#AmEditing "The Hunger Inside" today and I thought I'd give Mister Amelo a look in. Mister Nero Amelo is the original character I began this whole book with. A more arrogant, dismissive, judgmental man you will not see in this book. He's more than happy to jump on any little infraction. Obsessively detail oriented, it's no wonder he became an inspector.
In the book, Nero becomes a smaller character than the original intent. But it doesn't mean that he's unimportant. He is the ultimate challenge. He is fair, with rules that can be adhered to, but a personality of iron. He takes no notice of a person's shape, color, sex, or anything they cannot change. He ruthlessly points out things that CAN be changed. Ignorance, a lack of attention, careless behavior. He is not judging what a person IS, but what a person does that has an effect on those around them.
Somehow I need to transform these ideas from the very first appearance, harsh and short, to the last appearance when Nero acknowledges the changes that Sam has made to the business, and herself. The last appearance is much longer by far than the first appearance. I like the first two appearances, but the last one is still too short and unsatisfactory. I should probably explain a bit of Nero's background to give people a sense that he's not just a symbol, but a person.