thatfondimpossibility
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Is there any chance that we will see life from Aral Alexander/ Helen/ Lizzie/ Taurie's point of view? Or perhaps, since those Vorkosigans would be so privilleged all through life, it might be really fun to see life through the eyes of some little Vorpatrils, especially those who have connections and ambitions, but are forced to grow up on planets far away from the known world. (Looking forward to Gntmn Jole)
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