CHARACTERS OF [4‑E.V.A.]
INFLUENCE
In the first draft, Raul was an author‑substitute — as most writers do — but something felt off. It wasn’t until I expanded the world’s lore and histories that I realised Adam — Raul’s best friend — was actually closer to me. I couldn’t hear Raul clearly until I met the person who would become my best friend, Ryan. The character I’d created already matched his personality and quirks; I just needed to flip their physical appearances in the script.
Hannah arrived fully formed — an amalgamation of friends, family, and strangers I’ve met throughout my life. Her name came from someone special to me, and her appearance was inspired by the talented, awesomely gothic Melody Zenith, whose hauntingly beautiful music shaped my writing playlist.
Here’s one of my favourite tracks of Melody’s — 'Vampire' (appropriately) — if you want to fall in love with her music and slip into the same atmosphere I wrote in:
Dr Rob’s appearance comes from a talented friend — and the doctor’s namesake. I must draw a hard line there, because my friend Rob is a great guy. Dr Rob, however, is not… being the architect of the M.A.D. War.
Gemma and Tom came to me as a pair. Like Dr Rob, they have real‑world namesakes whose appearances I borrowed (with permission). Their personalities are far from their real selves — except that real‑life Tom is diabetic, which I incorporated into vampire Tom’s story. That detail sent me down a worldbuilding rabbit hole about diabetes and vampires, and the medical‑tech behind how vampirism works in this universe. And yes — Gemma did have a skinhead when I first created her. She’s grown it out now, but I loved the look too much to change it.
Bobby‑Lee and Andi are another pair whose real‑world appearances come from two celebrities whose hilarious podcast Bad Friends got me through the pandemic. When [4‑E.V.A.] eventually hits the big screen, I’d love them to play themselves — because I picture them every time I write their characters. Bobby‑Lee is the most bastardised version of the actor; Andi is mostly physical resemblance. The character himself serves as the audience surrogate — the youngest vampire, the newest member of the Legion, curious in a way that’s earnest rather than expository.
