Monday, April 2, 2012

Becky Beech: The Odd Couple

Today is B for the A to Z Blogfest so naturally the name Becky Beech came to mind.  You can read her bio in the Special Features--Character Bios part of the site.  For this post I'm just going to give you a little background on the origin of the character.

Becky originated in the same short story as Emma Earl titled "Heart of a Hero" where an evil villain sends Emma back in time to when she's 8 years old, just days before her parents are killed.  Becky was introduced as Emma's best friend back then.  About all we learn about her in the story is that she's Emma's best friend because there wasn't much room for her to contribute anything to the story.

When I decided to write a novel based on the characters of that story--or some of the characters at least--Becky needed to have more of a background.  So I decided to make her kind of the mirror image of Emma.  Where Emma is skinny, Becky is fat.  Where Emma is shy, Becky is outspoken.  Where Emma is a genius, Becky is of average intelligence, though far from dumb.  Where Emma is from a stable middle-class family, Becky is from a trailer park, where her mother was abusive and she never knew her father.  Where Emma was an only child, Becky has three sisters.

In addition to that, Becky assumed a surrogate mother role over Emma.  Being the more outspoken, street-smart one, Becky feels she needs to protect Emma from her own good, trusting nature.  And there is in one of the deleted scenes a flashback to where Emma's mother asks Becky to look after her little girl because Emma's mother also knew that Emma would need protection from bullies.  That was something Becky took more seriously after Emma's parents died.  Though as the series goes on and Emma gets more mature, Becky becomes less of the mother hen.

C is for Chiostro:  How Agnes Bewitched Alejandro

13 comments:

Rusty Carl said...

I like Becky already. Actually, it seems like such a friendly name. Are there ever any evil Beckys?

stephen Hayes said...

It's interesting how these characters can come alive in our minds. I'm sure Becky and Emma are real to you, and you see them in crowds.

farawayeyes said...

I'm with Rusty, never met a Becky who wasn't nice and sweet or at least friendly.

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Her real name would be Rebecca Beach... "Becky" is short for Rebecca. So rather than the initials B.B. it's actually R.B. which has no alliteration to it.

Just thought I'd point that out.

PT Dilloway said...

Oh yeah, smart guy? Her mom being a drunk wasn't a real stickler for formality so her birth certificate does actually say Becky. (Though the old witch calls her Rebecca because it sounds classier.) Incidentally her sisters are named Britney, Brandi, and Bambi.

Check and mate.

Sara said...

Sounds like an interesting character.

Briane said...

Rusty, Faraway Eyes: What about that hussy Becky from Tom Sawyer? Rips a book, makes Tom take the blame, uses up all their candles in the cave (probably), and lets her dad trap Injun Joe in to starve?

I like the dynamic of Becky protecting Emma, even though Emma is a superhero.

Anonymous said...

*Like!*

Rusty Carl said...

I don't know. She still sounds nice to me.

klahanie said...

Oh no, you were serious, you really are involved in this gosh darned fun um challenge that brings further awareness of the alphabet. I'm devastated at such a revelation.
Becky, would that be an abbreviation of Elizabeth? And why is abbreviation such a long word ? Have fun and with much astonishment n' stuff, shy, humble and unassuming me, is outta' here....

Sarah Tokeley said...

I think I'd have liked a friend like Becky when I was growing up.

PK HREZO said...

Oh and don't forget Becky Sharp who is anything but sweet.

Anyway, sounds like interesting characters. :)

PT Dilloway said...

It is so mind-numbingly awful to stare at a list of blogs all "C is for..." It makes me think, "What is this, fucking kindergarten?" Sounds like those see n' say toys where you pull the string and it says, "The cow goes Mooooo." Whatever evil mind thinks these things up needs boiled in their own pudding.

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