Dear Characters!

There's a 'Dear Characters' thread over in the NaNo Ate My Soul forum, but what about one for those of us who are having things go pretty nicely thus far? I'd like to thank a few of my characters for being amazing, and apologize for all the crap I'm going to throw at them and for taking things so well. I'm sure I'm not the only one that would like to thank them. So here we are. Leave some letters to your characters. I'll start.

Dear Amelia,
To be honest, you're kind of dull. I'm not saying that's a bad thing though, I actually really like you. I like the way you react in a crisis. Or, rather, don't react. You take everything as it is and you don't really seem to worried about what's coming next, or even what's happening now. You solve the problems you're presented with the best way you know how and it seems to work.
Thanks!
Ella

Dear Katherine,
I just wanted to apologize for all the crap I've put you through. You're an amazing person, and I think that's why I keep throwing things at you. But you deal with it all so well. I mean, you lost your daughter, and that's more than most people can take, but you got through it and you've been doing so well. And then I took James from you in such a terrible way, but you got through that too. I know its gonna be hard for you, when I bring him back, and it will be hard for me, too. But you're strong and I know you can get through this.
Love,
Ella

Dear James,
I feel like I've hit you pretty hard, as well. I took your daughter from you, and then I forced you to leave your wife and work for the people responsible for your daughter's death. I don't know how you make it thorough every day, when you could so easily just blow them all up. But then, I guess you're getting revenge in your own way, aren't you? I'm sorry, for everything I've done to you. You know I love you, right? That's why I'm doing this to you.
Love,
Ella


(Sorry for any typos, my A key keeps sticking.)

This is a good idea! I love my mains this year, and I intend to give them way too much horror. This is for you, loves.

Dear Linda,
You. You are the nuanced, inhuman, important, brilliant centerpiece of this novel. You're the kind of memorable character that makes people think back on the text years later; the kind of person people see themselves in, and then wonder if that means they're crazy. You've turned a mindless everyone-dies horror novel into something more, into something people recognize and relate with. You are the perfect survivor. Thank you so much, not just for having a broken soul and no friends, but for somehow making that an enviable position.

Dear Josh,
Without you present to kick down doors, run very fast and shoot at things that bullets clearly have no effect on, there would be absolutely no way to move my plot forward. There would just be three people sitting in a room, calmly waiting for the apocalypse to end, and you will have none of that. You have a goal, a pistol, a sex addiction, a missing car, and a reason to press blindly forward through the kind of dangers that make sane men never leave the house. If Linda represents the mindset needed to survive the coming trials, you have the mindset necessary to overcome them.

Dear Zain and Annika,
You two are the cutest cutes to ever cute. You have that kind of blind, overpowering love for each other than people crave, love like a kind of insanity. Your rampant teenage hormones are something every reader can remember and, in a way, long for - which just makes the inevitable tragedy that much more poignant. Somehow, even Zain's depression is adorable. I'm sorry for using your impending loss as a red herring factory, but enjoy those few intoxicating chapters I'm giving you. You two are true lovers. Not everyone has that.

Dear Lynn, Everett and the rest of the Courthouse Six,
You're here! It's good to meet you, all of you! Glad you guys finally decided to show up. Lynn, you make sure to keep close to your daddy - you have no idea what that man risked to keep you happy.

I absolutely love this!

Dear Riley,
I know having two first names as a first and last name is annoying and confusing, especially when calling role, but you pull it off so well! You own that name! I also know you don't really like the company of other people, so I applaud you for breaking out of your confort zone and making friends, even if they are a little out there. I appreciate your non-traditional beauty, and your very non-religious beliefs. Most of all, thank you for being an introvert. Your the best MC ever!
Love,
Brianna

Dear Terra,
I know its hard being the most popular girl in school. And I know its hard to be willing to do anything to take it all away. But you're blessed with the burden, and you handle it with such grace. I have to thank you for all of your thought provoking questions, and for being a friend to Riley when she's so clearly different from your "type". And yes, I know it's hard dealing with cancer without anyone besides your family knowing you have it. Thank you for being brave enough to deny the treatment and die quietly and peacefully.
Love,
Brianna

Dear Nikki,
I just want you to know that I love that you hate everyone. In fact, I completely understand. You and I are very similar in that way, actually. I love you even more for hating Terra more than anyone else. I know you feel tons of shame when you find out she's dead and you were nothing but rude to her, but someone has to do it. You're the perfect girl for the job. I appreciate your snark, sarcasm, and cleverness, and I wouldn't trade you for anyone in the world.
Love,
Brianna.

