Inside the Character: Eadën Vangûard

So apparently a lot of people want to see an ItC on Eadën from The Cycle of Time. I haven't dealt with that story in a while, so this could be interesting to see how much I remember/get feelings over Eadën (then again, it's not hard to get feelings over Eadën). I will try to avoid spoilers but know that he is a big character in The Cycle of Time so there is bound to be some secrets or storylines revealed.


P.S. Some of you ask, I answer: the ¨ above the "e" in Eadën's name is part of the language I created for the elves in Janíza (the land that The Cycle of Time is set in). Normally, the ¨ represents the natural sound of a letter (like e says "eh", a says "ah", etc.) and is used in longer, more complicated names to help with pronunciation. You may be saying, "but Eadën's name isn't complicated it's just 'eden'." This is true. However, since he is royal, the ¨ is used more as decoration. Call it fancifying royal people's names in this case.

In case you were wondering what the other symbols mean:
¨ = natural sound
ˆ = no sound
´ = long sound (e = ee, a = ay, etc.)

Otherwise, words are pronounced normally.

Fun trivia: In elven, Eadën's name is actually pronounced "ee-AY-den", with a long "a" sound. However, humans are bad at language apparently and read it as "Eden". ;)

Okay. Language rant over, you can skip that. Bye.


1. Who would play Eadën in a movie?
Honestly? I don't know. I haven't found his actor yet, but I have a few pics of drawings and stuff that resemble him so here ya go.

This would be Eadën most of the time...tired, sharp featured, and hair in disarray.

However, he does have moments like this...

Where he is very creepy looking when he wants to be.

Eadën is an elf, by the way.

2. What color is his hair?

Eadën's hair is described as glossy black and wavy/curly in texture. It is cut loose across his forehead, so you can usually see the wave. He rarely combs it since he's kind of a traveling man, so it's kinda a mess sometimes.

3. What color are his eyes?

Those who have read the current draft of The Cycle of Time: The Journey (lookin' at you, Rachel) are well aware that Eadën's eyes are very, very blue. Sky-blue; azure almost. They are extremely bright and are actually a bit shocking at first.

4. What is his body type?

Per elven norm, he's lean, but muscled, and quite tall (think 6'7"). And he's extremely angular. I think I described him as looking like "a string was tied to his spine and it was pulling him upwards constantly" or something like that. His shoulders are sharp, hipbones jagged, and his silhouette is all edges and corners. He is also very pale, and his skin is described as having almost a silvery sheen to it.

5. Does he have any piercings/tattoos? 

None mentioned in the book, that I can recall...however, I wouldn't be surprised if he had a tiny meaningful inked something-or-other on his skin.

6. What's the most attractive thing about him?

Since he comes off as alien-ish with his elven self, only some find him attractive. However, the most attractive thing I find about him is either his eyes or his super-sharp facial features. Think STRONG JAWLINE. VERY. STRONG.

7. What is the ugliest thing about him?

Okay, trying not to spoil anything, so read on if you dare. He has a really ugly scar wrapping over one side of his torso from mid-stomach, over shoulder, and down back. It's from a wound that was deadly but of course he magically lived through it (I know, I'm working on it...).

8. When he smiles, what does it look like?

LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL that never happens. Eadën has had a very hard life and he doesn't like joy. However, it is notable that he has extremely white and amazing teeth.

9. What does his laugh sound like?

LOLLLLLLLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLLL no.

10. What is his normal speech pattern?

He has kind of fancy-talk (but not as fancy as the fairies). He's pretty articulate despite not having attended most of his childhood schooling.

11. How does he express/handle anger?

Hrm...he's kind of emotionally dead, honestly. Granted, anger would be one of his most-felt emotions, but he doesn't show it much. If he gets angry enough to react towards someone, he would probably either kill them or like flip a table or something.

12. Does he cry?

Only on special occasions I suppose. He's used to sadness so it's only rare that he cries, but when he does it's usually like silent, and he just tenses up as tears stream down his lil face.

13. What would make him cry?

In the novel, Eadën struggles with feeling unworthy of his place in life and guilty over the choices he's made. It is these issues combined with longing to please/live up to his deceased father that makes him cry in the book. So yeah, stuff like that.

14. How easy is it for people to read his emotions?

Unlike Jay (whom, as I've mentioned, people who know him can tell by his physical cues how he feels), Eadën is completely unreadable and people hate him for it. He can hide almost any emotion, even from his own wife.

Character Beliefs

15. Is he religious?

Not particularly. I think he follows a religion, but not very strictly.

16. How does he view those of other faiths?

He doesn't care what you believe.

17. What are his core values?
Eadën's core values would beeeee.......hmmmmmmmm...........probably loyalty, or striving to be a better person. Idk if those are "values" or not, but they're things he's always focused on.

18. How willing is he to fight for those values?
In theory, Eadën would fight for anything if he believed in the cause. However, if he's discouraged or defeated...he finds it difficult to get back up sometimes.

Likes and Dislikes

19. What is his favorite food?

He's vegetarian, actually. He really likes fruit.

20. What is his favorite color?

Probably green. He really loves being out in nature, so green has become a calming color for his turbid mind.

21. What is his sleeping preferences?

Eadën is definitely not picky when it comes to sleeping. Actually, he really doesn't sleep much at all. I think in the book once he went several days without sleeping a wink. You can imagine he was grumpy and emotional about it, too. Anyway, he doesn't sleep much because he has nightmares...yikes. Poor bb.

BONUS: What position does he usually sleep in?

Probably on his side, or stretched out.

22. What type of music does he listen to?

Eadën was never one for arts and crafts and math and writing. He was always out on the field perfecting his swordplay and footwork.

Character Introspection

23. When is his birthday?

I'm not sure of the exact date, but he was born in the summertime.

