December 13th, 2020

Figured since this was a random book, I'd start off with what I wanted to do. That is, going over how I made my OCs. I dunno, they've changed a lot, and I'm really proud of them. Skip if you aren't interested, but I'll be including tips (and some of the dumb stuff I originally did), so if you like that stuff that's great.

I might make others, but I'm staring with Firestarter since those characters have evolved the most.

WELCOME TO HAWKINS / A STORM OVER HAWKINS

(Note: I criticize this version a lot. None of this is criticizing others who do this, just a dislike for how I wrote it because it isn't what I'd like now. Doing this does NOT make your story bad. Lots of good ones are written like this.)

This is my very first story, and the very first version of Ten. I don't even what to say a version of Anne, since she was very different.

First of all, I'd like to say I'm not very fond of Welcome to Hawkins, and it's sequel A Storm Over Hawkins even less. It was basically ever Stranger Things fic. No, actually, it was basically another Stranger Things fic. Why? Because I didn't think to watch the show for a script, and none of the scripts had the names of the characters that spoke. As I don't have a photographic memory, I didn't remember the scenes. Literally the best thing I thought to do was watch the show while writing, if just to see the scene and get the script.

Back onto the character. I can't remember who the very original Faceclaim was, but the one I remember was Sophia Lillis. The reason for both the Faceclaim and the number was basically just my ego. I was a massive canon stickler at the time, and acted like it was some how 'better' because it stuck to canon.

Yes, I was obnoxious.

Anyways, I chose Sophia Lillis because she had the short hair that would fit as a test subject. I still think she's a really good Faceclaim, but you'll see later why that was a bad idea. Then I chose Ten, because I'd read in a tip book not to make a number after Eleven since it 'lessened her importance' or something (if you can't tell, I was super self-conscious at the time, always worrying about what people would think of the story.)

For powers I chose telepathy and telekinesis.

OK, I think now would be a good time to mention I had her be Eleven's twin. It fits into the explanation of a lot.

So, my logic (bad logic) was that since they were twins, they would have the same powers, but also different. Like El had ESP and telekinesis, so Ten had telepathy and telekinesis.

The problem? This made Ten super useless.

I was worried that people would get mad at me if I change anything, and I didn't want to take any of El's scenes. The problem was that this meant I never got to use Ten's powers. The only time was like, small things or stuff I poorly added in because I didn't want to change it but also couldn't take scenes. Basically, I was stuck.

Now onto A Storm Over Hawkins.

I actually had two versions of Season 2. The first she went with the kids, and then the second she was with El. Not sure which was better.

Ten continued to be a cardboard character. I never actually tried to expand on her telepathy (which I've been amending with Campbell). Honestly, if you read her story, you easily could have forgotten about it.

Now onto where something actually happened. I say that because I was lazy and barely wrote the time in the cabin. That would mean writing my own scenes, which I've already mentioned I was scared of.

I already said I made her El's twin. Probably because I needed a reason for her to go with El to Kali. I named her Jamie. Jamie and Jane, I thought it looked good. I actually liked Jamie as a name, but when changing it I decided it was too close to Jane. I try not to have my characters names be too similar to a canon character, especially one they'd often be written next to. I later had a similar problem with Anne and Andrew, but the length is different enough to show a difference.

The rest I can't really remember because, again, Jamie wasn't a character. She was a cardboard cutout that I pushed around with the plot. Basically a camera. The biggest thing after this was she fought the Mind Flayer mentally while closing the gate. Once again, this was good but done poorly. Because I was worried about making her too OP or too important, I didn't explain how she could do this.

Honestly, if there's anything to learn from this, don't worry about what other people might think about your story. Don't fear writing what you want because it make your character a 'Mary Sue'. At least, not until it's posted. Then take criticism. But I was so worried about keeping Jamie a 'good' character, she wasn't a character at all. It was just the show.

Now that finished this, I'm going to go over character by character. Why? Because, while a lot of these characters came from other stories, these were stories I never finished. Didn't even get into the second chapter on most. Others were made specifically for Firestarter, but came in part from my other stories. So, it's be easier to write how they evolved than to write the story.

ANNE 'TEN' CAMPBELL

Anne Campbell is a direct version of Jamie Ives. You can see the most of Jamie in Anne. She shares the worry about her powers, the trusting, and the general personality. She's basically Jamie injected with a lot more personality and a lot more reason for this personality.

I chose Sennia Nanua for the same reason as Sophia Lillis, she had pictures with short hair. I found her by watching a video on The Girl With All The Gifts while I was lookin for a new Faceclaim. Honestly, if I went back, I would have kept Sophia. Sennia has, like, a total of two gifs I can use. It would just be easier. But there's no way I'd change it
now. I'm honestly glad I chose Sennia, and now I can't see anyone else as Anne.

Thermokinesis came in through another fic I planned, technically the very first Firestarter. That is, it was the first with that name. The plot was that a test subject with pyrokinesis was transported to California and escaped, being adopted by Max's family. That character didn't even get a name.

I settled on thermokinesis because it was perfect for Anne. One, I could explain it scientifically as her speeding up molecules (which, by the way, is what causes heat.) That was just me liking reason. Second, though, was it fit Anne's personal conflict perfectly.

