Comet Sagewood
Full Name: Comet Olive Sagewood
Gender: Male
Age: 9
Height: ‘4“6
Physical Appearance: straight, fluffy, short, raven-colored hair, gray eyes, fair skin, average ‘little boy’ body type
Animal Form: gray wolf pup
What’s their role in your story? Main character, side character, etc.? Comet is a side character in The Secret of Moonflower Valley.
What is their greatest desire? Something they’d give anything to have? Comet would do anything to make his older brother proud.
Do they have a dream job? If not, how do they feel about not knowing what they want to be when they grow up? Comet’s not sure what he wants to be in the future, only that he definitely does not want to join the Navy. Storm really seems to hate it, so he does, too.
Can they fight? With or without weapons? Nope! Comet can’t really fight at all.
Are they left or right handed? Or are they ambidextrous? Comet is left-handed, as is 90% of the humanimal population.
How strong are they, both physically and mentally? Comet has a decent amount of upper-body strength because he loves to climb trees and hang from the branches. I mean, it beats sitting around or waiting for Storm to finish his chores so he can finally play with him.
What do you, as the author, want to happen to them by the end of the story? (Character arcs, new friendships, revelations, etc.) Comet starts off the story as a wide-eyed little kid who tries as best as he can to act brave. For his brother, for his new friend Moonshine, and for the cause he’s fighting for, which is… Comet’s actually not quite sure what he’s doing. At least, in the beginning.
What do they do in their spare time? Tch. All Comet ever has is spare time. If he weren’t so creative, it’d drive him crazy. He climbs trees, talks to the animals on his farm, and plays games with them. He even tried to teach Thunder, his older brother’s pegasus, how to play chess once, but that didn’t work out so well. He also picked up drawing from Storm, so he does that from time to time. His dad doesn’t care that he likes to draw—then again, he doesn’t care much about anything to do with Comet.
If this character kept reliving the same exact day over and over and over again, (like the events of the movie ‘Groundhog Day’), what would they do? Comet would be really, really, really confused. Why did Storm keep saying the exact same things? And the animals—sure, they follow the same routine every day, but why is Thunder pooping in the same spot? And that huge mushroom Comet had dissected the day before, it was… back? Like a zombie?? And even if Comet did realize what was going on, he’d probably spend about a month’s worth of days trying to convince Storm about it. He’s not the kind of character that would try anything too adventurous right off the bat, but maybe he’d eventually try sneaking into town to get Storm some paint. His older brother really likes painting, but he can’t because their dad won’t buy him paint. So if Comet could relive the same day over and over, he’d perfect his ‘going-into-town-and-getting-Storm-paint’ plan.
Does this character keep a journal? What do they write in it? Comet has a notebook that he writes some of his games in. Or, when he has a funny conversation with one of the chickens or the cow, Belle, he’ll write it down in there so he can go back and read it later.
Does this character know how to dance? Do they enjoy dancing? Nope. Comet doesn’t know how to dance but likes the way it looks when other people do it. He likes watching people dance when he and Storm (and their dad, occasionally) go to festivals, but he’s never done it himself. It looks fun, though!
Would you and this character get along in real life? You know what? I’m actually not sure.
Who do they look up to? Their older brother or sister, a parent, a celebrity? What do they like about them? How did this person earn their respect? Storm. Comet wants to be like him when he gets older. His brother is the strongest, coolest, and funniest person he knows. Granted, he doesn’t know many people—but still. And how did he earn his respect? Um, by being awesome??
Do they like little kids (or just regular kids, depending on how old they are), or do they find them annoying? Well, Comet isn’t usually around other people, and when he is, they’re all either as old or older than him, so he wouldn’t know. But I do! He would be overwhelmed by kids of ages seven and under. He may get a little lonely from time to time, but he’s also way too used to playing by himself. Little kids wouldn’t follow his carefully crafted rules, and it would just be too much chaos all around.
Are they introverted, extroverted, or the perfect introvert + extrovert salad? With a little weirdness dressing? Comet can be shy from time to time, but, when encouraged by his brother, he ventures into groups of kids and plays with them. (Like at festivals or town meetings.)
Do they have siblings? Are they the oldest, youngest, or somewhere inbetween? How does their role in their family affect the way they act? Comet is the youngest in his family, and he has the least responsibility out of his brother and father. You’d think that not having many chores would feel freeing, right? You’re wrong. At least, in this case. Comet goes about his days, with many things uncertain. When is lunch? What about dinner? Will Storm be able to play with him today, or will he be too busy, or too tired? And when will he wake up, or go to sleep? Comet is only nine years old, but he has to answer these questions himself. Many don’t have clear answers until he’s gone through the motions. Storm does his best for his little brother, but even he has his limits.
What are their unique relationships with each of their siblings? Storm is Comet’s best friend, role-model, and older brother. Comet respects and admires everything he says and does, and wants to be just like him when he’s older. Comet believes anything Storm says (so it’s a no-go for the old “You’re adopted!” tease, amiright?), and would follow him anywhere and support him until the end.