24. What family structure did he have growing up?

Eadën was supposed to be born dead, so he's been sort of fighting for his life ever since he was a wee babbie. You see, elves are biologically capable of having only one child in their lifetime, so Eadën was more than a miracle child, especially since he was alive when he was born (albeit weak and wailing). His older sister doted on him for much of his childhood, and his parents, the king and queen, didn't see much harm in him skipping his classes and romping out in the sun if it meant he would get stronger. However, after a while his older sister realized that their parents paid more attention to Eadën than they did to her and...well, the rest is history.

25. What is the worst thing he has ever done?

um idk probs burning down half of janíza and earning the title ember because all he left in his wake was embers but u know idk

26. What is the best thing he has ever done?

Attempting to turn his messed up life around, even though it meant leaving everything he loves and knows and jumping headfirst into danger.

27. Has he ever been in love?

Once...long story short, he had taken a young ten-year-old human girl prisoner when she decided to start talking non-stop to him for weeks since she was bored and he visited the prison every day. She ended up spurning his turn-around, and he helped her escape. About a decade later, they married, despite his elven nearly-immortal aging and her short life span.

28. What is his biggest goal in life?

To stop the war in Janíza and finally settle down with his little fam-fam. :3

29. What does he believe is his greatest vice?
Without a doubt, black magic. It is an addictive form of magic and he used it for a long time and struggles to fully separate himself from its consumptive power.

30. What motivates him most?
Probably his daughter, Clairê, and his wife, Linnea. He doesn't find anything redeeming within himself, so he simply focuses on staying alive and keeping Linnea and Clairê safe.

31. Is he objective oriented?
Most definitely. Goals have pretty much mapped his life out since before he can remember. Goals give him something tangible to work towards, I suppose.

32. Would he rather be a good person or a great person?
Great. However, I think he is realizing that he may only ever be a "good" person...to himself, anyway.

33. Would he rather be hated for who he is or loved for pretending to be someone else?
At one point, he lived for other people's acceptance. However, he's grown quite a bit since then and now I think he realizes that not everyone will love him for who he is. He still struggles with that, though.

34. Is he an extrovert, ambivert, or introvert?
Introvert, definitely.

35. Is he creatively expressive?
Yes! But only in one form: SWORDPLAY. He literally has the best form when he's using his sword, and his footwork is always flawless and it's said he looks like he's dancing some ferocious panther dance when he's fighting someone with a sword. He works constantly to be the perfect swordsman.

36. What is his disorder?
Where do I start. He's addicted to black magic, he's got PTSD basically from war and being like cut in half and his sister hating his guts and being evil, I'm pretty sure he's got major depression if we're being clinical here, and...and... *CRYING WILDLY*

37. Is he materialistic?
Seeing as he's only ever had any real possessions while he was still officially a prince, no, he's not particularly caught up on possessions. He does have a few possessions that he will probably hurt you if you touch them though.

38. What is his learning style?
He's definitely a visual learner. If he watches someone do something, he can probably replicate it pretty well.

39. I am a ______. How would he finish this sentence?
"I am a failure." (NOOOOO BB WHY U SAI THAT NO STOPIT)

40. Life is an act of _______. How would he finish this sentence?
"Life is an act of deciding when to stand up and fight back and when to kneel and take it."

OTHER

Theme song: "Cold" by Aqualung

Pinterest boards:
Eadën's board
The Cycle of Time board

Wattpad stories:
Excerpt of The Cycle of Time: The Journey
Janíza's Hero (short story)
Embers

Inside the Character: Jay Skyy

Today's ItC is from Blue Skyys, a book I am co-authoring with my sister about two galaxies in a bitter war. Basically, Jay's entire story is summed up by this:

You may not be interested in war,

but war is interested in you.

...Yeah. He never meant to be involved in war. He's actually pretty gentle in real life.

1.  Who would play Jay in a movie?

This is the best picture of Jay I've ever seen. It's totally perfect, except Jay's hair is an orangey color. Redhead. But I mean, this is so perfect even the hairstyle is perfect. The chiseled features, the intense look, the skinniness, the adam's apple...it's all so perf. SO. PERF. The more I look at it....anyways, it's Wynston Shannon, but he doesn't look like Jay straight-on. Just profile.

2. What color is his hair?

A lighter red than pure redhead, with some brown in it. I'm not really sure how to explain it. Like, light golden brown with lots of golden red highlights. He typically doesn't really comb his hair, and doesn't get it cut very often since he's in the army. It's got a V like above. In fact, his hairstyle is as above.

3. What color are his eyes?

Jay has golden-brown eyes, like light-brown eyes. They're really studious and amazing.

4. What is his body type?

Jay is extremely thin and tall, with long arms and legs and wiry muscles. He stands at about 6' 4". His long, thin frame makes him look even taller.

5. Does he have any peircings/tattoos?

No sir.

6. What is the most attractive thing about him?

As you can see above, his profile is very attractive, also his height. But his chiseled features are just dreamy. And his intense expression. Which he wears literally all the time. *swoons*

7. What is the ugliest thing about him?

His thinness. I mean, he's pretty darn skinny. Past all that intense chiseled face, he's a scarecrow.

Emotions

8. When he smiles, what does it look like?

Yep, I've got a picture for that.

That's pretty much his average smile. When he really lets loose, it's amazing, because he hardly ever smiles. He had PTSD through a good bit of the novel, so he's pretty troubled...poor dear...

9. What does his laugh sound like?

Rare is the day when Jay laughs, just because it's not really in his nature. But I imagine it's deeper than his voice actually is, more of a chuckle, and quite a pleasant, comforting sort of sound.

10. What is his normal speech pattern?

He gets to the point, and asks a lot of questions. It's because of this that he's very intelligent, and logical. He thinks before he speaks, and he is the best listener ever. He hangs onto every word and makes sure to pause to process them before replying, very carefully and very thought-out.

11. How does he express/handle anger?

With a very, very stony and violent glare. Also, he can get quite loud when he's VERY worked up.

