Savannah Scarlett
From outsider to accidental hero
Welcome to another segment of our Substack Saturday series, Novel Creature. Today’s post is the first installment of Novel Creature Living, a segment where we explore and find inspiration for our real life adventures by taking a closer look at the characters and the worlds in the Montrez-Verse.
Today, I’m reintroducing you to Errant’s main character, Savannah Scarlett.
Someone once told me that Errant read like an autobiography, and to this day, it’s still one of my favorite compliments. On more than one occasion, I’ve heard that my main character Savannah doesn’t feel like a character. She feels like a real person, someone a reader might personally know. One early reader even confessed they dreamed about my awkward, anxious outsider. That kind of resonance and that connection, means more to me than going viral, awards, or orange banners.
So why does Savannah story feel autobiographical?Maybe because it is. Not literally. But in many ways, her origin story echoes my own.
Errant follows a 16-year-old girl whose life changes drastically in a short span of time. She experiences the loss of her father, moving to a new home, her mother’s remarriage, grief, anxiety, and more. As if that’s not enough, she develops special abilities, and suddenly finds herself being hunted by a secret society of immortals. While writing Savannah story, I was navigating challenges of my own. There were deaths in the family, high risk, pregnancies, autoimmune diagnoses, all while pursuing graduate school and publishing my first book. Looking back, it’s no wonder it took me six years to bring this book into the world.
I didn’t develop superhuman reflexes or abilities that defy physics, but I did find my voice.
And no, immortal hunters never showed up in real life. But there was a pandemic, something that changed everything for everyone. I knew then that if I didn’t seriously pursue publishing, I never would.
The ordinary, overlooked person is a hidden and exclusive wonder.
There is truth and fiction, and Savannah’s story helped me recognize the value of my voice, my dreams, and the courage to share them.
Too Average to Stand Out
Errant opens with Savannah, adjusting to a new home, a new school, and life without her father, who was in many ways, her best friend. She is grieving, not only his loss, but the loss of everything familiar. She’s struggling with identity, acceptance, and feelings of isolation.
In her mind, she’s painstakingly ordinary, and she feels like she has nothing to contribute to the people and the world around her. She’s living life on the sidelines, more of an observer than an active participant.
But when the pressures of life push her to a breaking point, special abilities emerge, which initially create more problems than they solve.
Too Awkward to Fit In
Even before her powers manifest, Savannah carries another layer of struggle. She’s keenly aware of the people and the world around her, but a bit of an unreliable narrator when it comes to how she perceives herself. She has a terrible inner critic that leads her to overthink, to withdraw from others, and prevents her from realizing the potential that she has all along. It’s not that she doesn’t have anything to offer or that she doesn’t fit in, but the lack of self-acceptance is what truly isolates her.
When her abilities awaken, those feelings of isolation are magnified. Not only is she experiencing something that no one else understands, but she also finds herself immersed in new and deadly challenges and situations. She has blackouts, wakes up in unfamiliar and unsafe places, and becomes a target of people who believe she’s a threat because of the power that is growing inside of her.
The Accidental Hero
Savannah isn’t a chosen one. For a good chunk of the story she is actively denying the possibilities of special abilities in general, but especially in herself. It’s a stubborn resistance that’s frustrating and even painful to witness as she rejects what is eventually right in front of her, even at the expense of her own safety. Some readers have pointed out that her character is passive, that she’s a crybaby. I get it.
But how many of us do the same?
We deny our skills, our beauty, our strength. We reject the possibility of our dreams. We shrink from opportunities. We’re afraid of success as much as we are of failure. We find ourselves in rooms we don’t think we belong in, and we’re so afraid that others will agree that we self-sabotage or quit before we even get off to a good start.
Savannah’s story isn’t for everyone, but if I’ve stepped on your toes a little, if you feel called out, then this story is for you. I see you, and this is your friendly reminder.
Find your wonder, and thrive in it!
Just like Savannah, there is something within all of us that is valuable, beautiful, and impactful. And that something has nothing to do with superpowers. Even after training, Savannah is not the strongest fighter. She gets knocked down. She cries. She has her struggles. And the very things that she believes make her weak or weird become her greatest strengths.
Because she’s been an outsider, she sees the world differently. She notices what others miss. She lacks the biases of those who have been immersed in the conflict for too long. And because she knows what it feels like to be unseen, she is quick to recognize and defend others who are often overlooked or mistreated. When she finally begins to accept her abilities and her quieter, softer strengths she’s developed along the way, she starts to see the possibilities, not just in herself, but in life.
At the end of book one, Savannah finds herself in a place no one expected (and maybe that’s the point). Her story begins with loss, but it ends with something new, a sense of self, purpose, and a place where she belongs.
A Special Feature
Recently, Savannah made a surprise appearance in character art commissioned by my fellow author and friend, Dawyone Combes. It was exciting to see her exist alongside other incredible characters and worlds. I highly recommend checking out the feature at works are the representative characters and authors below (click the book cover for all the info). From Polynesian mythology inspired heroes and dystopian super-powered Latino rep to sword and sorcery fantasy adventure, get into these stories ⬇️
What’s Next for Savannah
Savannah will return in Scarlett, book 2 of the Errant trilogy, though this time we will see her from a different perspective. In book one, we view her through self-doubt, imposter syndrome, anxiety, and fear as she finds her footing. In book 2, you’ll see her in a completely different light. In the Errant trilogy, perspective changes everything. The way Savannah sees herself is not the way others see her, and I think that something important to note.
You can also look forward to a limited special edition of Errant with an exclusive illustrated cover featuring art by B. Joyce Designs, behind the scenes insight , bloopers, Blerdspiration, and more. This edition will be available this fall for Patreon members and future in-person events as supplies last.
Savannah’s story will conclude in the final book of the Errant trilogy, but you never know when her character may pop up in future books…
💜Montrez
Community Pulse
Savannah spends much of Errant believing she’s too ordinary to matter, only to discover the qualities she thought made her weak became her greatest strength. Have you ever experienced something similar? I’d love to hear your story. Let’s talk about it.
Congratulations on the launch of this series! Savannah Scarlett already sounds like a compelling character, and From Outsider to Accidental Hero is a title that immediately sparks curiosity. Wishing you continued success.I’m looking forward to seeing where this story goes.