At Random Buzzers This Week/Questions Answered
Good Monday!
I'm over at Random House's Random Buzzers site this week answering all your burning questions about JULIET IMMORTAL. So if you have a burning question (or even a mildly chafing question, those are good, too) come see me and post: http://www.randombuzzers.com/the-buzz/boards/topic/1166/126609/
I'll be answering most of the questions there on the site, but after even a casual scroll through the 91 already posted (91. Eep! My fingers are going to be plenty busy this week!) I can see that one question is coming up more than any other. So I thought I'd answer that question here on the blog. If that many people are curious over at the Buzzers, surely some of you are curious, as well.
I've done a longer form answer of this question before, but here's the official version:
Question: Why did you make Romeo the bad guy?
Answer: When we first meet Romeo in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, he is madly in love with a girl. Her name isn't Juliet. It's Rosaline. He goes on and on and on about how miserable he is now that he's fallen out of favor with Rosaline. He even goes so far as to give this speech at the end of one of the early scenes:
I fear, too early: for my mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in the stars
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night's revels and expire the term
Of a despised life closed in my breast
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.
But He, that hath the steerage of my course,
Direct my sail! On, lusty gentlemen. (1.4.104-113)
He speaks of his "despised life." Not despised because he's lost Juliet, but because he'll never be with Rosaline (who has taken a vow of chastity).
And then, all of a sudden--BAM!--he meets Juliet and falls in love at first sight and everything is right with the world...until it isn't. Until he's once again sunk in the depths of despair and contemplating an early death.
Because of these factors--his tendency to crush too hard, his changeable nature, his obsession with death when he's down in the dumps over love--I've always found Romeo an untrustworthy character at best, and a dangerous one at worst. We don't know much about Juliet's life prior to the start of the play, but it seems she's a very sheltered, innocent girl, a girl without a death wish. She's totally unprepared for the seductive force that is Romeo, ill protected from this boy whose "love" eventually leads to her death.
It wasn't hard for me to imagine Romeo a villain, a seductive villain whose charm is part of his arsenal of weapons in the struggle to bring about the end times and the rule of the Mercenaries of the Apocalypse. What was difficult was writing book two, ROMEO REDEEMED, and finding a way to redeem a character who has been so very bad. (Reeeeaaaally bad. Those of you who've read the book know what Romeo has been up to for the past seven hundred years.)
But I turned in the final manuscript for ROMEO REDEEMED about a month ago and I'm really, really pleased with Romeo's story. As much as I've loved giving Juliet her second chance at love, I enjoyed Romeo's story just as much. (It's so nice to see a "bad boy" change his ways. Or...mostly change his ways...)
END OF ANSWER PORTION OF BLOG
All right! I'm off to answer as many questions as I can before the Mom portion of my life takes hold for the day. I'll be back at the Random Buzzers site this afternoon, however, answering more questions. I'll also be doing some giveaways over there, so if you post, be sure to keep checking back for more fun and games.
Have a great one,
Stacey Jay
I'm over at Random House's Random Buzzers site this week answering all your burning questions about JULIET IMMORTAL. So if you have a burning question (or even a mildly chafing question, those are good, too) come see me and post: http://www.randombuzzers.com/the-buzz/boards/topic/1166/126609/
I'll be answering most of the questions there on the site, but after even a casual scroll through the 91 already posted (91. Eep! My fingers are going to be plenty busy this week!) I can see that one question is coming up more than any other. So I thought I'd answer that question here on the blog. If that many people are curious over at the Buzzers, surely some of you are curious, as well.
I've done a longer form answer of this question before, but here's the official version:
Question: Why did you make Romeo the bad guy?
Answer: When we first meet Romeo in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, he is madly in love with a girl. Her name isn't Juliet. It's Rosaline. He goes on and on and on about how miserable he is now that he's fallen out of favor with Rosaline. He even goes so far as to give this speech at the end of one of the early scenes:
I fear, too early: for my mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in the stars
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night's revels and expire the term
Of a despised life closed in my breast
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.
But He, that hath the steerage of my course,
Direct my sail! On, lusty gentlemen. (1.4.104-113)
He speaks of his "despised life." Not despised because he's lost Juliet, but because he'll never be with Rosaline (who has taken a vow of chastity).
And then, all of a sudden--BAM!--he meets Juliet and falls in love at first sight and everything is right with the world...until it isn't. Until he's once again sunk in the depths of despair and contemplating an early death.
Because of these factors--his tendency to crush too hard, his changeable nature, his obsession with death when he's down in the dumps over love--I've always found Romeo an untrustworthy character at best, and a dangerous one at worst. We don't know much about Juliet's life prior to the start of the play, but it seems she's a very sheltered, innocent girl, a girl without a death wish. She's totally unprepared for the seductive force that is Romeo, ill protected from this boy whose "love" eventually leads to her death.
It wasn't hard for me to imagine Romeo a villain, a seductive villain whose charm is part of his arsenal of weapons in the struggle to bring about the end times and the rule of the Mercenaries of the Apocalypse. What was difficult was writing book two, ROMEO REDEEMED, and finding a way to redeem a character who has been so very bad. (Reeeeaaaally bad. Those of you who've read the book know what Romeo has been up to for the past seven hundred years.)
But I turned in the final manuscript for ROMEO REDEEMED about a month ago and I'm really, really pleased with Romeo's story. As much as I've loved giving Juliet her second chance at love, I enjoyed Romeo's story just as much. (It's so nice to see a "bad boy" change his ways. Or...mostly change his ways...)
END OF ANSWER PORTION OF BLOG
All right! I'm off to answer as many questions as I can before the Mom portion of my life takes hold for the day. I'll be back at the Random Buzzers site this afternoon, however, answering more questions. I'll also be doing some giveaways over there, so if you post, be sure to keep checking back for more fun and games.
Have a great one,
Stacey Jay