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note to self: i’ll be there for you, always

written june 6, 2021. Photo by Kristine Cinate on Unsplash I have always looked for myself in other people. I think the idea was that they would somehow hold the pieces of me that I felt were missing. That maybe, if I wrapped my identity up in theirs enough, we would somehow make a whole person. It's not healthy to live like this, but I did it anyway — burning through relationships and searching for something I couldn't quite name. It was never enough, not to be myself, but it was never enough to latch my identity to other people, either. I got close, several times — I thought I had reached the pinnacle of self discovery. I thought I had completed myself. But in the end, relying on other people to help build yourself is never a viable way to do things. It's only recently that I've started to become comfortable with the idea of being enough, as I am, on my own. Several years ago, in this same position, I would have searched for another person to attach my identity onto,

A Novel Idea: 20 Facts About Leo Kelly


Last November, my project for NaNoWriMo was called Leo Andromedus Saved the World, a magical realism novel about a bunch of rascals. Even though that book was narrated by my character Emilie, the enigmatic protagonist was Leo Andromedus Kelly, who could definitely stand for more development. That's why I'm featuring him for this week's A Novel Idea prompt, which is to write a list of 20 things about a character. Leo popped into mind, and after a lot of thought, I managed to assemble 20 facts about him for your enjoyment (and, much to my delight, I found out a lot more about Leo than I expected). So here we go!



1. He is an only child. This makes his bond with his squad (Emilie, Allan, and Raven) all the stronger--they are his family.

2. Not to be totally cliche, but Leo's an orphan. (*Hamilton voice* "You're an orphan? Of course!") His parents, for reasons undetermined, aren't around, leaving Leo to float alone in the universe.


3. When he was growing up, he learned to play the cello.

4. He is a giant ball of energy. When he drinks energy drinks or coffee, the effects can be disastrous. (Think about Hammy from Over the Hedge--the similarities between Leo and Hammy are...uncanny.)

5. Leo has ADHD. (This is something I didn't know before, so I'm glad I figured that out.)

6. He was raised in a small house by the ocean on the Pacific Coast.

7. On the MBTI scale, he's probably an ENFJ. He's extremely charismatic, and he loves to bring people together. Just read this to get a better sense of what Leo's like. It's him to a T.


8. His best friend growing up, before he met his #squad, was an older beagle named Lucy (fondly nicknamed "Luce").

9. One of his fondest memories is falling asleep under the Christmas tree with his dad.

10. From the ages of twelve to sixteen, his sole transportation was his bicycle, and he had a bond with said bike.

11. He's an optimist... sometimes to a devastating degree.


12. He had an eccentric aunt who helped him understand the magic that manifested in his adolescent years.

13. His favorite number is 17.

14. His middle name is Andromedus, given to him by his mother for reasons unknown.

15. He knows how to knit (his eccentric aunt taught him).

16. Here's how he met his #squad. He grew up next door to his best friend, Allan. He met Emilie when she was in his beach town visiting her grandparents. And he met Raven at school, where they bonded over shared magical powers and their mutual love of Alfred Hitchcock films.


17. His Hogwarts house would probably have to be Gryffindor.

18. He was born in Germany, where his parents lived for the first two years of his life.

19. His favorite kind of music is classic rock. 


20. He gets extremely bad bedhead, and even during the day, his hair's often a wavy, unkempt mess. Whether that's on purpose or because he's just lazy is unclear.

Bonus fact! This is his truck, which goes along for all of Leo and his gang's adventures.


Want to link up with A Novel Idea? Go here!

Comments

  1. DOGGIES AHHHHHH. This makes my heart happy <3
    Will we still be able submit our entries on Tuesday? I really want to participate in this week's prompt, but I'm participating in two blogging fantasy camps right now, so my post schedule is pretty messed up.

    Ellie | On the Other Side of Reality

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    1. Yes! I extended the linkup to run through Tuesday night and end at midnight on Wednesday, so you'll be golden to post! I hope that helps. Thanks so much for the comment!

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  2. Oh my gosh, I love this character! The photos are beautiful and so are all the little juicy tid bits :) Leo Andromedus Kelly....what an epic name. :D I love that he can knit, and his truck just fits his personality so well. I want to know more! This is glorious!

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    1. Oh my goodness, thanks so much, Erin! I'll have to feature Leo more in the future. ♥

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  3. This was so fun! I still want to read this story some day... you can't say no to a story that has "Leo Andromedus" as the name of the main character. So intriguing!

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    1. Thanks so much, Jaime! It just popped into my head, so I'm pretty sure Leo just named himself. I definitely hope you can read it someday! <333

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  4. This is awesome!!! I LOVE Leo already, and I've never heard you talk about this book. Can you please send it to me for me to read? Pretty please?

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    1. Haha! Of course. ♥ (The plot is a mess though, just FYI. ;)) Thank you!!!

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  5. OK I'M ALREADY IN LOVE WITH THIS CHARACTER AND THIS BOOK AND PLZ PUBLISH IT SOON OK <33333
    also thank you for doing MBTI types for your characters :'''') IT'S THE BEST RIGHT

    gah this is flawless ♥

    >><<
    abbiee

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    1. OMG thank you soooo much. IT IS. I love doing MBTI types! It's so fun and really helps me get a grasp on my characters!

      Again, thank you! I'm so glad you liked it. ♥

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  6. ajdlfjdsjl; I LOVE THIS!!! When are you going to publish this novel, 'cause I want to read it! Leo seems refreshingly unique.

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    1. I'm not sure when I'll publish, but I'll definitely have to work on doing that soon!! Thank you so much. I'm really glad he resonated with you! I love him a lot. ♥

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  7. Aw these are some cute facts. I like orphan character despite it being "cliche." Oh my gosh Hammy. XD That was the funniest part of that whole film. I didn't care for it much, but the soda scene was hysterical.

    storitorigrace.blogspot.com

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  8. this character is so detailed and humorous; I love him already. especially after you likened him to Hammy. How could you not love a hyper-active squirrel?? :) can't wait to read more about Leo Andromedus!

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