what was your first impression of namjoon?

I feel like, when it comes to English speakers and BTS, everybody always meets RM first. And that's because he's the one who always opens his mouth first. He's literally the English-speaking spokesperson for the band. Chalk it up to all that Friends watching. So because of that, it was easier to get a read on what kind of person he was, or at least what kind of person he portrayed to the world. It's because of this that he was easy to add into my first ever BTS story (the Midnight Lady trilogy) and why I stuck to the rap line for the first book.

what is your impression now of namjoon?

Pretty much the same, with an added side of goofiness that he often doesn't get to play up in the Western public eye. I'm sure Korea sees God of Destruction Namjoon all of the time. But they also see someone who is incredibly serious about their art, and what it means for his listeners. That's something I can respect as a fellow musician.

how do you write namjoon?

Namjoon always ends up being the 'voice of reason' and the leader, even if he is sometimes goofy and loses a lot of Airpods and breaks things. Ironically enough, I chose Namjoon as the driver of the magic purple van in 'kicks' before I knew he couldn't drive! In the context of the story, though, Chaebol Heir Namjoon would have to know how to drive, so I made it make sense in a fun way:

"Namjoon, you still can't park," Yoongi joked as they walked toward the grocery store. Sure enough, Namjoon had managed to take up four parking spaces.

"Okay, look, at least I can drive, okay?"

"How long did you say it took you again?"

Namjoon sighed. "Three years and two failed driving tests. And I finally passed -"

"Only to wreck two cars in one night in New York City." Yoongi knew this story well. It was, after all, the story of how they had met.

"Yoongi. It's not my fault that alley didn't have clearance."

"You got a U-Haul box truck stuck in an alley, and then promptly rear-ended your rental car in front of my apartment. You were frazzled. You shouldn't have been driving at all."

"Yeah." Namjoon went down his list of things to buy, and the two wandered to the instant ramen aisle. "But you came out of your apartment, and you calmed me down, and you drove the car back to the rental facility."

"And I taught you how to drive better."

"Kind of."

"You still can't park, but I'm willing to forgive that as long as you're paying attention. You got seven boys in one weird as hell van, so..."

Namjoon wandered to the chips aisle. "I'm glad I'm better at driving now. I really got you to thank for that, Yoongi. Because you forced me to practice, I can drive us all now across America. Without dying."

Yoongi blushed. "Hey, we're not dead yet..."

I rely a lot on this leadership role when I write Namjoon. It's because of this leadership that he's actually the first member you meet in The Story of Light, the first Magnificat Miracle. It also comes into play during Dream On, Cinderella, during a crucial scene where Namjoon's "brother" Seokjin needs a distraction:

"The point of this ball series was for you, my brother, to find someone to love," Namjoon continued, raising his voice toward Seokjin on the balcony. "But the truth is, so many of us have found our own loves during these dances. We were encouraged to get out of our houses and to dance like royalty. We found magic and mystery and lots of punch. And in the end, we hoped and prayed that the Crown Prince would find someone to spend the rest of his life with. We've even seen who it is."

"Silence!" The King's voice echoed out across the hall. Everything went silent. "How dare you. I know where you are headed with this, Namjoon. The Crown Prince must marry a woman and produce an heir. That is the law of the land."

"Then why isn't it the law of the land that I marry a woman and produce an heir? Father, if need be, I will withdraw my support from the Golden Kingdom and live the rest of my life in exile in the Mochi Kingdom." Namjoon stared down his father. "Let my brother marry whomever he wants."

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

I think everybody's saying lots of fun things to him already! So I kind of feel like my voice would be drowned out, LOL. I would say happy birthday, and that I hope he is surrounded by lots of people who truly love him. I think that's what any one of us would want, isn't it?