Imaginary People

I have a problem. I have a number of people living in my head.

No, I don’t mean I have schizophrenia/ Multiple personality disorder. I may be crazy, but I’m not that crazy. Nor do I mean I have wee little men running around, making sure everything runs smoothly. Though that does sound like a fun idea, I’ll have to get back to it.

No, I simply mean I have fictional characters living in my head. I know I’m not a great writer. I think I’m decent, though I could be wrong, but I’m not great. So while I’ll imagine their stories, I don’t truly consider doing anything more, because there’s something missing. But still I imagine. And of all these many characters, there’s quite a variety.

Some come from others’ books, and are simply reimagined. Sometimes I consider their pasts, sometimes their futures, occasionally I even reimagine their present. Sometimes I’ll just choose unexplained side characters.

But more than these will be characters of my own invention. Some are male and some are female, some are wise and some are simple. Some live in worlds of fantasy, some in those of science fiction, some perhaps in realistic, historical, or medieval fiction. But not mystery. Never mystery. Some are clever and some are foolish, some are strong and some are weak. Some are musicians, some artists, some just ordinary men. Some are rich and some are poor. Some are kings and some are peasants, and every stage in between. Some are heroes and some are villains, some are even anti-heroes.

Some have pasts full of tragedy, some, lives full of joy. Some will find love and some will lose it, some will live alone. Some are old and some are young, some are outgoing and some are shy. Some are orphans and some wish they were, some love their families with all they have. Some will die and some will live. Some are immortals, others all too mortal.

The main character I have living in my head right now is a man in his early 20s. He’s quiet, but with a wry sense of humor. And though he looks simple, he was once second in command to the greatest hero to ever live. (They’re always the greatest hero to ever live).

Said hero had a group of warriors, a cadre of riders, as it were. This MC might even have been made captain of it – perhaps this would be some sort of honor guard for the hero. But this band of merry men had to break up (perhaps personal reasons of the hero? Maybe facing his past?) And now all of its members are scattered.

And suddenly this MC (main character) is called to a castle, together with a number of other young men and women. They find out that some ruler sent out messengers to look for simple people doing heroic deeds, and bring them back to help them train to be stronger, faster, smarter, better. (The world needs more heroes. Because, y’know, every world needs more heroes. Except for the ones which have too many. But those are also fun.) And nobody knows who this MC used to be.

It seemed a great idea, it still seems like one. And yet… the setting all points to a buildup towards some future possibilities, perhaps having some of these people form a band of heroes on their own. Maybe the ruler will be found out to have had more selfish reasons, or perhaps not. And anything such possibilities would make this MC better as a side character than as a main. His major stories and possibilities would seem to be in his past. Unless maybe he would be one of a few MCs.

Yes, of course I see the possibility of having his old cadre show up again. Such scenes are always fun to write and to read, but one has to consider the possibilities which would be left after. One scene should not consume and define any story of a decent length.

I don’t know, maybe I should just write this story, I just don’t want to try and write a bad one. I’d rather have my first attempt go well. It’s just always impossible to tell.

If I do want to write this story, I should probably do it soon. I already have another character pushing its way to the forefront, knocking this one aside.

-Hypebole out.