Introducing Kenny (without introducing too much):
An AI rendering of how I see Kenny.
By Thio
Sometimes a character walks into your head fully formed and tells you what their name is. My main character, Kenny, did not.
When I started writing in earnest, I was excited to use all the pretty names I could think of. Each suggested a story to me, a personality, and a purpose. Hazel McKenna Jones was not born by this method. Blind Spot already existed in my head, and so Kenny’s name was inspired by the story. I knew several key events and the tale’s end; I knew its residents and their struggles; I knew Kenny before she had a name. She was, in fact, named and renamed several times. It had to be just the right fit.
I have a bit of an obsession with names. I name everything—cars, appliances, anything I interact with often. Dahlia. Louise. Luna. Please tell me I’m not the only one!
All of Kenny’s names hovered around the same territory; I wanted something with different aspects, a strong name. Something that could change with her mood. Something that reflected a degree of insecurity. Something with history and weight, with a ready-built nickname. I wanted her last name to be common. She’s not a hero— I think of heroes as only living for a moment before transforming back into normal people. That’s what Kenny is—a normal person, flawed, but driven. She floated in the Mickey-Mack territory for a long time. I don’t know what made those incorrect, and Hazel (Kenny) McKenna Jones perfect, but I knew it was.
It’s worth mentioning, because I didn’t manage to squeeze it into the book, how her name influenced Sullen Creek Farm’s pet names. Some are named after cartoon villains, because Kenny sometimes thinks of herself as a villain. Some are named after famous Kennys. Cartman was chosen because Davy couldn’t stand for him to be named McCormick, as Kenny on South Park always dies. Davy’s a bit superstitious.
My own cat, Titan, came with his name. He’s a big boy, so it fits, but has nevertheless been endowed with a great many nicknames—Titonio, Mike Titan, Titoni-roni, Titan Toodles, etc. I’ve been told that I embarrass him, but he still answers when called.
Kenny has an autobiographical slant to her. Her health problems were born out of frustration with my own. I didn’t want a heroine who bounced back from every problem or walked away from every fight without a scratch. She needed to get overwhelmed, frustrated, and paralyzed by emotions sometimes. I wanted her self-image to contradict what those around her thought of her, as so often happens in reality.
I’ve read that a heroine should start the story at a low point and rise. I wasn’t sold on that. In the prologue, Kenny certainly is at a low point. She’s desperate for change. In chapter two, however, though we begin to see some of her insecurities, she is in her home. There, she feels secure, supported by friends and family, and has attained a measure of peace. Rather than seeing her transform into something new in her story, I hope you see her as always in flux. Her life has pushed and pulled her in different directions. People have pushed her. She’s been a tool and a weapon. It’s only in Blind Spot when she starts to decide who she wants to be and learns how to grow in that direction. She has potential for great good, but also great evil.
Often, when I’m reading, I become absorbed by the supporting cast of characters. Generally speaking, the main character isn’t my favorite. I like the quirky, misunderstood, sometimes shallow, and often comedic side characters. Sam, Merry, Pippin, I’m looking at you. In writing Blind Spot, I wanted Kenny’s world to feel full and real. I wanted to provide lots of options for favorite secondary characters. O’Brien, Arlo, Veritas, Oscar, Elena, and Kodi are some of mine—and excellent foils for each other. And Dr. Bakirtzis. Oddly enough, through Kenny’s relationship with others, she cemented herself as my favorite. I love that she has allies that she doesn’t particularly like, but respects. I love that her friendships are complex and dynamic. I love that she gets taken in, sometimes by herself.
In my head, Kenny is like a tortilla chip—a vehicle for tasty things; if you take away the tortilla chip and replace it with raw veggies or flatbread, the tasty dips…they’re still good, but it’s not the same. I want texture, crunch, salt, and a sprinkling of lime. For me, Kenny provides all of that and more.