Dear Damien,
You are the jerk who cheated on his girlfriend. And you know what? You are great for that. You made Terra realize that when it comes down to it, the labels aren't whats going to stick with you when your ten feet under. If it weren't for your sleazeburgerness Terra and Riley would have never met. And then where would we be?
Thanks for everything,
Brianna

Dear John:

I know the book hasn't started yet, but...

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

Dear Xavier:

When did you get so important to the plot? I didn't think you'd show up so many times. WHAT ARE YOU PLOTTING XAVIER.

Dear Matthias:

Dude, you're letting your brother steal the show. I haven't even started writing, but you're giving up. You're the MC's guardian angel. Why are you not around more?!

Sincerely, Me

Dear Lola,
You really couldn't leave the spotlight to others ... how is it that you managed to make me not only bump you up to MC status, but you also made me completly rewrite everything ... I mean I know this wasn't a story I made for NaNoWriMo, but still I was already 11.000 words in ... I guess it's your girlish, hardboiled, lolita-fashionistic charm that must've pushed me over the edge, I still find it funny, you had one line of dialog and were supposed to be the first one to die, man.
Sincerely, Me

Dear Oz,
Hi ... I must say that you are also quite tricky ... not as tricky as Lola, but still tricky. I get the fact that you're gender neutral .. I even invented a pronoun for you ... but one small thing ... you're quite the show stealer aren't you ... I mean this thing is supposed to be about Tabby ... in the year 2030 ... but no I had to spend 3 hours trying to revise your canon and Lola's canon in order to make a short story where you guys are partners ... You're lucky I like you.
Sincerely, Me

Dear Tabby,
Watch out for Oz
Sincerely, Me

I need this!

Dear Darren,
Alright, I'm giving in. You ARE the narrator for this year's NaNo. Now will you please, please tell me a little more of how you fit in the story, what your part in some people's lives is---and tell me less about your twisted love life?

Dear Marce,
I am so sorry for what happened to you this year. I mean, we knew it was going to happen right? You don't have to tell me the details---I just want to know how you recovered.

Dear Emil,
I know your main concern is getting Marce on the road to recovery, but I want to know other aspects of your life besides your occasional cases, your wife, and your son. I want to hear of your teaching career, man.

XD I love this!

Dear Katie,
I apologize for the rest of the gang. You have to understand...they can't stand you. It's nothing personal, really. To them, you're just a little dumb. But they have their reasons for wanting you to join them, and you just have to accept that. Stop asking questions. I'm sorry about your dog. I really, really am. I didn't/don't want Bennie to die. I ADORE Bennie! But it has/had to be done. And I'm so so so so so SO sorry!

Dear Elinor,
Thank you for your patience through this whole thing. I know we're only 1/6th of the way through, but I thank you for sticking with me... for the most part. But I understand how frustrating it can get. Just remember that I am the author. Without me, your story would NEVER get told. Please and thank you.

Dear Tanya,
You're amazing. But you already knew that.

Dear Darren,
Thanks.

Dear Corinne,
Sorry I keep mis-spelling your name.

Dear Jeremy,
Sorry you're so lame. But it was meant to be.

Dear Mark and Cindy,
I love you two, but at the same time, you're dying for a good reason. Shame on you.

Dear Lori,
Sorry I keep forgetting about you.

Dear Miranda,
Thanks for not being so fussy.

Dear Anthony,
Again. Thanks for not being so fussy and geting all upset with me.

Dear Bennie,
I love you, Boy!

Dear Gavin,
I am so sorry I picked you to be my lost little puppet boy, even sorrier for what I made your brother do to you. Thank you so much for going with it anyway and rolling with the blows.

Dear Roland,
Once I start writing I know I'll love you more than your brother. You absolutely never shut up (I say this with love). It makes things interesting and sort of humorous. Thank you for being a hot head :P

Dear Gemma,
I'M SORRY. You've been such a good, behaved girl.. And then I just had to make you first. Sorry 'bout that.

Dear Sebastian,
You make me laugh. I'd watch for Stratsi though... I think she wants to eat your soul o-o. Stay away from Melody, I know Sam wouldn't mind knocking you through the park for it.

Dear Jasmine,
You've put up with this entire pack of lunatics without even getting irritated. For that you are a saint and I hope you make it out of this alive. I love ya girl!

Love,
Me

Dear Casey,
I apologize for the sheer amount of crap you've had to put up with. Like the dead mom, and the distant stepmother, and the father that deserved to get knifed in the kitchen? That was my bad. But just remember, you're still my favorite -- even though you probably want to prison-shank me.

Dear Joel,
Your mom means well. I swear. Just let her pay for your house, bro. It'll work out in the end.

