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

[toi-marguerite.livejournal.com]

You try to write a 50,000 word novel in month. Mine's going to be terrible becaue I realized that I haven't done nearly as much research as I need to. 0.o

Thanks very much! I shall have to set aside a weekend for research now. ^^

[maelicia.livejournal.com]

Does that mean you're supposed to be done in two weeks? O.o;

[toi-marguerite.livejournal.com]

.. yeah. Which is why mine, alas, will not be finished. Or, if it is, it will be terrible and in substantial need of editing.

[maelicia.livejournal.com]

Eeep. And I thought I was giving myself crazy objectives. XD; I'd help you faster, but, unfortunately, november is my big month of university evaluations -- and on top of this, a conference I have to prepare for next week, as I just discovered a few hours ago that I wasn't done translating it in French (I have to do it in English and French, already wrote it in English so it's then easier to translate in my mother tongue). I hope what I wrote above is a good introduction thought. XD; I could check in my livejournal if there's anything, but most of the stuff I post is in French...

[toi-marguerite.livejournal.com]

Don't worry about it! ^^ Get your university stuff done; that's much more important.

[maelicia.livejournal.com]

Yes. ^^

I have posted this a few months ago thought: my (bad) translation of Saint-Just's early short text "La Raison à la morne". (http://community.livejournal.com/revolution_fr/21912.html) I like it a lot, mostly because the social critique is still actual -- you'd just have to change a few references and it's still the same. -_-; /socio-political editorial.