How Rellie Became Xan
In the beginning, we needed a single antagonist to bring the sisters’ stories together, so we decided on an Evil Aunt. Eileen called her “Aunt Rellie,” as in “relative,” and I thought that was a hoot, and it stuck, and she was Rellie for most of a year. We sent the book out for beta reads and went to RWA National confident we had our book done. Then the betas came back. Not good. The biggest criticism: Nobody was afraid of Rellie. The most helpful suggestion: Put her on the page.
So Krissie and I talked about it in the airport and I thought about it on the plane home, and then we swapped e-mails back and forth (Eileen’s server chose this time to take a nose dive and none of us, including Eileen, realized it) and I tried a couple of passes, but Rellie was just too stuck in my head as this off-stage frump. So I e-mailed Krissie and Eileen and said, “How about if we call her Xantippe?” And Krissie said, “Go for it,” (Eileen was still server-less and we were all still clueless about it), and I sat down and began to write Xan.
I adored her from the start. Just fell in love with her. Okay, she has some issues, but she is not evil. I understand Xan. I’m in my late fifties myself. There are quite a few things I’d do to keep the AARP from the door. People often ask me which of my characters I’m most like and now I have an answer. Xan, baby, I’m Xan:
“It can’t be you,” Mare said, taking off her sunglasses as she reached the booth. “You haven’t changed. It’s been thirteen years and you haven’t changed.”
“Diet,” Xan said. “Exercise. Plastic surgery.” She waved a languid hand. “Magic. Have a seat, Mare. You look beautiful.”
And pretty much within two or three days, I had the five major Xan scenes done in first draft and Krissie had done her good work on rewriting them, and then we said, “Hey, where’s Eileen?” and found her again and said, “Uh, we changed some things,” and showed her Xan, and then we brought her around with smelling salts, and she did her good work rewriting Xan, so that in the end, we had a winner.
Xan really is like me. Well, except for the whole villainess thing. I’d like to think I wouldn’t lose my grip at the end and turn into . . .
Oh, hell, I probably would. I’m Xan.
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Ha! Fantabulous!
But, as a pronouncer-in-my-head as I read, is Xan “Shan”? “Zan”? I must know these things! :-)~
One of the things I get annoyed at in a lot of fiction is how many people are shown to be evil. When, really, most people are just busy, occasionally self-absorbed, and often have different priorities from oneself. They’ve got issues, not evil. I’m not saying there aren’t some evil people out there, or people whose priorites are so messed up that they might as well be evil (based on their behavior), but protagonists who are facing a hostile and corrupt world alone - that just doesn’t fit with my every day experience.
So, thanks for making Xan an antagonist with realistic motivation - and, already, one great line!
I was wondering when the name change had come about
I’ve never heard of “Xantippe” before though; how does it fit into the Irish/Mexican heritage of the Fortunes?
Reading that short excerpt made me salivate even more for the end of June to finally arrive. I just love it when the antagonists are relatable!
Zan.
Very good point.
Argh.
And I agree absolutely, Diane. I feel strongly that Xan is just misunderstood. She has one bad day and everybody turns on her.
Sheesh.
Oh, and nothing to do with anybody’s heritage. I just liked the way it sounded. Especially the short version.
Xan. Loved the way it rolled off my tongue. And around in my head.
Xan. A woman I could get behind. And write. Most fun ever.
ONE bad day? Dee might contest that idea. But then, Dee is much more leery of Xan than anybody else–for good reason, of course. Although I have to admit that I got to use one of my favorite words in the English language about Xan that you just don’t get a chance to use that often–concupiscent. Now, THERE’s a word that rolls off your tongue.
As for how Xan fits into the family. My personal feeling is that she changed her name because it wasn’t exotic enough to fit her image of herself. It’s probably really Louise.
IT’S HER REAL NAME.
Mama had flair.
Get your mitts off my character, Dreyer.
But her middle name is Louise.
Hmmm. The name thing wouldn’t be a problem. I have a friend with Italian parents and a Russian name.
I think Xan will fit the Diana Rigg placeholder better than Rellie would have. Rellie just sounds too kindly. Xan sounds like someone to beware of. And the stronger the villianess the more we’ll be pulling for the sisters. Woo hoo! This is going to be fun!
concupiscent
Definitions of concupiscent on the Web:
lustful: vigorously passionate
Great word.
The name Xantippe is associated with all sorts of historical hystrionics, so definitely, someone to beware of. Xantippe Louise is good too– she’d have to be a glamourpuss, just to overcome the name. Also, until reading this post I assumed, based on no evidence, that “Rellie” was short for “Cinderella,” and didn’t really get how that would work for the antagonist. I like Xan.
oooooo. i like Xan.
i’m with you TT. i like the idea of a non-evil villian. and i can’t wait to read who Jenny will one day become….is becoming…something like that.
Xanthippe, it should be mentioned, was Socrates’s wife — who was described by Plato as a shrew, but who in all probability was more than justified in throwing dishes at her husband’s head, given that Socrates was more than a bit unbearable.
It also means “yellow mare” in Ancient Greek (from ‘xante’, female form of the adjective yellow, and ‘hippe’, mare).
Er, that would be “xanthe”.
i’ve read Socrates (well, Plato’s take on him). she was definitely justified.
That was part of my rationale, I’ll admit. The idea that Xantippe has come to mean “scold” but that the woman was so put upon that she was justified in what she did. “Yeah, Xan gets some bad press, but she has a POINT here, you know?”
The yellow mare part I was completely unaware of, although Mare is the sister who is the most taken with her, who admires her the most.
Mostly, I just liked the sound of the name.
Better than her real name. Louise.
It was a very long collaboration, folks.
Is Xan Mama Fortune or Papa Fortune’s sister? (Just wondering if she comes from the Irish or the Hispanic background.)
Mama.
Except now I can’t remember who was Irish and who was Hispanic.
But she was definitely Mama’s sister.
Mama was Irish, since all that fey stuff always comes down the female line. At least in my imaginary world.