Behind the words: Don't play to win, play to play

Image Source
Another huge thank you to SourCherry!

"I am NOT his property! I am MINE!" - Chapter Seven

I struggle with female characters, mostly because I'm terrified of not doing them justice. The women I know are all such important and imposing figures in my life, I feel that I could never write a character that really captures just how awesome they are. Male characters are easier, I know how my head ticks so I can feed portions of myself into them to understand them on a deeper level. It's something that I tried with Domino, putting a bit of my drive for independence in her (though, thankfully, my homelife is nowhere near as complicated as hers).

The big inspiration for Domino was characters like Ripley from Alien and Hester Shaw from Mortal Engines, two characters that I instantly think of when it comes to "badass". The former is the classic go to, but the latter is more of personal favourite. Hester was one of the first "real" characters I loved as a kid - a kid desperate for revenge who eventually falls in love with someone, leaves him for their sakes and continues to be an absolute badass through it all. Now, unfortunately, I framed that through the context of the male character because he's who I related to more at the time, and that's stuck with me through all the years. It's something I hope to correct.

Domino's family history (which I won't spoil here for any eager readers) is a muddy affair, with more on its way to being uncovered, but it was the guiding light for me. Another big inspiration was Chané Laforet from Baccano, both having a life built from organised crime and favouring knives as a weapon. However, while Chané is still controlled by her father, Domino is breaking those bonds as hard as she can in search of a life where she can have control. Again, something from my own experiences - thankfully not with my own family.

I originally created her with the intention of being an opposing force to Hard: he is the jokster turned agent, she is the killer turned family mare. This intention started to slip as time went on, and I wanted her to have far more to her than just "I'm looking to settle down." It isn't settling down that's the ultimate goal, it's freedom to make decisions for herself. This, in turn, helped me give her father a direction as well: not just a nebulous threat but something that is slightly more sinister - he is fully capable of bringing Domino home any time he wants, he's just disinterested in a petulant child throwing a tantrum. Hopefully I'll get to explore this idea later on, but it'll be a while until their paths cross.

Domino's songlist, or "Songs to plan patricide to"
Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
Whole (Rob Gasser Remix) by Chime & Adam Tell
Bulletproof as covered by Family Force Five
I'm Made Of Wax Larry, What Are You Made Of? by A Day To Remember