Gordon’s Pride
As I was building Gordon as a character I wanted someone taller, thicker, physically powerful, imposing, cranky, and psychically so strong that he inspires fear in others. I wanted him to be an obvious leader, but the kind others appreciate at a safe distance, not up close and personal. I built him to be smart, casually in tune with the world around him in a way that mystified others. But most of all I wanted him to be lacking some self-awareness, he needed to be flawed, bossy, and inflexible, so he could grow.
As Godon develops across the space of the first book, he becomes far more likable as Hanna’s mate and Grabon and Heron’s friend. By the second book, he has become a member of the community, and no longer at a distance. By the third and fourth books he is roped in with mate, cousins, family on all sides, and fully committed to a new and growing culture that includes the dragons.
There is no denying that my characters change and grow, flex and bend, and hopefully they all become more likable the better you know them. Feel free to let me know which of my characters change the most?