I get asked how I think of my characters a lot – particularly the weird ones. Phin. Brystion, etc. I mean, my world-building as a whole is filled with odd beasties and people. OtherFolk come in many flavors, and it’s a kitchen-sink world so pretty much anything and everything is fair game. Sometimes it’s easy – the characters just show up and I know exactly how they’re going to fit in. Sometimes I don’t have the foggiest clue. Sometimes they surprise me quite a bit. Part of that is being a panster. Half the time, I really don’t know everyone’s motivation until I get there. As far as characters go, I still have to admit that Ion plays everything so very, very close to his vest.  I thought I had him pegged up front…and discovered I’ve barely scratched the surface. He’s one of the hardest characters to write, for that reason.… Read more