Cut and Vastly Changed Characters from New Magic

We've talked before about the changes New Magic has gone through since conception years ago. But I thought it would be fun to dedicate a whole post to talking about the characters. Specifically, characters that might not exist, or have changed a lot since they were created.

Cut Characters

Ryu

Ah, I still miss him. This is a dragon that was in the original draft, and survived several rounds of editing until I ultimately decided he did fit with the story. He was probably birthed from my love for Eragon, but I loved him. Maybe one day I'll find a story for him.

Gabriella

Gabriella, and her cronies, were originally a group of girls who bullied Celia at her gym. But they didn't last long until I decided to go another direction and they no longer fit.

School/gymnastic friends

Originally, Celia went to public school, until I made her a homeschooler. She had a whole group of school and gymnastic friends. It was way too much, plus I changed her character arc, so they all have disappeared from the story. Except Allison. She got to stay.

Lemu

This was my earliest version of a seer in the story. It was my own creation, based around a lemur, but with a crystal in its tail. Yes, it was as weird as it sounded. That's why he got scrapped.

Changed Characters

Amo

Amo was simply one of the triplets in early drafts. But over time, she evolved into a complex character with a lot of importance. She's the perfect foil for Celia's pain and the two become best friends.

Humpty Dumpty

My first drafts had both Humpty Dumpty and Percival, a mouse, as teachers for Celia (and a way to add exposition). But I was convinced by my sister they were repetitive, and I liked Percy more, so Humpty has been downgraded to the librarian. He's still a fun character.

Farzin (Blue Caterpillar)

When I cut the Lemu, I needed a new seer, and the Blue Caterpillar became it. He's gone from an almost nothing role to a very important part of the book. He guides Celia a lot on her journey, and a whole lot of lore has sprung up around him.

Mary and Tom

In first drafts, there was a spy who warned the Wonder Fighters about the Destroyers plans. That spy ended up being killed (and I considered having his head mailed to the WFs, but it caused too many problems). Over time, that spy has changed into two spies and become vital in Celia's character arc. I love them both, but can't say more because spoilers.

Which of these characters sound most interesting? What's a character you were sad to cut from your WIP? Tell me in the comments.

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