Character Introduction and Interview: Ashlynn

This is the first post of it’s kind. For the next little while, I’m going to occasionally post a character spotlight and interview. Before I do, I have a small disclaimer. Please excuse the pictures. I am more of a writer than an artist. They are the best I can do. So Ashlynn, if you ever see this, please don’t be mad at me for my rendition of you.

The first character I am highlighting is Ashlynn. She’s the main character in Gateway to Aviandria. I hope you enjoy getting to know her a little bit.

Although Ashlynn always possessed a good self-esteem, she never really considered herself particularly special. From her light brown hair to her average height and weight, there isn’t really anything that would cause Ashlynn to stand out among her fellow college students. However, her relatively normal life became anything but ordinary when she was magically transported to a strange new world called Aviandria. Without any knowledge of how to get back to her own normal world, Ashlynn felt trapped in this unfamiliar land. However, after meeting Alder and Dillyn, two young outlaws, she began to feel there might be hope for her to get back. In the meantime, she decided to learn everything she could to fit into her new world, and she became determined to do all she could to help her new friends in their cause, including learning how to ride the giant birds called rocs. It wasn’t too long before her new relationships and her freshly acquired skills started making the alien world seem just as normal as her life when she had been home. What she didn’t realize was that by working to fit into this extraordinary world, she herself was becoming extraordinary.
Ashlynn’s primary goal is to return home to her family and friends, but in the meantime, she wants to help Alder and Dillyn return Aviandria to the way it is supposed to be, and learn all the skills required to be a good rider. Among her new hobbies are archery, campfire cooking, and asking enough questions to fill a testing center on finals week.

Interview

My questions are bolded, and Ashlynn’s responses are in italics.
What is your favorite color and why?
Before I discovered (is discovered the right word? Does it count as a discovery if I just popped into it?) anyhow, before I discovered Aviandria I would probably have said my favorite color was red. It’s bold and confident, and sometimes if I used it I could pretend to be that way. I’m not all that confident, but sometimes red made me feel a bit braver.

What is your favorite food and why?
Chocolate. I’m counting that as a food entirely. I’ve always said it should be counted as a vegetable. It comes from a bean, right? Except for my family and friends, chocolate might be the thing I miss the most from home.

Really? Even more than electricity, or shampoo?
Yes, even more than those. At first having no electricity was hard, but I got used to it. Also, I learned that when nobody else was worried about shampoo, it didn’t end up mattering to me that much. Actually, it was kind of nice not having to bother with it. There were a few times I kind of wished for it, though. Actually, a good hair dryer and brush would have been even more welcome. The combs and brushes leave something to be desired in Aviandria, and the humidity makes my hair impossible to do much with. Thank goodness braids are in fashion there.

Where would you go on your dream vacation, and what would you do?
I used to dream of going somewhere in Europe. I wanted to travel and see and learn all sorts of new things. My experience in Aviandria has filled most of those urges, though I still probably wouldn’t say no to hiking in the Alps, or riding a gondola in Venice.

What about in Aviandria? Are there any desirable vacation destinations for you there?
Probably one of the cities I have never been to. I’ve heard good things about Falconshire and Rochaven. Or I would love to see some other of the neighboring countries. Of course, I would always welcome a trip to Draconland.

What animal do you see yourself most like and why?
I’ve always thought a bird of some sort. I’ve never been able to figure out exactly what kind. Maybe a sparrow. They are small, but I find them rather cheerful. They don’t stand out a lot, but when you do notice them, they are kind of fun to watch. I guess that is kind of like me. I don’t usually attract much attention to myself, but I think I can be fun if you get to know me. I don’t know. I’ve also been compared to a squirrel by some of my friends, which might work. I’m kind of nutty, and curious, and I suppose I could get annoying at times. I guess it depends on your perception of squirrels.

If you had a hundred dollars to spend however you like, what would you do with it?
Order a huge case of chocolate and have it shipped to Aviandria. Just kidding. I don’t really have all that much I really need or want. I would probably end up saving it until something came up that I really wanted. Of course, they wouldn’t know what to do with a hundred dollar bill in Aviandria, but if it were translated into Aviandrian currency, I might use it to help my friends there. Actually, the more I think about it, if I could get it, a huge case of chocolate would be a lot of fun to introduce to my friends in Aviandria. Although I should probably be careful with that. They might never be the same again.

If you had an hour of free time to do whatever you wanted with, what would you do?
That’s hard. There are so many things I love doing. I might practice archery, or fly with Gwen, or just visit with friends. Taking a peaceful walk to nowhere in particular might be nice. It would probably depend on whether I was in or out of Aviandria. At school, I probably would have taken a walk in the gardens or watched my favorite movie. Curling up with a good book would also work.

If you could have one super-power, what would it be?
I’ve always wanted to fly, but since I met Gwen, that wouldn’t be as much of a big deal. I haven’t really thought about it since then. I suppose telekinesis might be cool. It could be really handy at times. I’d have to be careful not to let it make me too lazy, though.

What would you say your favorite thing about Aviandria is?
There are so many awesome things about Aviandria, but my very favorite thing, hands down, is the people. I love the people there. Well, I guess not all of them. There are a few I would kind of like to just forget, but for the most part, the people there are wonderful. I’ve made so many good friends there. And of course Gwen. She’s not exactly a person, but she definitely counts as a friend.

So your relationship with the people there makes up for the lack of chocolate?
Yes, the people are better than chocolate. At least most of the time.

Soon your adventure will be coming out in a book. Is there anything you would like the future readers to know, without giving anything too important away?
It feels a bit strange being the protagonist in a book. Most of the time I really didn’t feel like a hero at all. Well, I guess I take that back. There were a couple times I did feel kind of heroic, but they were definitely the exception, and it wasn’t usually where the book makes me sound all big and brave. Most of the time, I just felt completely inadequate at those moments. I guess that’s why I wasn’t really sure the book would turn out all that great, but it surprised me. I actually am fairly pleased with how it turned out. It makes a pretty good story if I can pretend it wasn’t me it was all happening to.

So, do you have any sage advice to leave us with?
It sounds so cliche, but I guess I’ll go with the follow your heart bit. It really can be harder than you think, though. Sometimes your heart is torn in more than one direction, and it can make choosing really difficult. Usually, though, deep down, your heart will tell you which way is the most important. The other thing I would say is, when something is hard, you can do it. You don’t have to feel brave to be brave. Believe me, I know what it’s like to do something terrifying. If I can do it, you can too.