12. Does he cry?

He does, but he's never too flamboyant with it. He more just sheds tears in complete silence, face hard, and wipes them hurriedly.

13. What would make him cry?

Death is a big one, because he sees a lot of it in war and takes each one to heart. He cares deeply for all he comes in contact with, and this can be a weakness and a strength.

14. How easy is it for people to read his emotions?

For people who know him well, it can be quite easy. Since he doesn't express anything much, every movement of his face becomes recognizable. A twitch of the jaw means he's angry, a raising of the eyebrows could mean surprise, etc. For those who don't know him well, it can be difficult, but he has such an unmovingly expressive face...somehow you can tell every thought he's thinking and every emotion that passes just from his face and body language. It's the subtle things that count.

Character Beliefs

15. Is he religious?

Yes. Jay is highly religious and relies heavily on his Christian beliefs.

16. How does he view those of other faith?

He respects them. He knows everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, but he will probably try to convert you first chance.

17. What are his core values?

Jay is very family-based, and his loves ones are an important part of his upbringing and emotional makeup. He is a strong believer in chivalry and is very, very kind and caring. Even though he can seem kinda severe at times, you know he means well.

18. How willing is he to fight for those beliefs?

He knew when he was drafted that death was a very real possibility, and is fully prepared to die for his galaxy.

Likes and Dislikes

19. Favorite food?

Chocolate. Jay loves chocolate. Especially Nutella. Especially especially Nutella and peanut butter cookies. They're his favorite.

20. Favorite color?

Probably orange, more or less like his hair. He never really had that many options because, according to him, 'not many colors go with this color hair'.

21. What is his sleeping preferences?

He isn't much of a sleeper, since his PTSD makes him a bit of an insomniac. However, he prefers beds. Any kind of bed. It can be a hard cot or a comfy king bed, it doesn't matter to him. But the floor...nuh uh. For some reason, it's impossible for him to sleep on the floor.

22. What type of music does he like?

I don't guess he was ever much of a music person. What he did listen to was all probably inspirational type-stuff, and Christian.

Character History

23. What is his birthday?

November 2

24. What family structure did he have as a child?

This is where it gets complicated. Jay's dad, James Skyy, was the oldest of eleven kids, and so Jay's family is extended and quite large. He has two younger siblings, Willa and (OMW I CAN'T REMEMBER THE LITTLE KID'S NAME). But the people he is really closest too are his cousins. James's younger brother, Ace Skyy, has eight kids. Jay and Ty, the oldest of Ace's kids, were born within months of each other and are closer than brothers. Jay and Ty literally probably couldn't function properly without each other. So, that being said, he is also very attached to Ty's younger brother, Scott. And I think that's about it with family. They were all really close, Jay's family and his cousins, and practically lives at each other's house, romping around and having dinner and going to school together and all that.

25. What is the worst thing he has ever done?

In his opinion, been so against people being drafted into the war, even though his galaxy was losing sorely and they needed soldiers. He really didn't want to get involved in war, even if Ty and Scott both enlisted on their own.

26. What is the most significant romantic encounter of his past?

He has never really been interested in finding love. The one girl he had the slightest interest in was a school girl named May, and it didn't even last a month. He's just very busy-minded, and says he's not ready for a relationship. He says he'll wait until after the war.

27. Has he ever been in love?

He meets a Syestar slave who sort of takes him in when he's injured, and he loves her from the very beginning. She, however, is confused about the entire idea, because she has been a slave her whole life, and sort of sees Jay as her master, which breaks Jay's heart.

28. What is his biggest goal in life?

Currently, to save his galaxy, Rialis. In the long run, probably something like doing everything he can for people he loves. I mean, he's like the Alfred Pennyworth of the Skyy family. He's always doing something for someone else, and does nothing for himself. He likes it that way, and he gets uncomfortable when someone tries to do something for him. So that's sort of his goal; to help others in any way he can.

29. What does he believe is his greatest virtue?

Hrm...I don't know. Jay doesn't think too much about himself. I guess he hopes he's a good leader, though wether he believes he is (much less wether he thinks it's his greatest virtue) is another story.

30. What does he believe is his greatest failure/vice/weakness?

He has a temper, as do all redheads (apparently...<_<) and when he gets angry he gets very terse and short with everyone, not just one person. He kinda takes his anger out of everyone. As for weakness, his health. He suffers from debilitating headaches that come on at random, and he hates that they practically cripple him, keeping him from being at all useful.

31. What motivates him most?

His patriotism and his drive to get things done.

32. Is he objective-oriented?

I don't know where Jay would be in life without his goals. He sets goals for himself, and then sets them for other people who don't know he's setting goals for them, and when they don't reach his goals he has a little panic attack. Jay is VERY objective-oriented.

33. Would he rather be a good person or a great person?

Jay wants to be a great person. He wants to succeed more than anything, and wants to help others succeed. Unfortunately, he sees himself as somewhat living in the shadow of his much handsomer, much more talented, outgoing, friendly pilot cousin Ty, who attracts attention wherever he goes. He's sort of torn between two feelings for this; half of him is okay with it, the other half wants to be more like his uncle (and general), Liam, who is very commanding, sure of himself, and on top of things.

34. Would he rather be hated for who he is or loved for being someone he's not?

Much rather be hated for who he is, though it would bug him a good deal. He hates fakers.

35. Is Jay an ambivert, extrovert, or introvert?

Definitely an introvert. He's very quiet, very thoughtful, and very serious. He takes your best interests to heart and is THE BEST LISTENER EVER. Like, he will keep eye contact as you talk, nod when appropriate, look very interested, then sit and process what you say before constructing a reply. It's the consideration of your words that getS MEEEEE.

36. Is he creatively expressive?

Being an introvert, no, not really. He's not a music person, doesn't write, doesn't draw or anything like that...though he is extremely talented at strategy and organization, and will often sit and plan out battles or organize stuff compulsively when thinking hard or bored.