Anne's arc through season 1 and going into 2 was finding a good use for her powers. A way to help people with them, as she felt she could only hurt people. So, I needed an ability that wasn't obviously useful, but was very useful in the case of the story. I considered pyrokinesis, but I felt that gave too much control. If she could control the fire, there was less reason for her to fear the ability. It would become tiring for her to never control it. Thermokinesis fixed these problem because Anne would never control the fire. She controls temperature, which used to start fires.

I'm excited to get into season 3, because in that Anne's conflict is going to move away from her powers. After all, season 2 would definitely prove to her that she has a use to help people, and it would just be regressing her character to not have her develop more confidence with her abilities. Character regression to run the same plot was something I hated in the show (which is a topic for another time), so I refuse to do the same.

OSWALD 'SEVEN' CAMPBELL

While Anne changed the most, Campbell shows how much I've changed. He's basically how I'd write Jamie now, or the closest you're going to get it. I think now it should be noted Anne and Campbell are basically split from Jamie, with Anne taking the personality and Campbell getting everything I should have done with her powers.

I'm surprised at how big Campbell has gotten. When I first wrote Firestarter (I think like, one person remembers that), Campbell was a minor character. He was always suppose to be a character foil to the more emotional Anne. Actually, he was written as a foil to Kali. I got the idea after watching The Lost Sister and realized that, yes, some of the subjects have different opinions of the lab.

And hence, Oswald Campbell was born.

Campbell was the most different character I had made, and not just being and adult male. For half of season 1 he worked for the lab. His only name was given by the lab. I could put a lot into his backstory, but there is no 'Jane Ives' for him. I remind you he's almost thirty in season 1 (and actually thirty in 3) and has only mildly more social intelligence than the girls. Which I feel like builds a lot into his character, as it's easy to forget with his powers.

I feel like seasons 1 and 2 can be split between Anne and Campbell, and 2 is definitely his. This is what I meant when I said Campbell shows how much I've changed in my writing. I went from fearing changing the plot line to...well, just look at Campbell literally becoming an exorcist. He's grown increasingly powerful - and increasingly connected to the Mind Flayer. It's fun.

I should note after this it's my side characters. I added them because I feel like side characters are important, and you should never be afraid to add in more than just your mains. But that also means there hasn't been as much change with them as with Anne and Campbell.

SAMANTHA 'SAM' DOYLE

Going with Sam Doyle next, since she was originally going to have her own story. She might have her own story again, since I quite like her and she doesn't do much in Firestarter.

Now, there wasn't much of a reason for me to make Sam. I saw a video on A Quiet Place and I needed to make a character with Millicent Simmonds. That's generally how I find faceclaims, I have a list of them, but this also gave me a chance to make a deaf character. Which was very exciting because I had just gotten into IT, and was becoming annoyed with the 'loser because they're too pretty' plot.

Yes. If you haven't notice, I write a lot of my plots because stuff annoys me.

Sam is pretty much the same as she always been. In her original version, she was a foil to her brother, Marty. In this version she's a bit of a foil to Anne, and definitely a foil to Andrew. With Andrew, her plot uses was introducing Anne into different views of humanity and allowing her to have friends beyond the party. Personally, with Anne's arc, I felt this was important for her to have.

GAGE LOOMIS

I need to stop randomly grabbing people for Faceclaims. I get stuck having to literally make gifs.

Aside from that, Loomis is a very new character. Aside from Andrew, he's actually the newest character, only being made for this most recent version of Firestarter when Campbell's storyline became bigger. Honestly, I'm glad I had made him. Why?

One: Loomis was actually very important to Campbell's character arc. I needed someone to introduce Campbell into the normal world. Anne and El had the boys, but I couldn't do the same with Campbell. He'd never meet Joyce, and there's no way season 1 Hopper would have helped Campbell until maybe the middle of the season. Which was were Loomis came in, being willing to both help Campbell and quickly befriend him.

And two: He's just a blessing to write. Stranger Things is full of serious characters, with a good amount of angsts. Loomis is...honestly a well meaning dumbass. He's not a genius, he doesn't have superpowers or the angst that comes with it, but he wants to help because that's his job or something, and that's nice to write. You may disagree, but I happen to like to write genuinely nice people.

ANDREW ELLSWORTH

I continue to not be sure how many 'l's are in his last name.

Andrew is the newest character. He literally did not exist until season 3 came out, and Erica got a bigger role in the story. Why? Because I literally didn't think about a younger character. Once I did I was super excited, because yes, that is perfect. By which I mean his 'super smart nine year old' personality made him more likely to believe Anne's story, and also later test Anne's powers.

I will admit, that's about it. Like Loomis, Andrew is more of a light hearted character. He will become more important in season 3. I feel like he could also make a very interest main character, and if I do give Sam her own book Andrew will become a much bigger character.

And that's it, at least for Firestarter. It was nice getting a chance to talk about my more complex characters, even if I might be the only one interested in it. I would suggest doing this if you have characters with a lot of work/that you've changed a lot/are just very complex. It'll be a lot of fun, even if it's kinda embarrassing (god Jamie Ives was a mess.)