Writing Isa

I’ve been writing novels for about 15 years now, but this is the first time I’ve written a sequel where the main character remains the same, and I have to say it’s quite refreshing. This would be Isa Malik from The Slaying of the Bull (Book 1 of the Tocharian Gospels Series) and now, The Power of the Heliodromus (Book 2), which I am currently writing.

When I write a character, they tend to grow from the dialogue. I don’t do a whole lot of planning anymore. I set some personality traits, and I see where their interactions take me. When I was younger, I spent considerable time framing out every little detail, but the characters always came out a bit cookie-cutter. I couldn’t collect enough detail to make the person seem real. I could nail home the strong positive and negative traits, but it’s the subtle variations that make a character alive. They can’t always be good, and they can’t always do right. You have to hate them sometimes, and you have to ask, “why did they do that?” here and there. That’s because no matter how noble, kind, likable, or good a character is, they are still human and inevitably flawed. The same goes for villains. There is no such thing as pure evil. Humans can get pretty close, but there should always be a glimmer of something else—a touch of kindness, humor, a bit of weakness, or a sad story. The problem is, this process sometimes takes a long time before I find the character’s voice. I go over dialogue over and over again, until suddenly I can say, “there’s my character!”

This is different for Isa. I have a whole 470 page novel of his childhood that I know by heart. I have pieces of his history to build on. I have his conversations with others and detailed accounts of his experiences. I also have what others may think of him. I know his endearing qualities, as well as his fears and faults. It’s a beautiful foundation to start with, and writing him in The Power of the Heliodromus is like revisiting an old friend. Sure, a lot has happened since The Slaying of the Bull. It’s been about 15 years, and he is now a man. His travels with Lwica were long and full of strife. Their relationship, which I’ve yet to write in detail, has changed as they both came into adulthood in a world where they must entirely depend on each other. They now live in a strange land and culture where they are looked down upon and marginalized. All these experiences would have led to growth, but deep down inside, Isa is still that little orphan that experienced much pain and trial. He will always be intelligent and kind, but also naive and full of doubt about the mission forced upon him. There is still plenty for him to learn and experience. Bits of his past are still unknown to him, and the path ahead a complete mystery. Isa is very much like my child, and I am excited to see his potential in life, but I also fear the inevitable struggles that he will face. I hope you, dear reader, will feel the same!

Cheers!