37. What is his disorder?

Jay suffers from a head injury he got from being slammed in the head with the butt of a gun. He was in a coma for nine months, and now has very bad migraine-like headaches from the healed wound. An average headache is very painful, causes him to be distracted, weak, tired, nauseated, dizzy, and irritable, but every so often he will get terrible ones, where they nearly cripple him. His eyes get sensitive to light, he throws up, gets dizzy so badly that he can barely stand, and usually just has to lie in a dark room until it passes a few hours later. No medicine helps, and doctors can't diagnose and condition. It's all very mysterious.

38. Is he materialistic?

Being in the army has kicked any materialism he has had in the past into submission.

39. What is his learning style?

He is a visual learner. He learns best by watching, reading, and studying.

40. I am a ________. How would Jay finish the sentence?

...I don't know. This post is making me realize that Jay is quite unsure of his identity.

41. Life is an act of _______.

Life is an act of serving and fighting.

Inside the Character: Alex Staunton

"I'm sowwy, fewwas, but I can't wait any wonger!" –Elmer Fudd

IT'S FINALLY TIME FOR ALEX STAUNTON'S ItC!!!!

I've been waiting TOO LONG for this!!! AAAHAHAHAHAHAAH!!!!

Sorry I am really obsessed with Alex. Dangerously.

So...we're still cool.

Be cool.

Alex is part of the Orion series 2, like Luke Vetti. He is the son of Nicholas Calhoun, who is in the FIRST Orion series. Just so you know. :-)

1. What actor would play Alex?

The closest person I've found to play Alex is Logan Lerman.

He is PRETTY close, but not PERFECT. You see, I didn't base Alex off any one actor (like I partially did with Luke Vetti), he just sorta popped into my head. But my sister claimed that Logan Lerman was the perfect Alex, and I've used him as his actor for a long time, and now he's sorta stuck in my head. Even is Alex's face isn't as round and babyish as Logan Lerman's. Here are some other pictures, for you to get a good grasp...or for my personal enjoyment, either way...

This is more how I imagine Alex (minus the piercings). This will always be one of the closest faces.

This is scarily close to Alex, but unfortunately his face is turned away so we will never experience true power.

Physical/Aesthetic Characteristics

1. What color is his hair?

Alex's hair is black, and straight with maybe the slightest wave to it. It's not like stick-straight, basically. He usually wears it longish over his forehead, but recently he's taken to swishing it up in a spiked sort of hairdo, and frankly no one can decide which they like better.

2. What color are his eyes?

Alex (along with the rest of the Staunton clan) has these amazing ice-blue eyes. Example: Alexandra Daddario's eyes.

3. What color is his skin?

He is fair-skinned, with a creamy complexion, and (embarrassment to him) he sunburns very easily. While everyone else is scorched, it is Alex who peels so much he scabs.

4. What is his body type?

Alex is not tall, about 5' 10"ish, but he is quite muscular for his age. He's involved in several sports, including baseball, football, and martial arts, in which he is reaching a third Dan black belt. In fact, he's a bit of a fitness/health nut when it comes down to it. Protein shakes and all. So think muscly. But not...TOO muscly. ;)

5. Does he have peircings? Tattoos?

Nope. Alex is tattoo/peircing free.

6. What is the most attractive thing about him?

His eyes are usually what gets you first, followed probably by his fit figure. Honestly he strikes quite an attractive image...to be totally frank.

7. What is the ugliest thing about him?

His slightly pokey-out ears. Which he keeps carefully in check via his haircut.

BONUS: What special aesthetic characteristics does he have?

A snub nose and a crooked grin.

8. What does he wear?

Alex isn't picky about his wardrobe, but he is partial to mismatched converse. So if he's wearing a red color scheme, he'll wear like neon yellow converse just for fun.

BONUS: Why does he wear this outfit?

It's just one of his quirks. Or maybe he likes to drive his twin sister a little nuts with his fashion sense...

Emotions

9. When he smiles, what does it look like?

Lopsided, in a nice way. Almost cocky. If it's at a girl it's probably one part awkward, one part trying to impress, if it's at a dude it's probably mostly cocky.

10. What does his laugh sound like?

He has a sort of cackle laugh, almost childish in sound.

11. What is his normal speech pattern?

He says what he means; in other words, he doesn't mask his meaning. Comes across as kinda funny at first, but can be very serious and focused.

BONUS: What are some memorable quotes?


12. How does he express/handle anger?
He broods and pouts. If he's angry at you, you'll know. He is the sort to resent you if you hurt him or make him angry.

13. Does he cry?
Everyone cries, and Alex is no exception. When he cries, though, he cries weird...like he doesn't sob hardly ever. Someone has to have died for him to sob. His face just gets really red, and the tears just stream out.

BONUS: What would make him cry?
Death of loved ones, extreme physical/mental torment, feelings of inadequacy, and extreme frustration are all things he has cried over before.

14. How easy is it for people to read his emotions?
Alex knows when to show emotions, so if he's readable, he's meaning to be. On the other hand, he knows exactly how to hide his feelings, as well.

Character Beliefs

15. Is he religious?

Alex is a strong Christian, and focuses mainly on the way Jesus led others and how he treated his followers. Jesus is definitely one of Alex's role models!

16. How does he view those of other faith?

With patience and respect. He does probably see himself as superior for knowing the one true God, though...

17. What are his core values?

Determination, strength, bravery, and intelligence.

18. How willing is he to fight for those values?

He would readily die for them.

Likes and Dislikes

19. Favorite food?

Muffins! Banana muffins, chocolate chip muffins, lemon poppy seed muffins, all the muffins! Alex just really likes food in general but muffins are his absolute favorite (especially when Willow makes them).

20. Favorite color?

Blue, like his, his sister, his brother, and his dad's eyes.

21. What is his sleeping preferences?

Alex sleeps on his side with one hand under his pillow, curled up in a sort of ball. He is a rough sleeper, though. He prefers a bed, of course, and doesn't sleep on the couch ever. He actually has been known to lie in the grass in the sun and snooze on a nice day.

