Thank you all for reading "Arrows Through Her Heart" to the end. Writing this tale was an interesting exercise in the creative process. I started with the germ of an idea: which sport would be a good fit for Daria. What would be a reasonable choice for her to take up after she left Lawndale?
I considered quite a few activities; team sports were out immediately. I could not see our favorite cynic playing on a women's basketball team.
I realized pretty quickly too that I'm a lazy researcher and I should stick to something I already knew a little about.
Bowling? I like bowling but I don't think I'm the one to write about Daria contemplating a 6-10 split.
Olympic fencing? I could totally see Daria using a pistol-grip épée. Quinn would make a wonderfully dramatic, theatrical sabre fencer. But fencing requires more human interaction and cooperation than I thought Daria was ready for. Likewise for martial arts: karate, judo, etc.
When I focused on archery the story wrote itself. It all came together when I considered the contrasts between traditional archery (favored by Daria and myself) and modern archery with compound bows. And I knew I had to a have a character with aspirations of being an Olympian.
With archery you are ultimately completely dependent on yourself, but you can learn a great deal from others if you are willing to listen and watch. That sounded perfect for Daria at this stage of her life. And it got her out doors.
Once I determined archery as Daria's sport, the basic plot came to me almost whole cloth. But who would be the other archers? I was leery of creating three central original characters.
Charles Ruttheimer III would definitely shoot the most modern, expensive compound bow he could find. Mack Mackenzie would admire the mechanics of a compound bow. Andrea would hunt stags with a primitive long bow. Amanda Lane would be fascinated with knapping flint. Nobody would want to let Kevin or Brittany near sharp objects. I couldn't see any canon characters as being Daria's lovers in this tale, so Jason, Trent and Kat came along.
Dickard wondered what Jane Lane was going to think of everything. I would like to know too. I tried to write Jane in but it seemed like Jane and Trent Lane were always off stage. If I ever rewrite, I want to deal with Daria missing Jane's company more than I have.
I think the energy I would have spent on Jane went into Quinn. I hope everyone enjoyed this Quinn who is smart, a bit slapstick, a bit busybody and very concerned and loving about her sister.
If you read this far you might be ready to lob a large Ultra Cola at the monitor as I left the story with huge, unanswered questions. Maybe someone has great ideas and can extend the story. Daria is taking risks with her heart and she continues to understand herself more and more, and for me, for now, the story is complete.