This is the thread where we introduce the characters who will be taking part in the January House Party: Bring Your Character to Therapy. (For an explanation, check here.)
Just append a message to this thread, and tell us your character's name, age, gender, and physical description, and any other details you think it might be important for the doctor to know. You don't have to reveal everything--save the juicy details for the therapy session. You can write up the character description in an objective way (i.e., Belinda is 35, red-headed, and short), or you can use a short excerpt from your WIP that does the job for you.
When the House Party begins, it will run six days. Jen, Jenny, and myself will each take the role of therapist for two days. You can join the sessions at any time, but once you join, try to check back several times each day to keep the conversation active. You'll get the most out of it that way.
Any questions?
~Beth
Visit The Stone River
I've never done one of these, but I'm up for it.
Swithun Cooper, 20.
Description from draft. (There's more, but it doesn't belong in this folder.)
The girl facing him didn't smile. She didn't shudder. He couldn't be certain if she was woman or child and it made him uncomfortable, but children aren't sensuous. Children don't move their bodies the way she did. He had the urge to protect her, stop her from doing what she was about to do. About to do for him.
She reached to remove the pins from her hair and a sandy mist unfolded in thick layers, puddling down her shoulders, glowing in the beam of light coming through the window. Her face was in half-shadow. It showed a dimple, the indentation of a small scar above her lip and the soft line of her nose. Bright blue eyes watched him as he watched her. This was no child. (copyright L.Syratt 2008)
Hope this is enough.
Lorraine
Edited to repair draft a little
A Twist of Rotten Silk
Hi Lorraine,
It's a great description of the girl. <g> But I need to know what he looks like.
Huh? Oh, wait, Swithun is the girl. It's the only description of her I could find quickly and it's through his pov. You did only want one character, right?
Edited to add
I just had a look at your first post and nothing about plural. Please set me straight. Thanks
Hi Beth,
I'll be sending Fidelis to get therapy. He is in his late thirtieth, but doesn't know his exact age. He joined the Cistercian community aged around 12 (probably). He was illiterate when he joined, but is now quite well educated, and has progressed into priesthood. He sticks to the celibacy-rule, even though he now lives mainly outside of the monastery to take care of his "flock".
As to what he looks like, he is not very tall, skinny and tends to be the one nobody notices in a crowd. This changes, of course, when he is wearing his priest-outfit - but this tends to be the thing people notice, and not his actual looks.
Hope this is enough information,
Ooh, I can't wait :-)I will try to keep my stress levels down (for therapy, ha ha) and will bring only two characters, one protagonist and one antagonist from The Face of A Lion:Austin, 12, male, blond and blue eyed, 4'7", just entering puberty, has travelled back in time with his guide Kedi the cat, in order to save history <g> Is just learning about himself and finding that he cares deeply for his new friends...Lady Porphyry (not her real name), ageless (evil spirit, if you like), female, long brown hair, believes the world would be a better place in a sort of communist, everyone acting for the greater good of society world - thinks individual desires should be subsumed to greater ideals.
In a semi-nutshell <g>:-)Deniz
http://thegirdleofmelian.blogspot.com/
Beth,
I may have given you too much detail, but here goes. <G>
Hi. I'm Laura Grace Chandler. I'm 55, short--5 foot 2—and dumpy with a short cap of salt and pepper hair. I’m not sure I can do this. In fact, my best friend, June is pushing me--hard. So. I’ve lived and worked in Cherry Hill, Georgia all my life. My life has turned upside down in the last 2 years since I retired after teaching high school for 30 years. My husband, Tom, died one year ago in a wreck only 1 week before retiring after 30 years of teaching. We were never blessed with children, but did find a lot of fulfillment in teaching. My friend seems to be planning a way for me to have children in my life again. If fact, she’s found a needy foster child who needs so much—way more than I can provide. June wants me to be the child’s mentor. We’ll see. I know I’m not good enough for that job.
Zan Marie =^..^=
Lorraine,
Ooops. Sorry. I thought Swithun was a man's name. <g>
You can bring more than one character, but they have to come as a couple, or a group. Otherwise I think it will become too overwhelming, particularly if a lot of people participate.
Susan,
I thought I might start it on the 19th. Will that suit?
How ironic, I'm dragging someone to therapy ;)
Chase McCreaty, (only son of Hugh and Nancy McCreaty), rancher and in process of taking over the family business little by little as his father gets older. 26 years old, old south mentality.
Excerpt from WIP:
"He stood just inside the door, wiping his boots on the mat. The straw cowboy hat covered the upper portion of his face, showing a glimpse of a wide firm mouth, and a strong squared chin, shadowed in whiskers and giving a dusty, dangerous look- had it not been for the soft fullness of his lips. Two seconds had passed and already my lips tingled with the urge to brush against his gently and bruise with passion. Images of heated embraces and fevered encounters had distracted me completely from matters of the heart, on paper or not, so much so that I didn’t notice the hat had risen. In my mind, I traveled up his face with my fingers, brushing against the hard cheekbones and firm nose. A lump broke the broad expanse of an almost too long nose, residual evidence of a fight I felt certain he had won. His eyes were deep set, and the color of new denim, dark and full of depth, framed with thick black lashes mascara companies sold their souls for. The shadow of the hat hid his brows, which I imagined to be strong and brown, depicted by the shadow of a beard and the faint glimpse of sideburns. Textbook forgotten at this point, my curiosity got the best of me. I leaned ever so slightly forward and ducked my head an inch, intent on seeing the rest of this face that enthralled me so. There! They were brown! My satisfaction was short lived as I noticed they were drawn low over the eyes, scanning me with a mixture of concern and irritation. " (copyright 2008 L.M.Calhoun)
<...I thought Swithun was a man's name...>
It's an odd name, I know, but it works with the weaving. (I hope) She was born on a rainy St. Swithun's Day. If you know the saints, you'll get this.
PS I'm only bringing her along. She has hang-ups.
How do I determine my character's age when my story takes place over a 25 year span? (Why am I making this difficult for myself...I'm wondering? >g<)
Also is it to our benefit to pick a character we know well or one we want to get to know better?
Julie, I can hardly wait. <g>
Rhonddalyn,
Well, either one. Or both. Bringing the one you don't know has obvious advantages, but the one you do know could end up surprising you.
As to the age, just pick one and go with that. Or I could pick the age for you. <g>
Tara,
<<He is the only person left in the world that can spot demons living in humans and only three people know this.>>
How very cool. I'm liking this.
