Hello, dreamers. It’s another busy week: amid wrapping up the RDV of Pioneers, prepping for querying, dropping a new edition of Unrealized Realities on multiple platforms, and working on short fiction, my writing schedule is pretty cramped. But I still want to find time to work on my beloved work-in-progress. Less than a week into my decision to reopen my notes and expand, I’ve already made some headway. So this week, I’d like to tell you a little more about my MC: Karen Hernandez, the first marine biologist in space.

Aquarius 1

As I said last week, one of the first indications that I needed to go back to the drawing board was my inability to answer a simple question:

Who is Karen Hernandez?

Now, finally, I know. Dr. Karen Hernandez is a marine biologist, born in Corpus Christi, TX, on August 13, 2080. Her father was a metallurgist who worked as a prospector in the Asteroid Belt, and died in 2103. Her mother is an artist, and as of the start of the story still living in Corpus.

From a young age, Karen loved the ocean. Her passion for marine life began with her father, who took her to the beach whenever he was on Earth. During the story, she recounts a particular trip where her father took her snorkeling at the Flower Garden Banks, a coral reef off the coast of Corpus Christi. It was there that she decided to become a marine biologist.

Of course, anyone can come up with bland biological details. Who a person is has more to do with the way they behave. And luckily, that’s one I came up with early. By and large, Karen is a competitive person: she’s driven, and when ESA put out a call for marine biologists for an extrasolar mission, she applied without hesitation. In the end, she beat out 99 other candidates to be assigned to the Aquarius 1 mission. However, once the ship arrives in orbit of Rigil Kentaurus, she begins to doubt herself. Karen specializes in cetacean studies, and is aware that there’s very little chance of encountering whales on a moon that’s never had dry land. What’s worse, she didn’t part on good terms with her mother. As her father died in space, Karen’s mother was shocked when she told her she was assigned to an interstellar mission. She begged Karen not to go, which Karen dismissed at the time as her being selfish. Now, she’s consumed with guilt.

All of this leads to her feeling self-conscious and insecure at the start of the story. In conversation, Karen can be awkward, and speaks without a filter. She speaks very informally with a lot of vocal pauses, is mildly profane, and tends to ramble when nervous. But at her core, Karen Hernandez is passionate, driven, and determined. She’s eager to be the first person to study an alien marine biosphere, and once the expedition starts in earnest her insecurities melt away, allowing her true nature to shine through.

I have big plans for Karen Hernandez going forward. This novel is intended to introduce her as a character, establishing her as a major protagonist of my stories alongside Randall Holmes. Ultimately, this story will serve as a sort of origin story for her: showing how a young woman who loves the oceans and misses Earth grows into an astronaut and a leader. And despite missing Earth and her mother, by the end of the novel, Karen will make the fateful decision to leave Earth for good.

I often tell new writers that every good story starts with a good character. The protagonist shapes the story, and the plot molds itself around their actions. Now, I finally feel I have a solid foundation for this novel. And next week, I’ll talk about the supporting characters who will prop Karen up on her journey. Until then, as always, dare to dream. – MK