How's your first week of NaNoWriMo going, if you're participating? Hope you are enjoying it and staying on top of your word count. And for those of you who aren't, I hope this post will be fun for you all to read. I'm going to interview my main character, Leo Nakano, for you all! :)
Now just so you know, Leo lives in 1940's United States, but his background is half Japanese and half Welsh, which is a key factor in my plot. A lot of you may know about how the Japanese-Americans were imprisoned during WWII, and because I was interested in the topic, I dug deep into researching it and found many stories to tell. But so far, Leo doesn't even have any idea of the problems heading towards him...he's just an everyday college-aged American boy with his own dreams and quirks, virtues and vices. ;)
Victoria: So, Leo, why don't you tell us where you live?
Leo: I live in a small town on the Oregon coast.
Victoria: Nice! Is there a reason why your family lives there?
Leo: My parents met in California, but it was against the law for Japanese to marry white people there, so they moved to Oregon to marry. My dad started a good carpentry business here, so it worked out.
Victoria: I'm glad to hear that. Why don't you tell us a little bit more about your family?
Leo: My dad is an amazing man. He's a strong Christian and never seems to get mad at anybody! My mom is Welsh and stands by and loves her family very much. She never gives up on anyone, either. My Ba-chan lives with us too. Ba-chan means Grandma in Japanese. She's a feisty little lady and always makes us laugh till our sides hurt! I have five younger siblings after me. Ken is super smart and really patient. Will is probably Ba-chan's sidekick... they think so much alike! Vida is shy, but--I'll admit it--very sweet. Tom is full of energy and full of ideas. His best friend would definitely be Opal. She's the youngest of us all, but the most dynamic outgoing leader you could imagine! And last but not least, my best friend Wayne is so close to our family that he's practically a brother too. His personality is so complex and deep that he still manages to surprise us all the time.
Victoria: Sounds like you have a great family. It's wonderful that you all are so close! Alright. Now I was wondering if you could tell us what your biggest dream is?
Leo: Sure. Ever since I can remember I've wanted to get into Major League Baseball. I'm hoping that I'll get onto my college team and then catch the eye of a scout.
Victoria: Awesome! I enjoy baseball as well, but I'm not very good at it. lol! So, Leo, what would you recommend as a good after game snack?
Leo: Peanut butter with vanilla ice cream! It's a special treat, though, as we don't eat ice cream all that much. But really, anything with Peanut butter makes it a day of celebration for me. It's just so good! I actually carry a jar of peanut butter with me when I go to school because the college cafeteria or the cheap diner that I eat at both have just tolerable food, but peanut butter fixes all that!
Victoria: So you like peanut butter?
Leo: It's my favorite food. I eat it every day and on pretty much anything! It's great with jelly over scrambled eggs, on crackers, on pickles, and on tomato sandwiches. I could go on!
Victoria: Wow I never even imagined such variety! Ok, one more question--if you could have one wish, what would it be?
Leo: I'd wish that all people could know of Jesus' peace and love.
Victoria: Yes, I do too. Thank you, Leo, for letting me interview you!
All kidding and pretending aside, I have so much fun getting to know my characters, and I hope you try to do it some too. I'd love to know something about your one of your characters if you happen to be writing right now. So don't forget to leave me a comment below to let me know... and please tell me what you thought of this interview with Leo! :D
Happy Writing!
Victoria