I spent eight days pounding out an intense development contract…the 14 hour days were draining, but it was worth it in the end, and I finished two days early. Which means…one I get a bonus, but more important (yes, you heard that right), I can let the gremlins in my head out to play again.

Being entrenched in software programming has given the creative parts of my brain time to ramble in the background of my mind. They’ve done a couple of things for me – given me some clues on how to finish my Uriel’s Fall rewrite, and introduced me to a new character.

I’ve had this happen before. It is – from what I hear – a pretty common thing amongst writers. But I haven’t had the privilege much recently. Most of my recent people have grown from a need to fill a specific role. This girl just popped into my head to fill a role that didn’t exist, and probably doesn’t need to exist, but apparently will.

And she’s only showing herself to me a bit at a time. I tried to impose certain requirements on her in order to speed up the process, but for once the character won’t allow it to happen. She insists her name is Ivy; its short for Isadora. She’s got pink hair, she won’t tell me her natural color, but insists she’s mortal in a world where gods and Greek heroes wander the earth with the rest of us.

She wants to make Loki an offer. It will be one he can’t walk away from, and one that won’t leave him in a winning position. If only I could get her to tell me what that offer is. I have some general ideas of the concept of it, but no details. Not yet.

It’s been fascinating to let her traipse around through my head. Pointing out which of my other characters she likes, who she doesn’t, how she’s different from the others, how she’s the same.

And if I can get her to be more than just vague, I might ask her to guest post.

I love it <3. How do your characters come to you? Do you create them all to suit their individual purposes, or do they all speak to you and tell you who they are, or a combination of the two or something else?