I don’t know about you, but I love a good secondary character. You know the ones. The show or story wouldn’t be the same without them. Some of my favorite stories have fun secondary characters such as Luna in the Harry Potter series, or Haymitch from the Hunger Games. They can be the life of the party, the saving grace, the individuals that bring a surprising depth in uncertain circumstances.
Audiences eat them up.
So, when I came up with the idea for Woodencloak, I needed a character that didn’t have its own storyline per se, but that allowed my main character, Horra Fyd, to talk to and interact with. It couldn’t be someone who would give Horra any advice or help her in any tangible way, but be there to lean on while she was lost and alone, wandering the Wilden Lands.
Enter Pidge, the pudge wudgie. Pidge is a rare and endangered bird who came into Horra’s life when she was at her lowest—when her mother was dying. Horra found an unhatched pudge wudgie egg on a royal trip through the Wilden Lands with her mother, Queen Terra, in search of the elusive magical lake which grants wishes. She took the egg home to the castle and Pidge hatched the same day Horra’s mother died of the Crud.
So even before the pudge wudgie hits the pages of Woodencloak, she has an impressive role to play—comfort her owner. By the time Woodencloak opens up, Pidge is almost as big as Horra (who hasn’t grown since her mother died) and is a rather spoiled bird. Wudgies are well known hunters, something that is endearing in a controlled atmosphere but not so great out in the wild. Things get interesting when Pidge appears to ‘attack’ the fairy princesses who come to the troll castle on a secret mission. The fairies threaten to have the bird killed and her parts pieced out for sale on the black market. So, when Horra has to flee the castle, she takes Pidge with her.
Pidge plays a crucial role for Horra as she becomes lost and is tracked endlessly through one dangerous situation after another. The bird is the only consistent, if fairly annoying, force in her perilous trek.
I based some of Pidge’s characteristics on my Wonder Beagle, Snickers, (see the image on the right) whose motivations always starts and ends with his stomach. Adorable, yes. A bit annoying after awhile, yep absolutely! Pidge will work her way into your heart though, just like any good secondary character ought to do.
WOODENCLOAK, the first of the Band of Unlikely Heroes series, is slated to release February 7, 2023. Check out the back cover copy here. It will be available on Amazon and the digital version at B&N.
And for you Black Friday shoppers, my publisher, Scrivenings Press, has a great deal for you to fill your reading quota for quite a while. Click HERE for more information.
That’s all for this week’s behind the scenes. I hope you stick with me as I continue to explore more of how I create my fantastical characters, stories, and story worlds.
Jessica says
Oh my goodness! I cannot wait to meet Pidge and Horra!
Dawn Ford says
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the story.