Beautiful People: March Edition

Beautiful People is a linkup hosted by Cait @ Paperfury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In. I find it helpful in developing and learning more about my characters. 

1.  What's their favourite book or movie/play/etc? 

Priscilla's favourite book is one that has been too well used. It's fraying and worn, but still she reads it. I just don't know what it's called yet. It will come to me though at some point.

2.  Is there anything they regret doing?

When she was quite young Priscilla severely bullied a girl so much that the girl dropped out of school to be homeschooled and eventually moved away. Now while Priscilla comes to an understanding of why she did it she still finds it hard to forgive herself even if she is forgiven.

3.  If they were sick and wounded, who would take care of them and how? 

If Priscilla were sick her older brother would look after her. He would keep her entertained with games and movies and books. Her father was not in the picture and her mother unable to care for her.

4.  Is there an object they can't bear to part with and why?

The book is one I suppose, it's written in her home language and isn't available in Pliera (the country she currently lives in).

5.  What are five ways to win their heart (or friendship)? 

1. Become friends with her (She has few at the beginning of her story)
2. Give books, discuss books, Anything books
3. Speak her language

I can't think of any others at the moment but I'm sure there are more.

6.  Describe a typical outfit for them from top to bottom. 

Priscilla's home country is a rather warm country that in no way gets snow, ever. So typical clothing most especially in the warmer months are a loose t-shirt with a pair of 3 quarter length shorts. In winter or the cooler months she isn't big into jeans or trackies. Maybe these parachute pants would suit her. She won't usually wear t-shirts but instead ops for t-shirts with 3 quart sleeves. She is very much a summer girl at heart.

7.  What's their favourite type of weather? 

I think Priscilla would most love calm weather. Yes. Her life has been a bit of a confusing mess so I think she would love to be outside and go somewhere where there were hills and lots of space and enjoy the slight breeze and clear blue skies. Sadly living in the city limits her ability to achieve this. But she does have this one memory from long ago where she remembers going with her family and they are having a picnic on such a day as that. 

8.  What's the worst fight they've ever been in? 

The worst fight Priscilla's been in is quite complicated to explain. It's one that will end up with a bloody nose but the other factor or people in such a fight began it long ago. She can only fight it for so long. That obviously doesn't tell you much but that is because it would be a spoiler. 

9.  What names or nicknames have they been called throughout their life?

Bully, criminal. Bad with people. Priscilla has notable trouble keeping her mouth shut in certain circumstances. It's not that she talks too much. No, she is actually quite careful with her words. It's just that her mind won't allow her to not say something at certain times and because of this she is often labelled as a bully.

10.  What makes their heart feel alive? 

Priscilla is a bookworm at heart and to feel alive would sometimes be burying herself into some enthralling story alas interruptions in her life are about to happen. Another thing she finds captivating is learning about the five countries of their content. She feels that not enough is known about each one individually and wants to research how in their past they combined to form an alliance. She is passionate about this subject and wishes to pursue it into some sort of career.

Here is a bit about Priscilla, a main character in my current WIP. What do you think of her? Do you have any questions for her? Did you participate in Beautiful People this month or have you done it in the past?

Naming Charcters

Characters are our beloved darlings. We love them to pieces and put them through so much (so they can grow mind you). For me when I create my characters they sometimes don't get names straight away. It's not to punish them at all it's just that none have come to mind and I might put off naming them until much later. Somehow even without the names the characters move around with just as much personality as if they do have names. The hard thing about it is I can't just pick a name out of a hat and it becomes their name forever. It just doesn't work like that (most of the time). 

My naming processes

1. It drops in

Sometimes a name just drops in and fits the character. It just fits. I don't need to change their name at all. I'm grateful when this happens because (they won't have to go nameless for months if I'm feeling particular clueless as to their names) Other times when it drops in I will try it out for a little while and end up searching for a new one. 

