Terence

Out of all the stories I've got in the works right now, the one I'm focusing on the most (and the one I feel shows the most potential) features Terence, a young unicorn turned human.

Sounds very much like Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn, doesn't it? I'll admit that's what inspired me to begin with, and I've borrowed a great deal from that book. But I assure you I'm doing everything I can right now to make this as much my thing as possible. I've also been inspired by C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia (I'd be extremely flattered if anyone compared me to him), J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Bruce Coville's The Unicorn Chronicles, and a host of other things.

Among my friends and viewers on other sites, Terence is easily my best-known and best-liked character. I've developed quite a soft spot for him, too. (Corny as it may sound, I'm half in love with him.) I think what makes him so likeable is he's very human, even before he becomes one. He's warm, caring, brave, funny, and loyal to the death; he's also vain, impulsive, smart-alecky, often says harsh things he doesn't really mean, and he frequently keeps to himself, though he doesn't hide his emotions very well.

He skirts that line separating childhood from adulthood. He's not a kid anymore, but he's not quite adult, either. He can be wise and prudent when necessary, and yet he knows how to have a good time.

He's come a long way since I started writing about him in 2005. He's changed in countless ways for the better. With luck, I'll be able to finish his first story (yes, I'm making a series about him) and present it in official book form relatively soon. I don't mind taking as long as I have with this story (not as much as I used to, anyway), but it would be nice if I could get the darn thing out there to the public while I'm still young.

Maybe I'm hoping too much for a movie or TV deal, but if my story's ever lucky enough to make it to the big screen, I have my eye on James McAvoy for Terence's voice.

In the meantime, I'm having a ball drawing him as much as writing him, and I've received some pretty amazing fan art and commissions featuring him over the years. I don't fork out my hard-earned cash for many commissions, but when I do, I always get my money's worth.

Sometimes I like to have a little extra fun with Terence by dressing him up and placing him in different eras. Some people think he's from Narnia (since I wrote quite a few Narnia fan stories that included him), but he's not. I just stuck him in there for pure kicks.