Characterization help?

[toi-marguerite.livejournal.com]

Hey all!

I'm writing a NaNoWriMo novel that takes place from approximately 1788- 1799 and being the crazed fangirl that I am, I'm including as many Jacobins as I can get away with. I think I've got a good handle on Robespierre, since he's the main object of my obsession, but I do confess that I have nooooooooo idea at all how to characterize Saint- Just and Desmoulins. Aside from physical descriptions, I'm not quite sure what to do personality- wise to keep them as close to life as possible.

I would look at other historical fiction books as a guide, but then we get blood-thirsty-psycopathic-murderer!Saint- Just and dumb-as-a-rock!Desmoulins and I would rather avoid those since I've figured out that they're pretty much complete fabrications.

Thank you so much to anyone who can shed some light on the subject!

Comments

[maelicia.livejournal.com]

...where in Reason's name is the "Marienwald"?

I think I do have an explanation for it though: some novelist took the revolutionary rhetoric on SAID POLITICAL ENEMY WAS CONSPIRING WITH THE ENGLISH OMG a little too seriously? Though it's sort of hard to believe for Maxime... the English particularly hate him, maybe more than all the others.

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

I haven't the slightest. I have a feeling she made it up. The point is, the last person on earth Maxime would have an affair with is a queen. Of anything.

Perhaps. >__> The thing is, these are *French* (ci-devant, though none of them seems to be aware of it) aristos... It's all very strange.

[maelicia.livejournal.com]

It sort of looks like Marineland when you squint. Is the queen a mermaid too? Coz it would make sense, as far ase it is.

...French aristos? Why on Earth would they speak to Maxime? O.o;

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

It would be amusing, but no. She is a horrible person though. >__>

According to the novel, he was their lawyer before the Revolution, and for some reason he's still friends with the bratty aristo narrator. *sighs*

[maelicia.livejournal.com]

And he... sleeps.... with.... her.

It just makes no sense. I just give up. It can't be reasoned.

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

It's pretty heavily implied, although since the narrator is her brother, he's not exactly an eye-witness. But as he says, is there really likely to be any other reason for them to be having spending entire nights in her room alone? ... *headdesk*

It really can't--you'll see when I get the excerpts typed though. >__>