22. What type of music does he like?

He likes acoustics, just raw unedited music, best. He listens to Capital Kings, Toby Mac, and Audio Adrenaline besides.

Character History

23. What is his birthday?

November 4th. I would give a year, but the Orion takes place in the future, sooo...

24. What family structure did you character have as a child?

Alex lives in a very tight-knit family, consisting of his immediate family and two (unrelated) aunts and uncles and their families. As of today, they all live in the big house Mr. Calhoun used to live in.

25. How well did your character get along with their family members?

Alex and his twin sister are very, very close, naturally. He is almost equally as close to his younger brother and tries to be a role model for him. Growing up, Alex went through a bit of a moody pre-teen stage around the ages of 10-13. He had some anger management issues (like real ones), since he believed that he was being compared to his twin all the time. Also, Will's eldest son, Darren, and Alex do not get along very well for some reason and have actually fought (under very pressuring circumstances). 

26. What is the worst thing your character has ever done?

Sent another boy to the hospital with bad injuries after fighting him in the street.

27. What is the best thing your character has ever done?

Best?! Ummmm...!!! So many!!!

28. What is the most significant romantic encounter of his past?

He never had a romantic interest other than Willow.

29. Has your character ever been in love?

Yes, with Luke's sister, Willow. It was a gradual thing, during the year Luke was missing.

30. What is his most embarrassing moment?

The one that comes to mind is when Willow beat him up with an electric rod. She beat him pretty bad, too.

Character Introspection

31. What is your character's biggest goal in life?

To achieve all he has dreamed (being an engineer, starting a family, defeating the Orion). His very biggest goal is probably to "Be the good [man] he always HAS to be!" (catch that Frozen reference?). He just wants to do what right, no matter what.

32. What does your character believe is his greatest vice?

His anger. He still has a bit of remnants of his anger problems; now, he controls it by training hard and working out.

33. What does your character believe is his greatest virtue?

His strength. He won't ever break under pressure.

34. What motivates him most?

His drive to do what's right, no matter the cost.

35. Is your character objective-oriented?

Sort of, I guess you could say that. They're long-term goals, though.

36. Would your character rather be a good person or a great person?

A great person. Alex strives for greatness in everything he does. It's a competitive thing; he is very competitive.

37. Would your character rather be hated for being who they are, or loved for pretending to be someone else?

Alex would rather be hated for being who he is.

38. Is your character an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert?

Alex is either an extrovert or an ambivert. Probably leaning more towards the extrovert side.

39. Is your character creatively expressive?

Yes! Alex is musically gifted. He plays piano, violin, a little cello, and guitar, and he also sings like an angel out of heaven. His voice is something in between Colton Dixon and the medium-range Anthem Lights member (not the deep guy, not the raspy guy, not the super high guy, the OTHER guy ;] ). He's not a horrible artist either; he draws a bit by sketching his ideas for inventions out. He also keeps a journal on the walls of his closet (which is very off-limits).

40. What's your character's disorder?

He has a past of anger issues. He'll hold grudges until an apology is given.

41. What is your character's standard emotional state?

Confident and free.

42. Is your character materialistic?

No.

43. What is your character's major learning style?

He is a visual learner. He likes reading over getting a lecture, or watching a video. He watches EVERYTHING....

44. I am a _____. How would he finish that sentence?

I am a warrior.

45. Life is an act of ________ing.

Life is an act of believing.

Characterization: Part II

So, if you've read the last Characterization post, you've got your character's appearance under your belt!
You know what he looks like, what he likes to wear, his quirks, and his bad habits. Now, it's time to tackle his personality.

Personality (obviously) plays an important part in your story. If you are creating your main character, you definitely want to think about some traits that you would find interesting to write about. i.e., if you find sarcastic, smart people intriguing, I would aim for that type of person. Or if you like writing funny things but you're going to try and tackle a bigger project like a serious novel, you might want to consider making your main character a bit of a goofball.

I made the mistake of creating characters that I didn't "connect" with back in the day. I always made my characters inhibit personalities that I found extremely boring, so that writing about them/in their point of view was extremely hard and uninteresting to me. DON'T MAKE THIS MISTAKE. It's so much easier when you love your character to death!


1. What is your character like?

This is the big question. What's your character like? What does he act like? How does he interact with others? Sometimes your character will sort of inhibit a personality of his own as you create him, which is great! Saves you some trouble. But other times after you decide what your character looks like, he sort of stays limp and hollow. That's when you really have to dig deep to figure out what you want your hero to be like. If you're the type to just "go with the flow" and see what kind of personality your hero takes on his own, try some of these characterization exercises:

• Have a short interview with your hero. Ask him open questions like, "What's your family like?" "What are you friends like?" "Do you like chocolate or vanilla ice cream?" and sort of prod him to go off on a rant. It'll really help develop speech style and personality.
• Read a magazine or newspaper article and put your character in the situation described. How would he react?
• Write some random scenes with your character, from first day of school to being mugged by thugs. Go crazy.

If you are more of a "figure it out myself" type, there are other options. There are so many personality types and character traits out there, you couldn't possibly sit and write them all down. Still, I've found several sheets of common character traits that are great reference and inspiration. Some common traits just to give you an idea:

• cheerful
• friendly
• quiet
• somber
• serious
• glum
• kind
• compassionate
• responsible
• fiery
• stubborn

Another note to take is that you want to make sure that your characters have both positive and negative qualities.

2. What motivates your character?

Now this could or could not apply directly to the story. Of course, you want at least one of your character's motivations to drive the story, but there can be other side notes to take into account, as well. For starters, choose one motivation that pushes the hero into the story. Example, say your character's family is kidnapped. Something that motivates your character could be his love for his family, or revenge. With this in mind, choose one big motivation to keep at the front of your head while planning your story out.

