Tell me about yourself.
My name is Oscar. I serve King Louis III of
Manshire Province as Captain of the Long
Bow Knights. For my king’s comfort I typically
execute the critical assignments at his
decree. Manshire Province is one of two
countries on the island continent of
Estmira. Manshire now includes the former
country of Saraton. Worchester is the country
to the north. The mountainous region to the east
is uninhabited.
I am bound by my word and as a man of average height
I must keep myself in top
physical condition to fulfill my
obligation to my King. My salt and pepper beard is short
to keep it out of the bowstring; and my hair is
short to keep it out of my silver eyes. I
have square shoulders, and large, strong hands.
I spend my days raising my son to be a good
citizen of Manshire, easing my wife’s pain,
and serving my king.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Commitments to my king leave little free time,
but when possible I spend my weekends
with family—developing my son’s survival skills,
helping with farm chores, and sharing
stories with my family.
What is your favorite color?
Green—the color of spring—a fresh start.
What is your favorite food?
That’s easy—an omelet, particularly my wife
Abbey’s omelet. It’s so amazing how she
can blend several bland ingredients into
something so delicious.
What would you say is your biggest quirk?
I’d have to say it’s my impatience with younger
Long Bows—they are not prepared for
their duties when they start out as a Long Bow.
What is it about your antagonist that irks you
the most, and why?
My enemy is more of a thing, than a person; or,
maybe its better to say there are several
forces/people at play attempting to destroy the
king and his linage. They are deceptive
and solid evidence never reveals
itself.
What or who means the most to you in your life?
Abbey and Kendrick are the two most important
people in my life, but my duties as the
captain keep me
away from them. This situation creates a deep
internal conflict for me.
What one thing would you like readers to know
about you that may not be spelled
out in the book?
I became the captain of the guard because of who
I know— the king and I were best
friends in our youth. I was not the most
skilled Long Bow at the time of my promotion.
If you could tell your writer (creator) anything
about yourself that might turn the
direction of the plot, what would it be?
I have a great belief in fate. Fate made me the
captain and I am sworn to faithfully
execute the commands of my king, as such I spend
more time with the king’s affairs than
with my family. It would be nice to
live for today. Carpe Diem.
Ask me any question:
How long do you spend developing lead characters
compared to secondary characters?
At least twice as long. With a main character, you
really need to know how he/she thinks,
behaves, looks, speaks. It isn't enough to have
some sort of cardboard character;
something you may be able to get away with when
it comes to a character who comes on
to the scene only a few times. For a lead, you
must really know them, and that means
spending that extra time getting to know them
like you would your very best friend.
***
Thank you, Oscar!