[WIP] BRAUM - No More Sorrow
Third post from me. Enjoy!
BRAUM:
word count: 999
Braum is a big man with a bigger heart. He is someone that everyone should appreciate. So, I knew that I was going to write a story where I could explore Braum, not only as a big guy who saves people physically but also as a mentor who saves them mentally. That’s how I started to lay the foundations of my story.
Point of View:
I’ve written the first story from a third person view and it’s mainly about a kid named Ottok, who’s been through a lot. Braum’s part begins when Ottok starts to tell the story of how a big, mustached man saved him from the Ice Witch. So, there’s another story within the original one. And the second one is written from Ottok’s point of view.
It was important for me to follow this path because I needed the readers to see Braum from a kid’s perspective.
Characters & Voices:
The first thing I did was to create the kids and give each of them a different voice. Ottok; a kid who’s been through a lot, was forced to grow up. He feels that his mother is now under his responsibility, that he needs to be a man. Seti; a big boy who loves making fun of people in order to cover his own insecurities. Wigo; a kid that’s going to be a farmer or potter, a quiet type but eager to be one of the popular ones. Euthali; was born as an archer, curious, beautiful and she knows it.
In order to name the kids, I researched ancient hero names, found the ones that could best describe my characters, and by adding or subtracting a couple of letters, I tried to make them sound more suitable for Freljord. You may find the list and the meanings below.
Euanthe: blooming flower --> Euthali: she’s a growing beautiful girl
Otto: wealth, fortune --> Ottok: irony of fate, he’s the most unfortunate one
Wilco: desire --> Wigo: desires to be a popular kid.
Seth: appointed one --> Seti: is chosen to be the spokesman of any group by nature
As for Braum, I noticed that he was not a talkative man and most of his sentences were short and brief. This was a challenge for me because for the sake of the story, he needed to talk some sense into Ottok. For that, everything he said had to make a lot of sense. I had to think about it for some time, but at last, I think I managed to do what I wanted to in the first place.
World:
I found Freljord’s climatic conditions similar to Alaska, so I did some research about it; how the weather is there, what do people do, what kind of animals they have, what do they wear etc. Then I garnished my story with my findings.
I also read stories about Freljord, listened to the region’s theme song and the producer’s production process in order to visualize the region better.
Symbols:
Bear teeth necklace - this is a sentimental item for Ottok that represents his brother on the surface. But it’s actually a weight that Ottok’s been carrying since the depredation of his clan
Fire - represents people or things that have hurt him; death, barbarians, The Ice Witch etc.
Milk - represents the emotional strength that Ottok’s been looking for.
Final Adjustments:
When I first finished writing the story, there wasn’t any emotional connection in it, nothing for the readers to empathize with the characters. So, I decided to focus on Ottok’s past and reshape the story around it.
I also checked Braum’s quotes in order to keep consistency in his voice.
Overall Note:
I know Braum only appears in a small part of this story, but his effect on the overall story is much bigger.
Have fun reading!
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