Writerly Ways a day late

[cornerofmadness]

In all honesty I didn't DO any original fiction this week at all. I spent the time editing Presence of Fate to send to Circlet Press' shapeshifter open call which ends in two days. I sent it off.

After talking with mjules about the vampire story I've been running here, I won't be sending it in, at least not yet. I was killing myself trying to get it for a certain publisher but after finding out a few of their practices, I decided I wasn't going to be a good fit since our views were...let's just say at odds. Instead I'll be sending it to another publisher that accepts submissions that AREN'T for a specific open call (though they do those too). With that pressure off me to finish it I feel much better, far more relaxed.

So what else do I have to say about writing this time? I bring you the character development questionairre. I take NO credit for creating this. I got this from my time in Elfquest/Dragonriders of Pern fan writing where you did NOT get to use canon characters and these were tools to let others get to know your characters. I believe they were adapted from the stage where actors used a similar device to get into their characters' heads. rahirah, wildrider and evil_little_dog will recognize these.

The idea is you are interviewing your characters and answering in their voice. In turn it's supposed to a) help illuminate things about your character b) help keep these things straight for you.

I did these two tonight. They are for my upcoming Nanowrimo steampunk mystery. and I DID learn things. Mel has outed herself as a car enthusiast and techy junkie. Placid informed me his mother didn't die of cancer. She, like his father was killed. He's very adamant about this.


CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT QUESTIONNAIRE

Melantha Honeycutt


1) List four things you like very much – Biomechanics, flowers, fine wine and cars

2) List four things you dislike very much- Gender prescribed dress codes, bland food, people who give up without even trying, war

3) Did you have a happy childhood? Outside of losing my mother way too young, I had a great childhood. Dad is a very good guy. I had great friends and growing up in Dogwood Hollow we could run free in the woods and on the farms. We got into so much trouble

4) Describe an incident in your childhood that you think most affected you. - Losing my mother to the flu. That was so hard then the brother’s lost their mom too and it was even harder. Their dad couldn’t cope

5) Describe your mother and how you feel about her. - My mom died when I was really young. I barely remember much about her. She was so warm and she read to me every night. I loved that. One day I want to do that too

6). Describe your father and how you feel about him – Dad is my hero. He’s a neurografter like me. He never told me that I couldn’t become a doctor because I was a girl like so many of my teachers growing up who wanted me to take home economics and deportment classes. He supports me in what I do. He always encourages me in everything and especially indulges my curiosity about things.

7) what is your favorite pastime? – Making steamwork automatons and working on my car.

8) What person do you think has influenced you the most? – My dad, hands down.

9) How do you feel about sex? - I love it. I don’t see why people have the idea that it only belongs to the married folk. If you’re smart about it, I don’t see why you should abstain. I want to know a man isn’t lousy in bed before I say yes to marriage

10) What is your religion and how important is it to you? – I believe in a Higher Power but I’m not a follower of any religion.

11) What is your philosophy of life? – It’s always better to hold out a helping hand.

12) If you could have any tangible thing that you wanted what would it be? In other words not an ideal or condition. – To have Mom alive again

13) Have you any physical difficulties? - No
14) What kind of education or training have you had and how did you feel about it? – I’m a trained neurografter, a doctor, so I’m well educated and I’m hugely proud of it.

15) How do you think people react to you as a person? – I think they like me. I know my patients do.

16) What are you proudest of? – My job. I give people new limbs and they live easier lives as a result.

17) What are you most ashamed of?- That I didn’t do enough to be there for Placid after the war.

18) What is your deepest fear? - Failing

19) How do you feel about food? – How peculiar. What a strange question. I never though much about it. I actually enjoy cooking and experimenting with food.

20) What do you dream about? - Having a rich fulfilled life.

21) What makes you feel good? - My jobs, my friends, working in the garden, going for nice, long drives.

22) What do you try hardest to avoid? – Failing my patients

23) What makes you angry and how do you react? – Injustice, patients who give up without trying, mean people. I get very vocal and reactionary

24) How athletic are you? – I’ve a lot of upper body strength but I’m not really athletic.

25) How methodical are you? Very. I have to be for my job.

26) What are you chief taboos? – Doing something unethical with my patients

27) How much traveling have you done? – not as much as I’d like. I went right to college then to build my practice. I need a vacation.

28) Describe a situation in which you feel you have behaved courageously. - I don’t know. I’ve not really had opportunities for courage. Does going into a field with less than 10 percent women count?

29) Do you see yourself as a self-centered person? – We all are to a certain degree. I try not to be too self centered.

30) Do you see yourself as a loving person? – Yes

31) Do you see yourself as a popular person – Not too popular, no. I’m pretty isolated by work so it’s not like I’m with large groups of people at any time where I’d worry about that.

