How I tried to make Blaze the Phoenix into a central character, but it didn’t work out.

This centers around my characters in the Dragonson series.
After I finished my 2nd “Dragonson” novel, I wrote a little story called “Shooting Star”.  In the original version—which is no longer in print—Blaze the Phoenix sees Gideon first and becomes imprinted on the boy.  Dame Jai Bailovich (modeled after a great friend of mine, Jai) graciously allows the boy to keep the phoenix [In this world, phoenixes look like feathered foxes because...reasons.  Shrug.  Grin.]

Once that story established Blaze, I had planned to have the phoenix in the rest of the series.  But...there was one complication.  When I’d start a story with Blaze in it, he would disappear in the first couple of pages.  I think “Dragonson & The Fortress of Air” has Blaze in the whole thing.  But, that’s about it.

The kids—Gideon, Pavataro and Brianna—work easily together.  But curiously, Blaze just did not fit in.  So, when I had a chance to publish the story again, I tweaked the ending.  Now, the phoenix stays with Dame Bailovich and they both live happily.  

Coincidentally, two other characters, Ho-Chang and Haywood, had the potential for becoming part of the main crew, but it never seemed to work out either.  

Trying to force a character in, or characters, into a story, just ends messily.

However, these characters all still around.  

There’s always a chance I can put them in a story later on.

~W