Behind the words: the name's Copy, Hard Copy

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Props to the incredibly talented Sour Cherry for this!

A ghoul in a world he no longer recognises.

If I had to sum up a writing direction for Hard, this is the main driving force. Hard isn't some kind of super hero out to rescue the world or make it for the better of all, he's lost and confused trying to make sense of just where it all went wrong. He's coming to terms with a ton of trauma and finding, very rapidly, that the method of laughing it all off just will not and cannot work any more. Every day, a new tragedy. Every moment, a new challenge to rise to.

I didn't want to write Hard as a saviour character, but rather the framing for the real protagonists. This is less Hard's story, and more Clean and Domino's struggle to overcome their issues. I wanted to give myself a challenge by writing from the perspective of one of those characters you bump into in Fallout and they end up tagging along. Take for example Boone from New Vegas: you stroll into town, help him avenge his wife and then he comes with you on your journey. His questline later develops as you travel, coming to the personal quest where he comes to terms with his past. This is who I want Hard to be, the one being taken along for the ride. Growing, yes, but not the hero.

I can't really say where the inspiration came from for Hard. He just appeared in my head one day, maybe a combination of a lot of other characters without me realising. I didn't want to just make him a wisecracking hero, the world has too many of them, but I needed to give him a sort of cockiness that comes from being part of Morale - if you're a jokewriter you need to have some kind of wit or quipping ability, even if it's for your own sanity. There are a few other quirks that some of you may have picked up on, though I'm keen to see if they are spotted soon enough. As always, there are musical influences on his personality, including a "theme song" that I use when I'm drumming up ideas for him. Will leave that below.

So where is Hard's story going? At the moment it's pretty up in the air. Not to tease too much (unless you're reading this long after it's finished) but he's going into some interesting territory soon, with a fair few questions to be asked about who he is now and how he is coming to terms with it all. I'm pretty excited, and nervous. This is probably the hardest thing I've had to do as a writer, so it's new territory all around.

Side note, a HUGE shout out to Sour Cherry for the art! Please send them love and get ready for even more!

Hard Copy's songlist or "How to keep the party going when you're already dead"
Ever Again by Andrew WK
Fire by Savant
Frisbee by Ahxello
Where We Used To Play by AFI
Faded by Allen Walker