Today I’m talking about Long a character from Starchild Book One: The Age of Akra.
I’ve had a few people ask me to explain why I made Long annoying in the first book. Well, this is a good question. I don’t write anything without a reason. So, why would an older brother be so annoying? Why would he volunteer to be Mai’s chaperone in the first place? Why would I give readers a reason to be annoyed by his behaviour? When book two is released in September everyone will understand why I have laid this type of foundation for Long. You see, everyone has reasons behind the things they do and writers need to be aware of this. It’s not because I’m studying counselling that makes me look into these things with more depth. It’s because to create real characters they need motivation behind why they do things.
Firstly, let’s look at the thoughbanking culture I have created on the planet Sage. They don’t appreciate animals because animals exist to survive. Animals can’t speak many languages, make decisions or plan for things based on knowledge, and they can’t develop philosophy. These elements are the basis of the thoughbankers culture. They are a nation of thinkers. They are teachers of wisdom, they can read people’s thoughts, remove and add memories and create illusions. They are powerful by thought.
Secondly, Long is a morpher. He has the gift of being able to transform into animals. Of course this means something in a nation where animals are not considered valuable. Long is not liked by the other thoughtbankers. So what does a boy do to get attention if he is not liked? In Starchild he becomes annoying and does silly things to encourage people pay attention to him. This is the foundation of his personality and will be the source of motivation for what happens in book two.
It’s important for readers to love to hate characters in books. So far Long is the one character who everyone remembers so passionately in Starchild. They love to hate him because he’s so darn annoying. But in saying that, there are a few twists in book two. This series is a bridging series intended to allow the writing to grow with the readers. Each book will become a little more challenging to read, building on every nation the children visit. The plot will expand and develop as will the size of the books. This is about nation building, character building, developing a journey and enticing growth in a world full of powerful energies.
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