As you already know, or at least you should, I have been working for the last year and a half on a project that is a collection of fantasy stories with characters inspired by TikTok creators. One of the most nerve-wracking things I’ve ever done was approaching these creators and asking if they would allow me to share their names as inspiration for the characters I’ve created.
I wanted to do this because I wanted to support those creators by helping to spread the word about them. As I scrolled the FYP (for you page) I found so much inspiration from videos, both from people who were wildly creative with makeup and costume, and people who were just being themselves.
Luckily, quite a few of them agreed to allow me to share them as the inspiration behind these characters and that is what I want to do here. I will post videos and photos of the creators who have agreed to stand as the physical inspiration for the fantasy creatures I’ve created.
So we’re going to start first with Gemini Jordan.
Type: Vampire
Backstory: Gemini was an activist on earth who was taken by a powerful vampire back to Novia, where he was then turned into a vampire. He lived in captivity until someone murdered his maker, releasing him from the magical bonds that held him. Now free, Gemini explores the world after being adopted by a new vampire, Sam (non-binary) who shows him the ropes.
Gemini breaks the rules when he falls in love with a witch. Because of this, he and Sam must go on the run.
Gemini Jordan was inspired by: Derrick Winrow II (@winrow_the_square)
Why Winrow_the_square?
I followed Winrowthesquare for a long time. Always enjoying his material, his energy and just feeling like he was someone that I could connect with and are you building a character. That’s the one thing you want your readers, to have characters that they connect with. And then he posted a vampire video and my mind just exploded with all the possibilities that could happen with this character. And from there Gemini Jordan was born.
Checkout the tiktok that started it: https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdrtx33b/
Interview
Derrick agreed to do a quick interview and you can see their answers below. Make sure that you check out this creator’s social media, follow them, and show them some love and support. And don’t forget to preorder Tales of Novia!
What inspires you to create your content?
Seeing people relate to the connection I have with my childhood.
Where do you draw inspiration for your content?
Cyanide & Happiness, Donald Glover, any cartoon I seem to be watching at the time.
What do you hope to convey to your audience? Is there a special message behind your work?
I want them to see as a healthy escape from daily struggles and a kind soul. If I had one message (Ray J voice), it would be, take a minute to laugh for a little bit and don’t stress.
Do you have any specific goals for content creation?
My biggest goal at the moment is making being a content creator my main source of income. We all want to make a living doing what we love.
Is there anything you would like to say to the readers?
Try not to fall in love with my character too fast haha but also I like to say thank you for supporting POC creators. It means more than you think.
Watch the intro to Gemini Jordan: https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdrtDJS6/