An Ode To The Unsung Characters

You know, sometimes it frustrates me how much I want everybody to love the same characters I love, when they can't. Why not? Because a great deal of my beloved story characters are in that land between lands, the Realm Of Unpublished Stories. So many friends, cohorts, and other fellow writers write the most loveable characters, and yet all I can do is give a minimal praise of them because nobody else knows them as I and a few other readers do. So, today, I'm going to change that. I'm going to praise some very memorable characters (and their writers, of course), relentless of whether anybody else understands me. I need to sing of these unknown miracle-people! It is a crime that any ink-and-paper person should ever be unknown if they are of worth, and so I shall attempt to amend that so often-occurring crime. Let's hop to it! :)

Dar Beauregard, of The Prince's Pendant, or Mercury's Wings by Lucy Agnes.

He's the Space Fox. He's a Shakespearian actor (uh, kind-of) who is secretly a rebellion fighter. He's the most daring thief, rebel, pilot, and anything else you can think of in the galaxy. Not to mention, he's incredibly handsome and unspoken for currently. ;) Frankly, if he wasn't a good three-thousand years in the future, I'd have my eye on him. Who doesn't want a guy who can shoot any target, rob any ship, fly any flier, accomplish any mission, and act any play that is humanly possible. I mean, really? Why am I not seeing this guy's name everywhere in big lights?! Now that's an unsung character. Not to mention his bravery and (eventually) virtue. After all, once his head's in the right place, he is one of the sweetest, most loveable young gents in the intergalactic ink-and-paper world. And even before then, he's definitely the most charming man in the story.

Looks: Hazel eyes; lovely brown hair; a face that could soften any heart.

Trademarks: a pistol holster at his side; a blue pilot suit; a cocked stance.

Some particular qualities: His amazing daring and skill; his dashing grin; those eyes (oh, those eyes!); his tendency to consider the odds very minimally and jump right into something super dangerous, coming out perfectly successful.

Something I loved about him: The way he thinks and speaks. Once his head's straight, his thoughts go from slightly-off but amazingly charming to sweet and amazingly charming. Really, with Dar's POV around, I'm surprised that girl characters haven't flocked to the story. And almost everything he says sounds like a hotshot movie line, or else it's heart-meltingly sweet/deep.





Chase Williams, of Dreaming Reality by Anna Deubell.

There are three words I can say about Chase that will all describe him. Sweet. Amazing. Dork. I love, love, love those guys that are so intelligent, but so sweet and occasionally funny or dorky, and they just capture your heart. Such is the type that Chase is. He is that book character that seems unassuming for the first two sentences of meeting him, and then he captures your heart. Piece by piece. Line by line. Paragraph by paragraph. Until, after maybe two chapters of knowing him at the most, you being to wonder what anyone in the whole story's world does without Chase. It's such a beautifully thought-out book, with thrilling action, and practically flawless writing, and Chase is that extra touch that just makes you explode with excitement at the mere thought of the story. Except that he's definitely not extra. Seriously, I super loved the story before I met Chase, but once Chase entered... HEART ATTACK ALERT!!! How did I ever live without him?! He saved my life, along with others... ;) Everything about him was just something that added to my ever-growing love of him. Every time he spoke, I either laughed or cried, or bent on the edge of my seat to see if he spoke again soon (and no, that's seriously not an exaggeration). And my favorite parts in the entire book, I'd guarantee that at least 9 out of 10 of them had Chase or something to do with him. And if I had more time to praise this book, I definitely would. But, as of now, I will have to give all its praise to Mr. Chase Williams.

According to Anna's blog, this is what Chase looks like.

Looks: Blue eyes; brown hair; fairly young.

Trademarks: His devotion to his best friend, Carmen; his wonderful taste in meals (haha, that was a reference to certain scene with brownies, btw, if Anna happens to be reading this and needs a laugh).

Some particular qualities: His tendency to do the right thing without a second thought; his courage; his humility; his sweet dorky side which made me love him from day 1.

Something I loved about him: His way of saying something completely ordinary or expectable, but somehow making me laugh by saying it. Even just saying something like "That hurt", I laughed and laughed and laughed (and also cried, due to the occasion for it). Seriously. Best character in the already brilliant story, people. Why hasn't this been published yet?!

Matthew Hart, of The Orb Of Unlimited Power, by Hope Macpherson.

With Space-thieves and life-savers, you'd think I'd have some kind of ninja-assassin or something of the like next. Well, not exactly. Someone better. Who? Matthew Hart, that's who. Who? Okay, I'll elaborate. A sweet boy, and one of the best friends a girl could ask for, not to mention a very funny and pleasant personage. Another type where you hang on everything he says, even if it's just a remark on the weather. Even just him being surprised and almost spitting his drink out near the beginning of the story was enough to make me like him. ;) *sighs* Some people, once they come into the story, you just sit on the edge of your seat bouncing in glee until their next scene. I think that Mr. Matthew is one of these. :) I haven't even finished reading his story yet, but I know that - if it's anything like what's already come - then readers like me (along with the publishing world) are in for a delight.

Looks: Brown hair; an amazing smile (uh, sorry to Hope if that was an inaccurate description, but he smiles a lot, and I always imagined him really vividly doing so); brown eyes.

Trademarks: His friendship with Alaine Turner (the MC of the story); his brilliant reactions (haha, maybe I'm getting a little too reference-y to story here with character trademarks. Okay, I'll try to behave more). ;)

Some particular qualities: His good humor; his easiness in character.

Something I loved about him: Um, how about like every scene he's been in so far...? Haha, I guess that won't work. :) Okay, then his friendship with Alaine. It's so cute and banter-y, and it reminds me of a friendlier version of the song Anything You Can Do from Annie Get Your Gun. ;)

And these are only a select few of the many, many, many that I would love to mention! It's truly a crime that any characters of such a caliber of genius and lovability should go unpublished!

Oh, let it not be e'er said,

Lest with sayer I take strife,

That a character unpublished is dead,

Til a press brings it to life

And if one among you should doubt

The value of these ones,

Then I say 'I could not live without

These people and their fun!'

Oh, let the skeptics have their say

To prove I am but off,

And at their silly, clos-ed way,

I'll shake my head and scoff.

Those poor souls, they never knew

All readers' greatest lark -

The characters, characters who

would for our joy embark.

And what does make a person penned

Lesser than one sold?

'Naught!', I say and say again,

'Such claims are false and old!'

For no published one gives me pleasure

As those just struggling through

And if you read them, I am sure

That you will love them too.

Thus is my little bit of verse in honor of all those ink-and-paper people out there with only a few to praise their names. Let us drink a toast to them - and to the day when they be published for all skeptic readers to see! :D Votre toast! - to Dar, Chase, Matthew, and all the other unpublished characters just waiting to hear the well-deserved applause of the world! :D

What did you think? Do you agree? Are there any honorable unpublished characters you would like to add to the list? Any to recommend to me? Did you enjoy the little poem for them? Perhaps hast thou now been converted, thou skeptic readers? Have I inspired anybody else to a love of these particular three? Talk to me! :D (Also, can I have a vote perhaps on a subject? See, I'm rather in debate with myself of whether to next introduce my sci-fi contemporary book, In Greater Hands, on the next Meet The Books! post or not. It's been spoken of on this blog before, but that was a long time ago, and to a different audience, so my present audience is still mostly unacquainted with it. What do you think?)