F: Felix Walker

Felix Walker is one of my favorite characters in Across the Stars and one who really taught me that I cannot make up my characters’ personalities before I write about them. Felix is a wonderful young man whose life is followed from birth through age 16 in the story. He is brave and kind and chivalrous, an amazing swordsman and a strong Christian. Again, one of my favorite characters.

However, learning his personality was not so easy. I knew I wanted to introduce him in chapter five (originally chapter four) “The People’s Treasury of Arms.” That chapter has probably had more versions than any other chapter, though most of them never made it down on paper. And Felix was giving me problems. I tried to come up with the perfect personality for him. I remember standing on our driveway, coming up with endless possibilities for his character, possibilities which I discarded as soon as I thought of them. One, I remember, was that Felix was a really nice guy, but not a Christian. I know now that Felix’s Christian faith is fundamental to his character. Finally I just gave up and wrote. Felix emerged as himself, a kind, chivalrous young swordsman, with no mother, a cruel father, and strong faith in God, which is what sustains him throughout the difficulties he faces in life. Not what I had thought at first, but now I can’t imagine him as being anything else.