Are they married or in a relationship? Do they plan on getting married in the future? Um, no? Why would Comet want to get married? When he and Storm grow up, they’re going to move away and live together. (At least, that’s Comet’s plan.)
Do they have pets, or want any? Some might argue that Belle belongs to his dad, but Comet loves her way more than he ever could. Belle is a cow, and she’s been around since before Comet was born. She’s big and soft and beautiful, and she gives great advice. (At least, he assumes she would. Belle doesn’t talk.) Her eyes are big and brown, and she eats right out of Comets hand.
Do they have a favorite animal? Dragons. They’re so cool. Did you know that the size of a dragon’s wings determines their lifespan? Or that some species of dragon are herbivores? And not every kind breathes fire. And—
What does this character do in response to things they’re afraid of, whether it be public speaking, spiders, water, etc.? Do they try their best to avoid it? Have a panic attack? Take a deep breath, keep calm, and face it? Do they have any other methods? Comet is afraid of the dark. Or rather, the things that could be lurking there. Comet’s older brother told him that if he hears a strange sound, make an even weirder noise to assert dominance. So throughout the journey, whenever it gets dark and something goes bump in the night, he starts making ‘ghost’ noises and screeching and howling until he’s satisfied.
What does this character think and do when they see their own reflection? Do they stop and fix their hair, wink at themselves, wrinkle their nose, shudder, etc.? When Comet sees his reflection, he puffs out his chest and tries to look as muscular as possible. He also might roar at himself, to add to the strongman appearance.
How does this character act when they get sick? Do they suck it up and refuse medicine, rest, and TLC? Do they drop everything and cuddle up under the blankets until they're better? Or do they embellish their suffering and become a pain to take care of? When Comet gets sick, he usually sleeps a lot more. Outside in his hammock, for the most part. Sometimes Belle lays down by him and he sits on the grass and lays against her. And she sings him to sleep—she’s a really great singer. (And, by coincidence, she’s also a loud snorer. Comet’s imagination is what saves him in this case.)
Has this character ever been attacked by an animal? If so, what kind of animal was it? What happened? Nope! Comet thinks of himself as an animal whisperer, and senses an animal’s bad mood before it escalates.
What would this character do if there was a bug—or a snake—inside their dwelling space? Would they scream and run away? Call their mom, dad, brother, sister, significant other, etc. to remove it from the premises? Would they glance at it and pick it up (or kill it) and then put it where it belongs? Since Comet is outside all day, sometimes playing with the bugs and rodents of which you speak, he’s not scared of them but also doesn’t see them inside often. When he does, he says hi to them and carries on with his day.
How does this character act in social situations? Are they the life of the party? Do they stick around their friends or siblings? Comet isn’t in too many of these so called ‘social situations’, but when he is, he usually sticks by Storm. Of course, Storm doesn’t always appreciate this, so sometimes he’s encouraged to join a group activity that Storm is not a part of.
Does this character know how to play a musical instrument? Do they know how to sing? If so, what instrument do they play? Do they perform for friends and family, or only play when they're alone? Nope! He’s never held an instrument for longer than a minute, but he loves the sound of the guitar at festivals.
Does this character participate in any form of sports? Are they only doing it because their parents or friends pressured them into it? Do they enjoy sports? No. Unless Olympic Tree Climbing is a thing!
Is this character a hugger? Why or why not? Mm, Comet doesn’t get too many hugs, only the occasional one from Storm. He likes those! Buuut… he’s never been hugged by anyone else, and he doesn’t initiate them at all yet. Eventually, once he’s around more people that hug other people, he realizes that he actually does like hugs, like a lot, and starts hugging people hello or goodbye or goodnight or ‘There there, it’ll get better’.
What does this character do when they get tired and they’re around people? Do their eyes start fluttering closed? Do they take long blinks? Or is this tired character a nightmare to be around? Irritable, rude, a menace to society? Yeah… Tired Comet is not always very pleasant to be around. He can sometimes throw a bit of a fit, but sometimes, if you’re lucky, he’ll just sleepwalk through whatever has to get done.
When I started filling out Comet’s sheet, I thought “He’s such an insignificant character—no offense, of course—so I don’t think I really need to do all of it. I’m never going to write from his perspective, and he doesn’t make too much contact with Citrine or Clementine or Flynne, so what’s the point?” So I answered the first six questions (yes, those are the age, gender, name etc.) and moved on to somebody else.
Well, she stumped me, so I decided not to post a character sheet the next Tuesday, which is why we’ve got that wonderful Writing Competition. And yesterday I realized I didn’t have anything to post today, so I decided “You know what? Let’s revisit Comet Sagewood…” And I did!
These questions were compiled by Leah Larkspur into character sheets. If you would like to create your own character using her method, click here.