Re: Chapter Two - Aechyr Academy
Notes from Iterant Point
Notes from Iterant Point Re: Chapter Two – Aechyr Academy
Each week, I will be posting a little behind-the-scenes discussion on one chapter of the book. Read along and share your thoughts, too!
Chapter 1 was called “A False Start,” and sure enough, in some ways Chapter 2 is a “proper” start to the story. At least in the sense that it introduces us to the country of Aechyr, and a couple of characters who will become rather important. And fittingly, both have on-the-nose color-themed names. The redhead Scarlett Foster and green-eyed David Greene. As I mentioned on the last notes from Iterant Point, I often like to lean on joke-y names, since I sometimes struggle with naming things.
Another similarity between these characters? Both have quite a bit of skill in dealing with people – a skill Kennedy lacks, as he notes himself in this chapter. Getting himself nearly expelled shortly into his first semester at the Academy might just be proof of that. Fortunately, it seems Scarlett is willing to pull some strings for him. But why? Well, there are only two points we know of where Kennedy and Scarlett’s paths have crossed. We learn that she’s in the same Civics class, and she was a witness to the fight. Is there anything we can draw from that?
Speaking of the fight, we are very briefly introduced to the Charmies in this chapter, and they hardly live up to the name. But once again, Kennedy has someone watching his back. How could I forget to mention that Blake is introduced? But a fitting introduction it is, as he blindly charges into a fight he’s not prepared for. Why? Because his best buddy needs help, and that’s all there is to it. Blake might be a deceptively simple character. There’s a lot hiding behind his carefree grin, but we might have to wait until Book 2 to learn more…
One of the most fun things for me in writing this book was creating and developing Aechyr. Similarly, creating a unique but interesting school in Aechyr Academy proved to be something of a challenge. I can tell you, I was severely tempted to just blather on for an entire chapter just explaining this culture. Instead, I relied on the good old standby, “show, don’t tell” as much as possible. While Kennedy does straight-up explain some things, these are interspersed with little scenes or flashbacks. And as I alluded to earlier, some of these flashbacks might do more than just illustrate a point…
Keep an eye out in future chapters for more little bits from this one to pop back up. You just might be surprised! And if you haven’t, sign up for the newsletter to get some extra content, including some short stories that might revisit events from other characters’ perspectives. Or add some extra context to the book.
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