3. What does your character fear?

If you are creating your hero, I would suggest making his fear something that the villain embodies. This can be a little challenging to figure out, but I wouldn't freak out too badly. Sometimes stuff like this just falls into place while you're writing, and you never want to "overplan" anything. So, this being said, stop for a moment and think about your main character and your villain. Try to come up with something the villain symbolizes that the hero fears.

On the easy side, characters also have many different, often irrational, fears. I have a character who is claustrophobic, another who is afraid of hospitals, one who fears power, and one who fears death. These are all very believable fears, and easy to work into story lines (to ahem torture your characters ahem ahem). Here are some more common fears:

• needles
• the dark
• bugs
• the dentist
• himself/herself
• a particular person
• loneliness
• crowds
• knives

Small fears like these will help flesh out your character and put some meat on his bones. Plus, it's fun to make your character have these unique little quirks!

4. Flaws

This might be the most important part of a character. Every character must have flaws, or they will come across and un-relatable and everyone will hate them. Like, Disney princesses of old? Cinderella, Aurora, Snow White? I cannot think of a flaw that they have. And I don't like any one of them. Sure, they had bad situations, but they were always smiling, always perfect, always had a good attitude.

Don't be afraid to make your character imperfect. Imperfection is what makes humankind beautiful and sympathetic. We want to see characters with flaws like our own, and we want to see them overcome these flaws, so we have hope that perhaps we can overcome our own negativities. If you do nothing else, create some experimental flaws for your hero and see which ones stick.

I hope this series is helping you get a better grip on your characters. I'm actually discovering some things myself! If you have any questions on creating characters, I humbly consider myself somewhat of an expert. ;) Please feel free to leave a comment or a question, and I will always answer!

Disclaimer

OVER-CHARACTERIZING

While it's great to get to know your character before you start writing, don't get so wrapped up in him that you can't stop developing him and get bored prematurely. It's also good to discover some things about your character as you write; it's just part of the development of your hero. And keep in mind that come things about your character will end up just not working out. Sometimes my characters rebel against their given personalities altogether, and that's fine, as long as it doesn't interfere with your storyline. If it does, then they might need a little punishment. But beware of Character Limpage when forcing characters to do your will!

Characterization: Part I

This is part one of a who-knows-how-long blog post series (I'm gonna guess 2-4 posts) on characterization. What is characterization? Well, you can probably guess by the word that it involves characters in some way or another, right?

Characterization is defined in my computer's built-in-dictionary as describe the distinctive nature or features of something or someone, or (of a feature or quality) be typical or characteristic of. So, cutting all the fluff, characterization is creating characters or, in Anacabulary, "creating believable, lovable, unique characters that you and your readers will care for and root for from the very beginning to the dastardly end of your novel."

On that note, we begin.


Characterization: The Beginning

So you wanna write a book, but are uneasy at the daunting tasks before you? Fear not, dear one! The story-planning prospect is not much harder than using up some of that dormant Brain Power. The first steps to planning and writing a novel are some of the most fun steps of all!

My favorite part of writing a novel is creating characters. There's magic that goes on there. As you create your character(s), you will find that some characteristics and features just seem to pop out of your mind and onto the page. That's good! That's your character "coming to life".

To start off characterization, we are going to start off with the simplest (but sometimes challenging) part of creating your heroes and heroines.

Note: I strongly suggest you have at least an inkling of your story's setting, a very basic plot line, and an idea of where you want your story to go, it is not necessarily necessary. I've created random characters in my head for no reason, and sometimes stories "create themselves" around these characters. But I strongly suggest you have at least a small idea of a story for your characters, so you know how old and how many main characters you want.


1. How old is your character?

This is a very important question. How old you make your character will greatly impact his personality, character traits, and your story's tone.

• If you are a young writer say, around 10-13, I'd stick with characters around your age. Teenagers are a lot different from tweens, and you might have a little trouble creating characters who are believable; but if you feel like you can handle it, on the other hand, go for it!
• Teenagers, age 14-18, it's most fun, in my opinion, to write about teenagers our age! Teen fiction is popular right now anyways, so go crazy! Teens can be both immature and mature, so there's a lot of age differences to take into account. You can have a 20-year-old who acts like he's 16 and it be believable. Same way, you can get away with a 15-year-old who is matured enough to act about 18.

2. What does he look like?

So, what does your character look like? What color are his eyes? How skinny or fat or muscular is he? There's a lot to take into account when fleshing out your character. To get started, here's some fill-in-the-blanks to get your creative juices flowing:

• Where is he from, and does this affect his looks? (i.e. if he is from africa, does he have dark skin? Full lips? Black eyes?)
• What color hair does he have?
• What color are his eyes?
• What shape are his eyes? Almond? Round? Slanted?
• What color is his skin?
• What face shape does he have? Pointed chin? High cheekbones? Square jaw?
• Does he have freckles? Birthmarks? A mole on his neck?
• Does he have bushy eyebrows, or long eyelashes? A 13-year-old's mustache?
• How tall is he?
• How much does he weigh?
• What is his body like? Is he all curves or jagged lines? Straight or stooped?

And while it's lots of fun to make characters who are perfect and handsome and beautiful, it's often better to create characters with at least some physical flaw. Sure, your character can be handsome, but maybe he has acne on his forehead. She can be beautiful, but maybe she has a head of real frizzy hair that she barely keeps under control. I mean, it's no fun if you make them totally perfect. ;)

3. What are some of his quirks?

Everyone has quirks. Wether it's biting your nails, chewing your hair, twitching your left index finger when you talk, or licking your nose when thinking, you probably have something, most likely a few things, that make you unique. So, what are some of your characters? Here are some good questions to consider:

• How does he talk? Does he have an accent? Does his voice pitch up when he's scared? Or maybe he's monotone?
• Does he have any bad habits, like staying up late, picking his nails, or scratching scabs off?
• Does he have any quirks, like eating too much, being a morning person, driving fast, or reading when he's nervous?

