A Complicated Character

Since we’re discussing characters, another comes to mind who I also thought would also play a small role in my Steampunk/Fantasy novel, “Journey To The Black City”. But, like Dan Hendricks, it was not to be. I am speaking of a young woman from Lyria and Kel’s tribe by the name of Adria. In the beginning, I visualized her simply as a troublemaker. But as her character expressed itself, I realized it was much more than that. I found Adria to be a deeply disturbed paranoid and psychotic person. Now this presented me with a bit of a problem, as I didn’t know much about this condition. I felt I needed this character to be…real. So, I bought two books dealing with the subject of serial killers. I read them both, and marked places that described things I might be able to use for Adria’s character. It was a frightening exploration. This was not the stuff of fiction—this was the real deal. The killers I read about were people’s neighbors, work associates, scout camp leaders, and high-church officials. And so, Adria came into being.