Seth Whitehood
With this character analysis, I’m on to one of the most objectively likable characters in The Breacher – Seth. Out of all the friends and family who I ran the book by, almost across the board, Seth was always a favorite. There’s an element of warmth and amiability to him that I think appeals to a lot of readers. He provides a lightheartedness to the story and the world that I believe is a vivid contrast to more serious characters like Nathan, Porter, and Desmond. In relation to Nathan – obviously an important relationship with the protagonist – Seth was designed as, essentially, a sidekick. In order to offset Nathan’s generally intense perspective, Seth’s kindness and childlike joy were mandatory. But Seth also manages to be a devoted confidant and ally to Nathan. In essence, Seth is a glue. He maintains Nathan’s connection with Dakota while also maintaining the connections within the team. Without Seth, The Breacher falls apart. With that in mind, it may come as a bit of a surprise that the Seth we know didn’t even exist in the first draft.
When The Breacher was being grown in my mind, I originally imagined Nathan with a close male friend on the team. As the story developed, however, that role was reduced and ultimately abandoned. Instead, Nathan’s closest relationship on Dakota was a girl named Rebecca who he met while she helped TC teach the Rookies. From there, their relationship developed into a romantic one. By the time I finished the first draft, though, I realized very quickly that Nathan’s connection to Rebecca felt extremely forced and weak. She contributed very little to the story, and her personality lacked any flare or originality. I remember watching an Honest Trailer on Youtube, and it was said of one character that she could be replaced with a house plant without changing the plot at all. After this, of course, I knew that Rebecca had to go.
The book would be greatly improved if she was replaced by a male best friend - one of my original ideas. But going through a draft, which at the time was 140 000 words, removing, and replacing an entire character – especially one with a romantic subplot – was an enormous undertaking. In the end, I ignored my laziness and did what I needed to do to make The Breacher the best it could be. Seeing how effective Seth turned out to be, I now understand how crucial this change was. Nathan received his best friend and confidant. Desmond was allowed to embrace a more natural role as a standoffish ally. Notably, Nathan's romantic potential was cleared for the second and third books in the trilogy.
Adding Seth was one of the most necessary and effective changes I ever made to The Breacher. Without him, the entire story would have been robbed of the charm Seth so effortlessly provides.
Creed
When The Breacher was being grown in my mind, I originally imagined Nathan with a close male friend on the team. As the story developed, however, that role was reduced and ultimately abandoned. Instead, Nathan’s closest relationship on Dakota was a girl named Rebecca who he met while she helped TC teach the Rookies. From there, their relationship developed into a romantic one. By the time I finished the first draft, though, I realized very quickly that Nathan’s connection to Rebecca felt extremely forced and weak. She contributed very little to the story, and her personality lacked any flare or originality. I remember watching an Honest Trailer on Youtube, and it was said of one character that she could be replaced with a house plant without changing the plot at all. After this, of course, I knew that Rebecca had to go.
The book would be greatly improved if she was replaced by a male best friend - one of my original ideas. But going through a draft, which at the time was 140 000 words, removing, and replacing an entire character – especially one with a romantic subplot – was an enormous undertaking. In the end, I ignored my laziness and did what I needed to do to make The Breacher the best it could be. Seeing how effective Seth turned out to be, I now understand how crucial this change was. Nathan received his best friend and confidant. Desmond was allowed to embrace a more natural role as a standoffish ally. Notably, Nathan's romantic potential was cleared for the second and third books in the trilogy.
Adding Seth was one of the most necessary and effective changes I ever made to The Breacher. Without him, the entire story would have been robbed of the charm Seth so effortlessly provides.
Creed
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