32) Do you see yourself as potentially having an important influence on the world? - I don’t know about important but I have an influence in my part of the world. My work is important to my patients.

33) How artistic are you? – I’m pretty artistic. My medium is metal.

34) How do you feel about material things? – I’d like to say I’m not materialistic but I have this big house so I guess I am.

35) What are your plans for the future? – To expand my practice, further the art of neurografting and I’d like to have a family some day

36) How idealistic are you? – A little but my head is pretty firmly attached.

37) How realistic are you? – I’m mostly a realist.

38) How successful are you? – Very, more than I ever thought I would be, especially so fast.

39) Name the four things you most often object to in other people. – Meanness of spirit, hateful speech, jealousy and greed

40) Name the four things you most often object to in yourself. – My temper, having always to be right, talking over people when they’re talking, being overly sensitive

41) How gullible are you? - not very

42) How intelligent are you? – I think I’m extremely smart and I’m proud of it.

43) Do you believe that the end justifies the means? – That depends on what the ends are and how bad are the means

44) How attractive are you physically? – I’ve never really thought much about it. I guess I’m attractive.

45) Do you believe there is anything worth dying for and what led you to this conclusion? – There are ideals and people I would die for. Nothing really led me to it and I don’t’ know if I would really hold to this conviction push come to shove.

46) What do you worry about the most? – Failing my patients, failing my family and friends.

47) What makes life worth living for you? – Everything, I love life.

48) What is the difference between good and evil? – Evil does harm and good would not.

49) What kind of person would you most like to be? – I think I already am that person

50) How do you relate to animals? – I love animals.





CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT QUESTIONNAIRE

Placid Longstaff


1) List four things you like very much – Food, flying, puzzles, books

2) List four things you dislike very much – lawbreakers, being teased, liars, alcoholism, my name and yes I know that’s five, deal with it.

3) Did you have a happy childhood? – Not really. Don’t get me wrong, Julian is the best brother ever and Mel and her dad were wonderful but Dad was a mean drunk. He ruined my childhood.

4) Describe an incident in your childhood that you think most affected you. – Mom’s death. Not only did we lose her, Dad just couldn’t deal. He just drank and drank. It didn’t help that the Mom’s school sweetheart never got over losing her to Dad and killed her then got away. I swear if I ever find him, I’ll forget I’m a cop.

5) Describe your mother and how you feel about her. – Mom was a wonderful woman. She was our sun. Dad loved her more than anything. Julian and I did, too. She was the best cook and she knew how to handle me and Jules so we never felt too bad when we fought over stuff. She deserved better than she got.

6). Describe your father and how you feel about him – You just had to ask that, didn’t you? Jules remembers Dad being kind. I blocked all of that. All I remember is the drunk who’d beat us, me more than Jules. I made sure of that. And now he’s been murdered, too. What do you call that? Extreme irony? Cursed?

7) what is your favorite pastime? – Reading

8) What person do you think has influenced you the most? – Dad and not in a good way. I’ve dedicated myself to not being him. And my brother. I’d like to be more than him and Lieutenant Winterbottom who got me interested in law enforcement.

9) How do you feel about sex? – I’m shy about it ever since I lost my leg. I do love it, of course, but I’m always afraid of what a woman will say when she seems my silver neurografted leg.

10) What is your religion and how important is it to you? – If God exists, he’s a cruel bastard and he can just go die.

11) What is your philosophy of life? – Be Better

12) If you could have any tangible thing that you wanted what would it be? In other words not an ideal or condition. – My leg back which is as likely as getting my parents back.

13) Have you any physical difficulties? – No. Don’t you call my prosthetic leg a difficulty or I’ll use it to kick your ass.

14) What kind of education or training have you had and how did you feel about it? – I couldn’t go to college. I joined the air corps and went to war. After that I joined the police force.

15) How do you think people react to you as a person? – They see me as an easy target. They see a little guy with a bad leg. Half the time, they think I’m underage. It pisses me off.

16) What are you proudest of? – My military service and my brother

17) What are you most ashamed of? – That I walled the people I love away from my life.

18) What is your deepest fear? – That I’ve lost all ability to express love.

19) How do you feel about food? – Love it

20) What do you dream about? – Being like I was before the war. I was nicer, happier then

21) What makes you feel good? – Getting justice for someone or preventing a crime. And sweets, they make me feel good.

22) What do you try hardest to avoid? – doing something careless that’ll get me or my partners killed

23) What makes you angry and how do you react? – I’m volatile, think gas plus match. I’m quick to scream and throw a punch. Guess I’m more like Dad than I want to be. People hurting others makes me angry, criminals, drunks, people blaming the soldiers for the war all make me mad. People who abuse children make me insanely angry

24) How athletic are you?- I was always athletic. My leg doesn’t slow me down much.

