Full Name: Storm Evergreen Sagewood

Gender: Male

Age: 14

Height: ‘5“6 (and a half!!)

Physical Appearance: very-loosely-wavy, steel gray, short, layered hair, bangs, piercing blue eyes, fair skin, freckles, average teen-boy body type

Animal Form: large gray wolf

What’s their role in your story? Main character, side character, etc.? Storm is a supporting character in The Secret of Moonflower Valley.

What is their greatest desire? Something they’d give anything to have? Storm’s greatest desire is to be able to pursue his own dreams, not the ones his dad has created for him.

Do they have a dream job? If not, how do they feel about not knowing what they want to be when they grow up? Storm wants to be a professional artist, and is on the road to success! Except… his dad doesn’t think it’s a realistic career for him. Gray Sagewood said, and I quote, “Only people with talent can make a living as an artist.” Ouch. So Storm only draws in private, and hasn’t been able to paint for ages because of lack of material. His dad wants him to become a soldier in the Moonflower Navy like him and Storm’s late mother used to be.

Can they fight? With or without weapons? Storm was roped into sword fighting lessons when his dad made him stop painting. He’s alright at it, but he puts as little effort into it as possible, just to tick off his dad.

Are they left or right-handed? Or are they ambidextrous? Storm is left-handed, as is 90% of the humanimal population.

How strong are they, both physically and mentally? Storm works on his dad’s farm—if you could even call it that—by tending to the few animals that live there, which means he carries hay around, shovels poop, grooms and bathes them, feeds them, and does a handful of other chores on alternating days. Because of this he’s really strong physically—as is the average farm boy in Goldenfields. He’s also very persistent and resilient when challenges present themselves, so I’d say he’s pretty mentally capable.

What do you, as the author, want to happen to them by the end of the story? (Character arcs, new friendships, revelations, etc.) Because he’s a supporting character, Storm isn’t going to have any major arcs. However, he does become friends with Citrine and pulls her out of her shell. The two become really close over the course of this book and the next one—or two!—and he does end up confiding in her about his past and relationship with his dad, namely the drama about his future.

What do they do in their spare time? In his spare time, Storm sketches all sorts of things, like the few animals on his farm, trees, flowers, and monsters. He also rides over to his friend Zephyr’s farm, Silverblood Acres, when he wants to get away from his dad. They race their pegasi and mess around and such. He also loves to play chess and is pretty good! (Though not as good as Zephyr is…)

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? He’d stand up to his dad. He’d finally tell him to get off his back; that he doesn’t want to be a soldier in the Navy, he wants to paint—and he’s good at it, too! He’d pour out his heart to his dad and face the consequences, and then move on as though nothing happened the next day… because it didn’t. 

Does this character keep a journal? What do they write in it? Storm doesn’t keep a journal, but he does have a sketchbook so… I mean… that kinda counts.

Does this character know how to dance? Do they enjoy dancing? Oof. Okay, so the story goes like this: when Storm was thirteen, his older friend Zephyr encouraged him to take part in the dance at the Harvest Festival. Just one problem—Storm didn’t actually know how to dance. After a month of awkward lessons from Zephyr with a broom, a domesticated dragon, and even Zephyr himself once (although that was awkward and didn’t last longer than three steps), Storm was pretty good at a few different kinds of dance! But the best part is that he caught hay fever the week of the festival and didn’t get to participate at all. So in short: yeah, he knows how to dance, but has never actually danced with a girl.

Would you and this character get along in real life? Yep. I based him loosely off of one of my friends, and Storm also becomes besties with Citrine who is *cough* based off of *cough* me *cough* :D

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? Nobody.

Do they like little kids (or just regular kids, depending on how old they are), or do they find them annoying? Storm loves little kids. He finds their mannerisms so cute and odd, and has the patience to deal with them, even when they’re being… little kids. :D

Are they introverted, extroverted, or the perfect introvert + extrovert salad? With a little weirdness dressing? Storm is an extrovert, although he can be a little awkward from time to time. 

Do they have siblings? Are they the oldest, youngest, or somewhere inbetween? How does their role in their family affect the way they act? Storm has one younger brother, Comet, who is nine years old. He’s the oldest and feels responsible for his little brother, since his dad is so absent in their lives. (Unless he’s trying to control Storm’s future, that is.) Storm feels like he needs to have a strong front for his brother, and so Comet is one of the reasons why he taught himself the art of problem-solving and leadership. However, he also pushes down ‘negative’ feelings such as sadness, anger, and fear, which is… not very healthy.

What are their unique relationships with each of their siblings? Him and Comet do almost everything together—not always because Storm wants to, though. Comet is nervous around their dad—**scared of him, even—so he hangs out with Storm to avoid contact with him.

**Gray Sagewood is a lot of things, but abusive isn’t one of them. Comet is only scared of him because of their emotional distance and the fact that his silence is intimidating.

Are they married or in a relationship? Do they plan on getting married in the future? Storm has had crushes on girls before, but has never actually been in a relationship. He does want to have a family in the future, though—one that actually cares about him and his dreams.

Do they have pets, or want any? Storm has a nine-year-old pegasus mare named Thunder. She was a gift from his mom for Storm’s sixth birthday, and she taught him how to ride before she passed.

Do they have a favorite animal? Mm, not a favorite species, but he really loves Thunder.

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? Depending on what it is, Storm either freezes up, fights, or flees.

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.? Storm looks a lot like his dad, and you can probably guess by now that he doesn’t appreciate that. So he smiles at himself, because his dad never smiles, and that satisfies him enough.

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 Storm gets sick, he tries to just let it ride its course and work its own way out of his system. And unless he’s really sick, he still goes out into the farm to take care of the animals.

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? If it’s a bug, Storm would smush it with his shoe and wipe up the mess, but if it were something bigger, he’d try catching it with a towel or basket of some sort.

How does this character act in social situations? Are they the life of the party? Do they stick around their friends or siblings? Storm talks to kids his age, or older, or younger, and participates in games and activities. I wouldn’t say he’s the ‘life of the party’, more like he’s a valued member of the crowd.

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? Storm took exactly eight piano lessons when he was younger before his mom passed away. After that, his dad didn’t leave the house for a year, and Storm hasn’t touched a piano since.

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? Storm does sword fighting, but only because his dad made him. He doesn’t enjoy it because he associates it with his dad.

Is this character a hugger? Why or why not? Storm receives hugs and reacts, but doesn’t usually initiate them. Why? I dunno, that’s just how he is, I guess.

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? This doesn’t really happen, because he runs on adrenaline until he’s on his way home—and then he crashes.

Wow. Wow, wow, wow. Storm’s Character sheet is kinda… depressing. Sorry, man, but your backstory is crucial to the plot development. (Well… mostly…) At least it’s funny in some parts, right??

…I think he needs a hug.

These questions were compiled by Leah Larkspur into character sheets. If you would like to create your own character using her method, click here.