There are an endless amount of things to make your character special; observe the people around you to get some good ideas.

For some references and good ideas for character development, visit my Character Reference board on my Pinterest page, www.pinterest.com/anastasiacross/

Disclaimer:

OVER-CHARACTERIZING

While it's great to get to know your character before you start writing, don't get so wrapped up in him that you can't stop thinking about him. It's also good to discover some things about your character as you write; it's part of the development of your hero. And keep in mind that some things about your character will end up just not working out. Sometimes my characters rebel against their given personalities altogether, and that's fine, as long as it doesn't interfere with your storyline. Then, they just might need a little punishment. But beware of Character Limpage when forcing characters to do your will!

Keep in touch for Part II of the Characterization post series!

Inside the Character: Lane, Miles, and Chloe

October's ItC: Lane Rubio, my incredibly-favorite-main-character-I've-ever-had in my current NaNoWriMo novel, Miles Colburn, and Chloe Keaton.

Lane's appearance is a funny (for me, anyways...more like disturbing for everyone else...) story. You see, I am a recent Pinterest member, so I was on Pinterest looking up character inspiration for Lane. I didn't know what I wanted him to look like. I knew he was 16. And I think I wanted him to have, like, black hair or something. So with this vague idea in mind, I searched, waiting for something to attack me. When it did.

I didn't really expect it to happen so violently. I saw this picture, and my brain literally stopped in it's tracks and said, "Whoa, Ana...that's him. That's your guy. Just...just look."

I did. And then I wallowed on the floor in ecstasy and inspiration.

(I tried to get my sister in on the excitement but she just looked at me weird.)

It's like Lane himself said, "WHOA, THAT'S ME!!! LOOK, AUTHOR!!! I'M ME!!!!"

So, without further ado, here is Lane Rubio.

Yup. That's exactly it.

Miles would be played by Sterling Beaumon (at least I think that's who he is...?).

And Chloe would be played by this lady!

Tell us about yourselves!

Lane: Well, okay, I guess. My name's Lane Rubio, and I'm sixteen years old. I'm the illegal child of two aliens, or 'non-Aryans', and I'm also ADHD, claustrophobic, and dyslexic. So, yeah, really not an Aryan, who are, like, the perfect perfect people.

Miles: Hey. We're Aryans.

Lane: Well, you know. I'm a freak.

Chloe: Your biological abnormalities don't make you a freak, we've been through this before.

Miles: Well, I'm Miles Colburn, and I'm an Aryan, and I'm fifteen years old. I have a eidetic memory, so I can remember everything, which pretty much makes me really smart. Or so I've been told.

Chloe: And I am Chloe Keaton. I'm the student body president of die Schule.

Miles: She's also the best student in the whole campus.

Chloe: *rolls eyes*

Lane: It's true. She once judo-flipped me into a tree. I have the scars.

Chloe: Shut up!

Where do you spend most of your time?
Lane: At die Schule, a training school for Aryans. They go there when they're six, if they pass the examination.
Miles: Yeah. Me and Lane mostly hang out at our room. Or the cafeteria. Or the gym.
Chloe: Unfortunately Lane and I spend a lot of time at the gym. He's out of shape.
Lane: *pout*

What's die Schule?
Lane: Die Schule is a school for Aryans. It basically trains them to be mini soldiers. Most Aryans work for the Nazis, and die Schule basically picks out the best of the best to be actual soldiers and go on missions to Britain and stuff.
Miles: Yeah. Fun!
Chloe: Was that sarcasm?

Who's your closest friend?
Lane: Miles. No question. He was my first friend, and my roommate to boot.
Miles: Awwwww, really?! *HUGGLE*
Lane: Dude, in an interview here!
Miles: Oh...sorry. Official-looking... AWKWARD.
Chloe: You guys are so embarrassing.
Lane: Oh, and Chloe too! <:D
Chloe: -_-
Miles: I LOVE LANE TOOOOOO!!!
Chloe: *sigh*
M & L:...So?! CHLOE?!
Chloe: ...*mumbles something*
Lane: Come on, Chloe. Say it.
Chloe: *huff* My best friend is...probably...Lane.
Lane: Ha ha! *huggie*
Chloe: 0.0

If you could meet anyone, who would it be?
Lane: Percy Jackson.
Miles: Whaaa?
Lane: What? I think we have a lot in common.
Me: How dare you give away my subconscious copycat.
Lane: Sorry. No, we're not really alike. I'm not as crazy. Obviously.
Miles: I'd meet um...ooh! No...Yeah! No...TAILS THE FOX!! BECAUSE WE HAVE THE SAME NAME AND WE'RE BOTH SMART. :D
Lane: /:|
Chloe: Do I have to answer? I don't like people that much.
Me: No, you don't, because I like you.
Chloe: :P

What's your favorite thing to do?
Lane: Probably physical training.
Miles: Yeah, because you're OCD.
Lane: It's ADHD, Miles, you doorknob.
Miles: Whatever, he's loopy either way. :P
Chloe: All you do is make fun of poor Lane. Why don't you answer something for once?
Miles: Oh, right, sorry. I like reading, and computers, and technol...techknowledgy...
Me: AHK HOW DO I SPELL TECHNOLOGY?! Oh there we go.
Miles —technology. And stuff. :)
Chloe: I enjoy physical training as well. It's probably what I'm best at, anyways.
Lane: Besides, you know, everything else.
Chloe: *punches*

What's your most awkward moment?
Lane: Um...when Chloe came to my door decked out in a prom dress and stuff. Like she was actually a girl. And wearing color.
Chloe: *wanting to strangle him*
Lane: So yeah. That was weird.
Miles: I'm gonna have to go with that too. Very unexpected.
Chloe: Why?! The dance was that night, did you expect me to show up looking like THIS?
M & L:...
Lane: ...Would it hurt too badly if I said 'yeah'?
Chloe: *punches again* My most awkward moment is when Lane tried to talk to me about, like, feelings and sadness and anger and stuff, and he was bumbling like an idiot.
Lane: I didn't want anything awkward to come out. I was just trying to have a serious conversation.
Miles: Oh yeah, we had one of those once. You punched me in the face.
Lane: I was young a crazy.
Miles: -_-...That was two months ago.
Lane: Either way.
Chloe: *rolling eyes*
Lane: But it was just a conversation. About normal stuff. Like how angry Chloe was all the time.
Chloe: I'M NOT ANGRY ALL THE TIME!
Lane: Of course you're not! <:D
Chloe: >:8(
Miles: Lovebirds, aren't they?
L & C: >:8(
Miles: ...Heheh...
L & C: *pummel him*

Me: Okay, I think that's enough for now. Don't want people to get too overwhelmed here...