For Graeme his name just came. It fit and stuck. I think the day before it could have been Gray though. One thing I did do those is look up the different spellings because I didn't like the spelling of it like this: Graham. I had imagined it the other

When I was writing my novel for campnanowrimo July Samuel James actually began as Benjamin. At first had thought that Benjamin did fit him but then as I was writing it had suddenly changed to Samuel before I had even realised it. 

2. Name Generators

I have done this for both first and surnames, but probably more often for last names as they are the hardest to think of. I generally go through them and pick a few that I like the sound of and then I test them out and decide if one fits or suits my character.

De Haven is a last name I found in an a surname generator. When I was little I gave my favourite toy a last name by chopping up my own. It ended up being Obson. 

3. Off The Top of My Head

Lastly I try and think of the many names I might know or have heard of and see if they fit a character. This way doesn't always work as some names pop up many times while trying to think up a new name (two characters cannot have the same name).

I'm fairly sure I've had a couple of Michaels in one old story and one newer one. I only have a vague memory of the older story now though as I hadn't really started writing them down as much back then. Which means the newer character is getting the name.

4. It starts with a letter

Then there are the times where I feel like I want a name to start with a certain letter. I don't generally know why but I a letter comes to mind for the start of the name I just need to figure out the rest. 

This happened with my character Keira Stanford. Her last name I knew I wanted to start with S and a few days later Stanford came to mind.

5. Swapping

Sometimes my characters swap names or it switch from one character to another. For example in the WIP I'm exploring I was looking of name ideas at Fantasy Name Generator and I found Zane and gave it to one character. It didn't stick to him and instead he got named James (which was a dropping sort of name) and his best friend was suddenly Zane. 

Bonus: The Definition

Another thing I do is look up the definition to my characters names. I find this interesting to do but it doesn't affect whether the name stays or not. I remember at one point a had a whole list of my family's name definitions with some character name meanings as well.

What about you? Do you find it easy to find names for your characters? Do you find the definition for your character's name or is it something you've never thought of before?

Beautiful People: August Edition

Beautiful People is a link up hosted by Cait @Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In. I've only participated in it a few times so far but it has really helped me to get to know my characters and books better.


This

1. Give a brief overview of their looks (Include a photo if you want!)

Samuel is pale, and fairly average in height with dusty blond hair (I'm not even sure if that's the right way to describe it)

2. Share a snippet that involves description of their appearance. 

I don't think I really have a snippet as of yet that really describes his appearance but you can be sure that when one is born I will add it to this post.

Beautiful People: July Editon

Beautiful People is a link up hosted by Cait @Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In. It helps us to get to know our characters and our books better.

This month I am doing Samuel James. I am writing in his Point of View for my camp nanowrimo story this month and these questions helped me to get to know him a bit better. This month I have decided to let Samuel answer them himself. I felt the answers sounded better coming from him.

1. Do they want to get married and/or have children? Why or Why not?

I don't know if I will ever get married. I've never though about it really. I'm not sure if I will ever get the chance. Children, *shrugs* who knows. Maybe. Probably not if I don't get married. 

2. What is their weapon of choice? (It doesn't necessarily have to be a physical weapon)

Dad never really let me near a weapon. I would like to learn. Maybe. At least it would be a way to defend myself. *Sigh* I don't know.

3. What's the nicest thing they've done for someone else, and why did they do it? 

The nicest thing I've ever done? Some nice things have been done for. I suppose... I did look after one of the 3 year olds once. He was scared and kind of came up to me. I looked out for him ever since. I didn't want him to get hurt.

4. Have they been physically violent with someone, and what instigated it? 

Physically violent? *raises eyebrows* Umm... Author... help

I don't think you being little and attacking your brother counts. 

Umm... okay. Nope, I have no idea.

5. Are they are rule-follower or a rebel? 

Umm... rule-follower, rebel, rule-follower, rebel, rule-follower, rebel...

Sam? Well as he can't seem to answer I will try. Mostly he needs to be a rule-follower but he yearns to do more than that. I think he would like to rebel. One day. 

6. Are they organised or messy? 

Organised. My room cannot be messy. I'll be in trouble if it is. Plus I need to know where I've hidden my secret things.