Dear Mariska,
Shine on, you crazy diamond.

Dear Gemma,
I'm....really sorry. Here, have a puppy.

Dear Karl,
Oh, Karl. Karl Karl Karl. You just keep being you, okay? You half-crazed German exorcist, you.

Dear Liza,
I both fear and respect you. Hopefully I'll be able to do more with you in the future.

Dear Ettie,
I really wish I could interfere and point out that you're being manipulated. You don't deserve what you're going through. Alas, that would spoil the plot.

Dear Jone,
You, sir, are a jerk. It's my personal mission to form you into a decent person by the end of the novel. Please don't help me with that, however; I want it to happen naturally. I want you to struggle.

Dear Bethany,
Be nice to Ettie. She'll help you out in a later book. Also, don't worry too much about babies. Your time will come.

Dear Natalia,
Marry me, love.

Dear Adelaide,
Did I ever tell you how awesome you are? Sorry for all the crap I'm gonna put you through, but I know you can handle it. And I know you'll be able to get over Damian easily. Don't worry about him, he's just a weak minded idiot.

Dear Damian,
You are a weak minded idiot. Seriously, have some backbone. Hopefully I'll have grown to like you a little more by the time I kill you. Or your death will be my petty vengeance, rather than an important and emotional scene.

Dear Gilbert,
How did you even get into my story? You just went ahead and snuck in there with all your snarkery. Your going to end up making this story more funny than it's supposed to be, at least until I kill you. Sorry about that. I love you really.

Dear Iona,
I didn't like you because you were difficult to imagine, but integral to the plot. Then you suddenly grew a personality and an appearance and a backstory, and now you might be one of my favourites. And you dragged Lydia in with you, so I didn't even have to come up with a new character by myself. Thanks.

Dear Nathan,
You are, in a way, the narrator for this whole story, and yet I just do not know you. Who are you?

Dear Matthew,
Thank you for cooperating so well and thank you for finally deciding on a name! I really have high hopes for you. Don't worry, your life will get better eventually.

Dear June,
You're awesome. Just something you should know. Also bonus points to you for being the first character to pick a last name.

Dear Claire,
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I'll try to give you a happy ending, you deserve it after all the crap I'm putting you through.

Dear Benjamin,
Never stop being crazy. <3

Dear Allain,

do you know how awesome it is that, after having to kick you out of that other story, you're finally back? I mean, you kind of really changed character-wise, but hey, you're still great. Thanks for sticking with me.

Also, I'm really really sorry for all the awful stuff I have to put you through, but, uh, you've got great friends and everyone in the City loves you? Also also, you're one of the very few people to have seen the Castle, so that's something, right?

Love (and apologies, lots of them),
Sarah

Ps. In other news, if you decide to return to the big story-arc later on, fight for the good guys, please? Or, if you do fight alongside the baddies, don't get killed. You're way too awesome for that.

Dear Michael,

I need a heroic name for you. Actually. What sort of a name is 'Michael Reed' for a hero, anyway? We need to work this out, man. You and me. Interview with tea and a side of heroic, if that floats your boat.

Dear Godwin,

Your character has become so much more clear to me now that I am envisioning you as Neil Patrick Harris. Do we like you being more than just an overdramatic troll of a god figure? Yes. Yes, we do. Bravo, Godwin, you have substance!

I also just remembered that I named you after a gym teacher. From South Africa. Go figure!

Dear Ben,

Boo.

Dear Amaest,

I'm sorry. I know you have little patience for pathetic weaklings and sniveling wibbly dramatic infants. so... I'm sorry. Considering you're traveling with Ben, you might just spontaneously explode from fury and badassery.

Please try to avoid this. I'll need you if there's a sequel and for all the crackiness that goes on in this verse, I already intend to kill you twice and bring you back to life. Three times is just pushing it.

Dear Ginger,

Even if you manage to find your gravestone again, it won't do any good. It's either scratched up and graffiti'd, fallen into the hole that was left when you tunneled out of your grave, or otherwise didn't have your name at all. Sorry.

Love to you all,
Me.

Dear Michael and Haley,
I have no idea who you are...

Dear Gabriel,
I am kind of disappointed, three months ago when I was planning, I thought you were the coolest 14 year-old ever. It's three days until November(and Chris's birthday) and you've been in your room this whole time studying. Please come hang out with the others.

Dear Chris,
No doubt about it, you are freaking awesome, but let's not overshadow the future hero.

Dear Kable,
God knows I love you, but you don't talk much. Most of our test scenes have consisted of you taking orders, and giving short responses to the other characters. You have to show them how lively and sociable you are. I know you're chill and everything, but you can be excited about things sometimes.
P.S. Stop bottling you're feelings. If you need and outlet Chris and Haven will always be there for you.

