Basil Thimbleweed
Basil. The most surprising character I have ever written. I put so much pressure on him that I regret to this day. I didn't let him blossom into the beautiful flower he is now.
The poor boy. All he tried to ever do was make his mother proud. He felt the pressure of taking care of her as well as upholding his status as most loved son in a mix of dozens of creatures he was to call siblings. His mother, Afternoon Thimbleweed crafted him from yarn. Then, as a silvery star shone it's light on them they were both given a gift. Basil, the gift of life. As he grew up his threads grew in leaving him with human flesh.
I was so sure he would be a sweet gardener boy with a handsome face and a cute way of saying words. I thought he would be simple and plain. I thought he would make a wonderful love interest for Finory Foxglove... but I was wrong.
He is anything but simple. pressure was heavy on his shoulders, from his mother and me. Be a Gardner Basil... he took that and did it as best he could to please his mother. Inside he was afraid of her disapproval. I thought he was loyal and kind, but when he followed me into the Thicket, it was for his mother.
He was also much younger than I had imagined him... He must have relented against my cursor because I typed him up to be sixteen but instead I found him the fresh age of thirteen. He felt more like a little brother and I didn't want to baby sit at the time. I was an idiot.
Once I began to really talk to him I saw everything I had done wrong. Basil was fighting against me every step of my writing process. He wanted to be freed and so I did. I let him go. I let him be who he wanted to be.
--Briar Blake
Note... remember to figure out who Basil is going to decide to be... make it something good. Gosh this is so hard.
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