what was your first impression of jungkook?

I got to know Jungkook a lot later than the other members of BTS -- because when I started writing BTS, I focused entirely on the rap line first. Now, you might think me a little silly, but it was hard for me to keep track of all seven members. So I started with Suga, then focused on RM and J-Hope, and exclusively wrote about them for months as part of my Great BTS Novel. And then I slowly opened up to learning about the other members. I had my expectations about what a maknae usually is, but Jungkook seemed to have grown out of all the aegyo needed to pull the role off. Instead, he was truly golden -- anything he got his hands on, he could just magically do. If he showed up at a restaurant, they would have to put in reservations because they would be so busy. If he wore a certain shirt, that shirt would be sold out in seconds. This happened with the other members, too, of course, but with Jungkook there was some sort of odd power to just...touch something and turn it to gold.

what is your impression now of jungkook?

He actually really reminds me of my younger brother -- they were born in the same year, 1997. So whenever I see Jungkook, I see my brother. I see all of the cool things my brother has done in his limited time here on Earth in addition to all of the things Jungkook has done, things that I don't even necessarily know about yet. I am, after all, still learning about BTS. There's still so much that I haven't had the time to uncover yet. I feel like I've also gotten a really good snapshot of Jungkook from others who write about him, particularly Hidden Scars by Briana Whitecliffe, a book where Jungkook is the main love interest. It's here that I can see past the golden maknae, a role he does not hold here, and see the kind, gentle, amazing man that so many others have come to love.

how do you write jungkook?

The combination of "golden" and "maknae" makes for an interesting combination to write. You're looking at someone who's kind of silly, but on top of that, they're still flawless at just about everything they do. That's kind of been where I've been resting when it comes to Jungkook, because he hasn't been a main character in any of my books yet. But no matter where he shows up, he is memorable. He doesn't even make an appearance in the first chapter of Dream On, Cinderella, but he steals the scene:

Seokjin glanced at Namjoon. "What did (Taehyung) do?"

Namjoon smirked. "He was carousing with the Duke again."

Seokjin's fake changed to faux horror. "No! Not the Duke! God forbid it was the Duke of the Forest Fields! Dude, we've all known you've been getting it on with Jungkook for years now. Why are we telling Mom and Dad?"

Jungkook often gets overlooked in kicks depending on what is going on with the boys' travels and what may or may not be happening romantically with the other members. But Jungkook still exists, and he faces their adventure with wide eyed enthusiasm, even if he isn't the smartest crayon in the box:

"What made you need to see a cactus, Kookie?" Seokjin asked with a shake of his head.

"Well," Jungkook said with a smile, "I just wanted to see...everything, really." As the youngest of the group, Jungkook knew the least about America. "I wish I had someplace to write it down."

"Well, tell you what. Next gift shop we see, I'm gonna make Namjoon buy you a pen and a notebook. Then you can write down everything as it happens! Just...uh...keep it in the van when we're out and about. That way if we get caught, the police don't have it."

"Okay. Can I sit on the cactus?"

"Jungkookie, this is not one of your smartest moments. Do you want to be a cactus butt?"

At some point during the adventure, Jungkook DOES buy a notebook and starts writing down his adventures. (It's the 90's, so no smartphones to take pictures with!) This furthers his enthusiasm and his youthful outlook on what is actually a really stressful escape across America. Going forward in the future, I want to continue to capture that enthusiasm and portray it appropriately.

what would you like to say to jungkook on his birthday?

I feel like everything has been said considering that BTS *FINALLY* got a Billboard Top 100, and it was ON his birthday! I honestly can't think of a better 'happy birthday' than that. Other than that, I'm really looking forward to seeing where things go from here, about learning more about him and actually getting a chance to write him better. Jungkook SO needs to be a main character at some point, and I'm gonna work on that. LOL.