I think he would love to be messy though. 

7. What makes them feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way? 

Shadrach. My brother. *Stares off in the distance* He always made me feel loved. I felt moderately safe with him. He just cared for me, knew when I was unhappy and unwell. Made sure I did my back excursuses even when I didn't want to. He checked up on me. *Whispers* More than Dad did.

8. What do they eat for breakfast?

Breakfast? That seems random. Okay, what do I have? Mush.

Or porridge

*Shrugs shoulders* Same thing.

9. Have they ever lost someone close to them? What happened?

*Looks across at me* Do I have to?

*Gives him stare and doesn't answer*

*looks down and sighs quietly. answer sounds automated* My brother. He had to leave. Couldn't return. I have no idea where he is. I wish I did. *Wistfully adds* I don't know if I will ever see him again.

10. What's their treat of choice? (Or if not food, how else do they reward themselves?)

*Gives a one cornered smile* I love imagining I could fly. When I was younger my Dad found out. I gave him a drawing once of me with wings. He got angry and ripped the picture up. He banned me from doing it. It's the special place I go to in my mind.

So there you have it. This months Beautiful People :). 

What did you think of Samuel James? Did you participate in Beautiful People this month? 

Also check out :)

Beautiful People June Edition

Beautiful People: June Edition

Beautiful People is a link up hosted by Cait @Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In. It helps us to get to know our characters and books better.

This is my first time doing the linkup and I am doing my main character of my current WIP. Jaye is in his early to mid teens and has wings.

1. What was their childhood home like?

Jaye’s first childhood memory is of watching a teenage boy take his first flight. It stuck because he has wings and knew that was what he could do one day.

2. What was their best and worst childhood experiences?

Jaye’s best memory is when he found out that he did indeed have parents and from that moment he had hope that one day he would meet them. His worst memory is from when he was kidnapped at eleven years. Little was done to him at the time but it has stayed with him always and shaped who he has become.

3. What was their childhood home like?

Jaye’s childhood home was an orphanage. Though there were many children none of them ever felt better than each other. They all treated each other as one big family. The owners of the orphanage were the mother and father figure in their lives. Jaye thinks fondly of his time there.

4. What's something that scared them as a child?

Jaye held the fear that one day he would never find out who his parents was. He had never met them but knew that they were alive somewhere. A second thing that scared him was when he was kidnapped. It terrified him and he became a bit of recluse when he managed to get home.

5. Who did they look up to most? 

I think that he most looked up to the owner of the orphanage. I think that Jaye looked up to Jackson, the owner of the orphanage most. He was his father figure, the person who taught him sword fighting and someone he felt he could count on.

6. Favourite and least favourite childhood foods?

Jaye’s favourite food is chocolate cakes, puddings and anything of the like. A chocolate block is okay but get it into some kind of cake and he would come running even in his recluse time. His least favourite food was pumpkin. His was quite allergic to it even more so when it was made into pumpkin soup. For some reason it affects him quicker.

A Chocolate Mud Cake I made for my brother last year

7. If they had their childhood again, would they change anything? 

Jaye left the orphanage when he was in his early teens. I think the thing he would change would be to contact and visit them more than he did.

8. What kind of child were they? Curious? Wild? Quiet? Devious?

Jaye was a curious child. He was one who was diligent in his own school work and always willing to learn. What he most wished and was most curious about was anything with wings and flying.  

9. What was their relationship to their parents and siblings like?

Well as I mentioned earlier Jaye is an orphan so in his childhood he didn’t have any kind of relationship with his birth parents but he got on well with the other children at the orphanage and as the owners.

10. What did they want to be when they grew up, and what did they actually become?

The only thing that Jaye knew for sure he would be able to fly and a hope that he would meet his birth family, but besides that he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do when he grew up. Jaye well he’s still barely had a chance to discover what he really wanted to do. He may or may not have been kidnapped more than once.

What did you think of Jaye? Do you have any question for him? Did you do your own Beautiful People this month?