25) How methodical are you? – I’m a detective, what do you think?

26) What are you chief taboos? – not following a just law, getting fall-down drunk, hurting a kid.

27) How much traveling have you done? – A lot with the air corps but it was all for war so it wasn’t fun.

28) Describe a situation in which you feel you have behaved courageously. – I chose not to answer this. I have several medals of courage. Let them speak to a time I’d rather not remember.

29) Do you see yourself as a self-centered person? – I’m not sure if I’m self-centered or so withdrawn there’s nothing left of me to share with anyone else

30) Do you see yourself as a loving person? – No, I’m as closed as a tomb.

31) Do you see yourself as a popular person – Once yes but not any more.

32) Do you see yourself as potentially having an important influence on the world? – Not by myself no but as part of the various teams I’ve been privileged to be a member of, yes.

33) How artistic are you? – Falls down laughing.

34) How do you feel about material things? – Other than my books, I could care less.

35) What are your plans for the future? – right now it’s limited to just convincing the Mount Olivier detective force to move me from probationary officer to a full detective.

36) How idealistic are you? - The war burned idealism out of me.

37) How realistic are you? – very, to the point of fatalism.

38) How successful are you? – I’m moving up the ranks so fast, I guess I must be a success.

39) Name the four things you most often object to in other people. – obsessive behavior, addictive behavior, two-facededness, cruelty to children.

40) Name the four things you most often object to in yourself. - pessimism, my temper, how quick I take the heat when I’m teased, sulkiness

41) How gullible are you? – not really except where Mel and Jules are concerned.

42) How intelligent are you? – I’m smart, real smart and that’s not ego talking

43) Do you believe that the end justifies the means? – I’ve seen this in action. Sometimes the means are just too scary

44) How attractive are you physically? – I’m five foot nothing, full of scars and I’m missing a leg, what do you think

45) Do you believe there is anything worth dying for and what led you to this conclusion? – I did when I went to war. I’m less sure now.

46) What do you worry about the most? – That I’ve lost Julian and Melantha entirely.

47) What makes life worth living for you? – Most days, absolutely nothing, though irritating Killingsworth makes getting up for work a good thing.

48) What is the difference between good and evil? – When you see evil, you’ll know.

49) What kind of person would you most like to be? – My mother gave me this stupid name, Placid. She wanted me to be that name. She loved it and that’s the only reason I’ve never changed it. One day I want to be the man my mother saw when she named me.

50) How do you relate to animals? – Dogs are cool. Cats are a lot like me, aloof but I don’t like them much. Why the hell anyone would own a noisy dirty bird is beyond me.






CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT QUESTIONNAIRE


1) List four things you like very much
2) List four things you dislike very much
3) Did you have a happy childhood?
4) Describe an incident in your childhood that you think most affected you.
5) Describe your mother and how you feel about her.
6). Describe your father and how you feel about him
7) what is your favorite pastime?
8) What person do you think has influenced you the most?
9) How do you feel about sex?
10) What is your religion and how important is it to you?
11) What is your philosophy of life?
12) If you could have any tangible thing that you wanted what would it be? In other words not an ideal or condition.
13) Have you any physical difficulties?
14) What kind of education or training have you had and how did you feel about it?
15) How do you think people react to you as a person?
16) What are you proudest of?
17) What are you most ashamed of?
18) What is your deepest fear?
19) How do you feel about food?
20) What do you dream about?
21) What makes you feel good?
22) What do you try hardest to avoid?
23) What makes you angry and how do you react?
24) How athletic are you?
25) How methodical are you?
26) What are you chief taboos?
27) How much traveling have you done?
28) Describe a situation in which you feel you have behaved courageously.
29) Do you see yourself as a self-centered person?
30) Do you see yourself as a loving person?
31) Do you see yourself as a popular person
32) Do you see yourself as potentially having an important influence on the world?
33) How artistic are you?
34) How do you feel about material things?
35) What are your plans for the future?
36) How idealistic are you?
37) How realistic are you?
38) How successful are you?
39) Name the four things you most often object to in other people.
40) Name the four things you most often object to in yourself.
41) How gullible are you?

42) How intelligent are you?
43) Do you believe that the end justifies the means?
44) How attractive are you physically?
45) Do you believe there is anything worth dying for and what led you to this conclusion?
46) What do you worry about the most?
47) What makes life worth living for you?
48) What is the difference between good and evil?
49) What kind of person would you most like to be?
50) How do you relate to animals?


In non-writing news, Mom got home safely and I am officially exhausted.