Meet My Character: Cam

I've been tagged for the Writerly Meme Blog Tour by my critique partner and longtime blogging friend, Julie Dao. 

I've been outlining and character building for a new project for NaNoWriMo this year, so it was tough to decide which main character to share: from the new project, or from the project I'm currently querying.  I've only shared a few things about my project-up-for-query, and never anything specifically about Camria, the MC of this YA contemporary science fiction.

What is the name of your character? 

Her name is Camria Jimenez, but she goes by Cam, thank you very much. She is secretly proud of being the daughter of two astronauts, though she has no aspirations of pursuing space herself, and she HATES the nickname "space twins" that the public has given her and her twin sister, Liz. 

When and where is the story set?

Cam's story is set in the here and now; she goes to high school in Buffalo, New York. But, she's about to choose a course that will take her far, far away from everything she knows. 

(Yes, that's a reference to a galaxy far, far away. Princess Leia from Star Wars was an inspiration. I always wanted a version of Star Wars from her point of view). 

What should we know about her?

Cam lives in the shadow of her twin sister, Liz, who is both a brilliant student and very popular at their high school. She tells herself she doesn't mind being the lesser-known twin, since she loves acting and aspires to the lead role in her school's upcoming play... until a terrible accident happens that changes everything. 

But it’s the things that I can’t do now that I want to tell him about. How I loved the thrill of standing on a stage pretending to be someone else, playing a role that was completely defined, saying words that were completely scripted. Somehow those constraints were not constraints to me — they freed me. I didn’t have to be afraid of saying something stupid. I could pour my passion out in perfect words. 

What is the main conflict? What messes up her life?

While Cam and Liz were touring a space shuttle facility, a freak explosion occured that killed Liz and blinded Cam. Six months after the accident, Cam is still struggling to adjust to her changed life. It's hard enough that she's blind, but National Security agents keep pestering her, questioning her about the accident and everything in the past, which makes it hard to move on. Also, she can't shake the sense that her sister is still alive. 

What is the personal goal of the main character?

Cam will do anything to get her sister and her sight back.  A new "transfer student," (i.e. undercover agent), Lander, hints that Liz might still be alive and that he has access to new technology that can restore Cam's sight. He offers to help her, in exchange for memories accidently implanted in her mind during the explosion that stole her sight. 

Falling for Lander is a complication Cam's trying to avoid...without much success. Here's an image on Deviant Art that fits Cam and Lander perfectly. 

Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?

STAR TRIPPED is the working title.  See my Writing page for more details and a short excerpt.  Star tripping is just a game on our planet, but else where in the galaxy, it's... well, now that would be a spoiler. 

When we can expect the book to be published?

I'm querying STAR TRIPPED right now and hope it will get picked up by a major publishing house. But if that doesn't work out, I do plan to self-publish it at some point. 

Thanks so much for tagging me, Julie! I would like to pass this on to one of my CP's Akossiwa Ketoglo, and two writers/bloggers whose stories and characters I've been wanting to know more about, Leslie Rose and Melissa Marsh.