<:D

Sorry about that...little out of hand, wasn't it?

Well, it made up for my lack of postage last month. So ha ha!

:P


Pinterest boards:
Chloe's character board
Lane's character board
Miles's character board
Superior Race storyboard

Unexpected Characteristics

Your hero is in a mood. He's snapping at everyone and storming around like Johnny Raincloud. His
best friend asks him if he's alright, and your hero suddenly screams at the top of his lungs, flings down his plate of food, and runs off before anyone can say "Um...".

You ask yourself (or your character in your head), "Where did that come from?"

He replies with a growl from the corner he's run off to while you wonder blankly how your hero, who's always so happy and go-lucky, actually managed to scream at his BFF.

These are the things I love about characters. When you get to know them enough, they like to surprise you. For instance, one of my characters, Eadën, was so sullen and serious and intense throughout my whole book, I knew at one point he was completely gonna break. He did. And when he did, it was really nasty. There were nightmares, screams of agony, and tears (TEARS! My somber macho elf, CRYING!). When the scene had passed I looked back and went, "Wow, man. You are deep."

I never planned it to go that way. I never planned the intricacies of Eadën's emotional map. I had a vague idea of what made him angry and what made him sad when I started out, but I had no idea he was capable of feeling the way he does.

That's the thing with characters; at some point, they come to life on you. They pull strings and make their own paths after a while. They write their own destinies if you let them.

Maybe it's because I spent eight years with Eadën that he's so complex. He's the longest character I've ever kept—longer, even, than my main character, whom I replaced six times before settling on the Alli-Dirco duo. Either way, Eadën has developed unexpected characteristics. Ones I have not approved of.

[ >:(  ]

[ ;)  ]

He is strong even when weak. He is not the pretty boy he looks like. He is tortured and tormented by his past and wants more than anything to get away from it...so he won't be tempted to go back. His worst fear is himself, because he knows that if he was given the choice to return to his old life, he would not be sure what he would choose.

Those are things you don't just plan out. They develop on their own.

So let your characters be themselves. If a character wants to be meek and quiet instead of bold, don't try to change him. See what becomes of it. You might like it better than what you planned.

Top 10 Best Heroes of All Time

I'm sure this post won't go without some disagreement. But I write it still.

And just know that I am truly, really, yes, yes, yes doing this from a completely honest writerly standpoint. I am not picking favorites. No I'm not. And if I am, it's because my favorites are the best. ;) No really, I will be as honest as possible.

Now. Anyways. Here are the top ten greatest heroes of all time (from local media that I have personally seen and stuff).

P.S. I will be following with a top villains, supporting characters, "anti-heroes", and damsels in distress. HEE HEE HEE... >:} Also, none of these are in any particular order...I consider them all equal in heroic attributes.

TOP TEN HEROES OF ALL TIME:

1. HICCUP
How to Train Your Dragon (movie)

Despite his father's obvious disapproval of all of..."this" *gestures to all of Hiccup*, Hiccup still manages to come across as optimistic. He makes the best out of his worst qualities, which turn out to save his village (and earn him a seriously cool best friend *eye point to Toothless*).

2. MEGAMIND

Megamind (movie)

One of the only good guy bad guys I've ever seen. He deserves this.




3. PRINCE CASPIAN
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (movie)

Despite his people's hatred of Narnians, Caspian willingly learns about them and listens when they protest against the Telmarines. He then proceeds to fight against his own people. That takes guts, people.

4. JACK FROST

Rise of the Guardians (movie)

(saw that one coming, didn't you?)

Jack Frost has all the qualities of a truly interesting hero. Paired with his flawed nature and several profound failures in the movie, you truly learn to respect him. Click here for a full analysis on this character.




5. CAPTAIN AMERICA/STEVE
Captain America (movie)

Steve (aka Captain America) is one of the most moral and awesome heroes I know of (yes, even though he's a Marvel person...). He loses everything (literally everything, even his own time period) and is still this AWESOME hero. How cool is that. Too cool. That's how cool.

6. WRECK-IT RALPH

...Self-explanatory.

Another one of those bad-guys turned good. Ralph turned into the goodest good guy there ever was. I mean, he became a little girl's hero. It doesn't get any better than that.

7. ROXAS

Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts II (video game)

Not technically a "hero", I guess, but still. He gives up his existence to make sure another kid stays alive to fight the evil in the universe.

8. BRUCE WAYNE

Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises (movie)

Yup. His parents die, he loses it, gets slapped by his girlfriend and sent to a bad guy training camp, saves his sanity, rescues his worst enemy, and heads off to become the world's greatest superhero. Doesn't get any better than that. Doesn't matter what happens to Bruce, he always keeps his eye on Gotham's safety.




9. ROBIN HOOD

Doesn't matter how you paint the picture, it's always generally the same; Robin kills someone he didn't mean to kill and gets himself branded an outlaw, yet goes out into the woods and makes good out of the worst.

10. PRINCE DASTAN

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (movie)

He loses his dad and his brothers turn against him, and still he is determined to clear his name and save the kingdom. Classic hero story.

So, did I miss a one? What are your favorite heroes? What do you like about the heroes listed?