Characters to Life - Chad

“Characters to Life” - Chad

Characters to Life is a little thing I’m doing for my fans. I am picking a character from my book that I derived from a friend or acquaintance. The Characters, of course, matured into their own, but I think most authors would agree that they steal bits from people they’ve met in real life. This series I’m posting will let you see the faces behind the characters that I’ve developed and learned to love. They are not exact replicas, but they did help me develop some great and interesting people. Hope you enjoy!

Chad

I have a feeling some people thought I went too far with (Character) Chad. Like, how could someone be like that (in the beginning)? Does prison time really have that big of an effect on you? What people do not know is I based this character off of a good friend of mine. (Real) Chad made some mistakes when he was young. And just like (Character) Chad, he had the book thrown at him at the young age of 18 and spent ten and a half years in prison for breaking and entering.

Justice can be harsh. The entire time one should be finding themselves (18-25 years of age), Chad spent in prison. Not a good place to find yourself. I remember when he first got out, my friends and I took him to a bar. Poor guy passed out after a few drinks. The next few years were rough. Looking for work as a felon can be tough. He had his ups and downs…lots of downs. Learning to fit back into society was not easy.

In the end, though, (Real) Chad prevailed. Maybe if (Character) Chad had the same opportunities, he would have too. But unfortunately, the zombie apocalypse happened just six months after (Character) Chad’s release from the penitentiary. No time to grow. He had to grow in the mist of Armageddon. He had to learn how to get along with previously civilized people while civilization itself was collapsing. It was rough, but I think (Character) Chad began to cope better in the end.

(Real) Chad, however, did have the time. After some years of adjusting, Chad settled down with his high school sweet heart. They have two children, and (Real) Chad has a very good career working as a surveyor for pipelines. He makes great money and is a loving father. Not a bad rebound for someone who had all the cards stacked against him at the age of twenty-nine when he was released. Now, he is 42 and doing great.

(Character) Chad was derived from my friend’s background. Just like (Real) Chad, he was quick tempered, socially inept (sorry Chad!) and covered in tattoos-some good, some...ummm, well, jail house. But deep down, both Chad’s were good people. They just needed to find where they fit into their perspective worlds. (Real) Chad did, and I’m proud of him and what he has accomplished. He is a great friend and I want to thank him for letting me put his story both in my books and here in this “Characters to Life” bio.

J.D. Demers
www.jddemers.com
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