The Men at the Heart of Silver Creek

May 1, 2026

Hey Everyone!

I’m back again this month to start my characters of Silver Creek discussion. As I’ve said previously, building my characters is one of my favorite parts of writing. I enjoy creating characters from personality all the way down to their physical appearance and then placing them into my setting to come to life.

When I initially started developing ideas for Frontier Kindred, I knew that my two main characters would be young men. This was obvious due to the fact that the central focus of the story revolves around a gay romance. However, there was still a lot I wanted to explore: identity in a time that was intolerant at best, strength and perseverance when the world is against you, and love of course. I wanted their relationship to be the arc they were fighting for. Is love worth it? Yes, but is it worth risking everything else you have in the process? Because of these types of questions, I knew I wanted my characters to feel as real and well-rounded as possible. Their physical appearance would also matter. While I pictured Nate as being on the softer side of good looking and very approachable, I pictured Jack to carry more of a rugged look about him. I could feel his past and life experiences just by looking at him. As I started to build their story, I knew it would ultimately come down to them. The relationship was the heart of everything.

Nate and Jack were never going to be the same kind of man. Nate is a man of principle. He has such a strong belief that there is a right and a wrong. He is defined by things like equality, education, and uplifting the people around him to be better than they are. You can say that Nate sees the world how it should be. Jack, on the other hand, sees the world for what it is. Jack has learned through his years that sometimes you need to read people properly, make tough decisions, and do what works instead of what sounds good. Jack is realistic, level-headed, and sees things for how they are. They are complete opposites in terms of perspective. And yet, that is what makes them complement each other so perfectly. Nate will push Jack forward when he gets lost. Jack will pull Nate back when he gets carried away. Jack is quick to hesitate while Nate can encourage him to believe in something bigger. One of them will give the relationship vision and the other will bring you back to earth. But spend enough time with each other and slowly they will begin to change one another. Nate will realize that knowing what is right isn’t always enough. Sometimes timing, strategy, and patience are equally important as your beliefs. Jack will learn that some things are worth fighting for and that not every battle can be avoided. He’ll learn that the dreams you chase can one day become a reality. They will go from just being a dreamer and a pragmatist to two men who know how to balance both ideologies. And that is where you’ll find the heart of Nate and Jack.

I’ll be back next month to continue our character discussion, where we’ll take a closer look at Lillian. Until then, take care and as always, be happy!

— Chris