The Main Character

If you check this blog, you probably know I'm in the common "writer's block." I started, I had a great beginning, then I realized that a) I didn't really have an idea of where I wanted this story to go, and b) I didn't really know who my characters are.
As I've thought about it over the past couple of weeks, I've come up with some thoughts about the protagonist, Tevan Kearu. You can give me feedback about what you like, what you don't like, where you might like to see him go, etc.

First, I changed his last name from Antilles. I had originally named him Antilles, inspired by one of my favorite characters from Star Wars, Wedge Antilles. I thought it might be amusing for Tevan to constantly have to let people know that he didn't know Wedge Antilles, much less share a blood line with him. But in coming up with names for the other characters, I settled on Kearu as Tevan's new last name. I want to make him as original as I can. That he's from Corellia, like Wedge, means there could be room for some connections there.

So who is Tevan? He is the son of a well-respected career Imperial officer. Or, I had the thought yesterday, his dad might be an officer/lawyer. But regardless, the Kearu family enjoys some level of prestige in the Imperial social and political circles. His mother is a relative of Garm Bel Iblis, who is the mainstay of Corellia's rebel elements. I think I want that to play some role.

Tevan, then, is a young man raised in and by the Empire, but who isn't necessarily fiercely loyal to it. He's been trained in the military academy, and I think I want him to specialize in special operations (basically equivalent to the Army Rangers or Navy SEALs- covert paramilitary operations, that kind of stuff). He's loyal to the Empire, at least at first, but he's not an idealist.

I think I want his journey to start because somehow his family gets tangled up in the conflict between the Rebellion and the Empire. I don't think I want him to see the Rebellion as the moral high ground (though they are, of course), at least not at first. Maybe he starts with the mindset that the Rebels are a means to some end, then is converted to their ideals along the way. Or maybe he will have some sudden revelation that gives him insight into why the Rebellion is more right than the Empire. I'm not sure if I want him, at first, to see the Rebels as evil, or simply misguided.

I don't think I want it to be an easy change, though. I think I want him to have to struggle, at least a little bit.

Though I think I want to include a Jedi in the story, I am fairly confident Tevan will not end up as a Jedi. It's a bit too cliche for me. He may find out about some level of Force sensitivity.

Those are some thoughts to begin with. Like I said, if you want to offer any feedback, feel free, but don't feel obligated. I mainly wanted to just get some of these ideas and thoughts out on paper (so to speak).