Dear Nick,
We haven't met yet, but we really should soon. Tell you what be ready for your interview soon. I need to expand on your profile and run a few test scenes before November.

Dear Aliens,
I'm going to need you to get some more exotic names and stop going on about your first visit to Earth and meeting the Queen of England. Steve is just not a good name for an alien living light-years away from Earth.

I love this!

Dear Lindsey,
I can't wait to get in your head and see the world through your eyes. Thank you for being so tough. I know it's hard, but soon you'll get to be a badass. I promise. It's going to be awesome.


Dear Johnny
You are such a slut, but you have a heart of gold and I love you. You'll never know how sorry I am that you got dragged into all of this. Thanks for being there for Lindsey. Sorry about the thing. You'll know when it happens.


Dear Tyler
I'm sorry. None of this was your fault.

Dear Rika,

Sorry for making you fall in love with a woman that will never love you back. I know, I know, she's awesome (not really) but she just doesn't like you in that way. Maybe if you guys didn't destroy the Face Changer you could turn youself into something she could have liked? But you are awesome in all your cool-headed glory and your powers are steller even if you think they're a pain in the ass. Plus you can get dirt on most people without needing to read it in a top-secret file. That counts for something right?

Dear Reeva,

You're evil, Rika's a great guy...when he's not being so aloof, cool and emotionally distant. Cut him some slack though, he's a telepath and a former movie star who doesn't like his emotions getting in the way. Also, props on having the most awesome powers I've given anyone to date. Yeah, you'll abuse them for your own amusement but I would too. There's just too many possibilities with being able to manipulate matter the way you can.

Dear Emidio,

Yeah, sorry for the possible scenes I'm going to have where you're frozen or doused in water because you're a fire maniplator. And sorry that I took away your fame in being a best-selling novelist. I know how hard you worked for that. But hey, got to love being able to snap your fingers and burn down a building, right? Or making a tornado go into a different direction. Or cracking open the earth or making lightening strike someone. Uh, sorry you can't use them all at once and have to break for 10 seconds before you go into the next one. I love how you're going to count though:"Fire! Okay...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10. Okay, Wind, crap should have used earth on that one. Has it been 10 seconds yet? No? Rika stop telling me to shut up so you can concentrate. EARTH!"

Dear Garrick,

Sorry for giving you the power to turn into liquid only to have you caught in a jar that you can't break out of. And sorry for making you fall in love with Rika. He's not gay. But you have to admit, having the ability to turn into water then sneaking into Rika's shower was pure genius. You're welcome. Oh and you're welcome on the funky ability to sneak into the smallest crack because of water vapor and finding yourself in Rika's room. You're a super-peeping tom and I love you for it.

Dear all four of you,

Sorry for ripping you from your successful lives and throwing you into a forced life of crime-fighting. I know you'll all learn to love it.

Love to all,

Renna

Dear Uriel,

Stop being such a tightass when you meet people. With your father's butler it just got you a pissy look; with this group it might get you killed. Yes, you're brilliant; yes, you have expertise in areas not many people do ... but don't flaunt it. Especially if you think Nunzia's pretty. Be your charming self I know you can be (and no, I am not putting Marietta in this novel!)

Dear Charles,

You so started as Raoul from Phantom of the Opera, but you don't get to be as cute or as innocent. You're kind of a douche, honestly. You'll be an interesting foil for Uriel. I'm glad you embraced your douchetasticness!

Dear Carolina,

If you don't talk to me soon, I'm going to take your original platonic relationship with Uriel and give it to Nunzia. Give me something, or you risk being upstaged by a seventeen year old chorus girl. And you'll die sooner in the plot than she will.

Amiably, and with the greatest respect (please stop eating my brain cells until Halloween, I need them),
-V

Dear Tabby,
Good job, you managed to become just as interesting as the other two* points at Lola & Oz*
Congratulations
Sincerely,
Your Creator

Dear Isaac,

Thanks for doing what you were supposed to do, along with some things I wasn't ready for. It was an interesting surprise, what with you killing your girlfriend(s) and all. I knew you were going to do it the first time, but I got stuck there for a bit. It was a challenge, but you know what you did? You came along, told me that you were going to kill your second girlfriend, and that you were going to go even more crazy. It's amazing what you did. Sorry you had to die.

Dear Laura and Asa,

Well, I'm sorry for killing you off. But, Asa, you turned into such an interesting point in my story with your death! It was for the best, really. Really, you'll be okay. The name Laura suits you better anyway.

Love,
Your ever loving creator.