Angie Thompson's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"
Voted Most Likely Blogger Tag
Hello, everyone! So, I saw this super fun blog tag going around, and even though I'm not a real blogger, I thought I'd take a shot at it. Because it's about my own characters, and who doesn't like that? :D
So here's the thing. I'm going to break the rules just slightly. Because I can! Haha, yeah, no, I'm actually a major rule follower. But I've tweaked a couple of the questions that I wasn't quite comfortable with, because some rules are more important to me than others. No offense to anyone; just my personal convictions. I've also included a couple of bonus follow-up questions that popped into my head while I was working on these. Just because I can. ;)
Rule 1: Thank the blogger who tagged you.
I wasn't tagged (not a surprise, since I'm not actually a blogger :P), but I stole the idea from the lovely Kate Willis. :D
Rule 2: Include the link to the original blog.
I don't know anything about this author or their work, but they absolutely deserve credit for this awesome tag. :)
phoebeamorryce.wordpress.com/2018/10/...
Rule 3: Use your own lovely Original Characters (OC’s); don’t use a friend’s characters or characters from your favorite fandom. They can be from any project, so long as you created them. For more fun, try to use as many different characters as possible.
Not a problem! Actually, I narrowed it a bit more and made myself only use characters from stories that are either already published or that I have a decent chance of writing on in the next couple years or so. (Cause my story files run so deep, you guys.)
Rule 4: Nominate five other bloggers.
I'm going to skip this one since I wasn't officially tagged, but if anyone wants to pick it up, feel free. Also, you can refer back to Kate's post or the original for the actual questions, because like I said, I modified a couple.
And now, my own most likely list:
Most Likely to Become a Poet
Rick from Home for the Summer
He's already a writer (journalist and aspiring author) and the one line I've written that he's written is pretty poetic, so he could totally do this! Plus, he's got lot of solid advice to give, so I feel like his poetry (if he ever wrote it) would be super meaningful and not just random fluff.
Most Likely to Dance in the Rain
Mel from Love Blind
She'd probably do it and pull whoever was with her along just to make them smile. She's always thinking of sweet or fun little things to brighten the day for the people she loves, and she's got a definite zest for life, so I could see her doing this.
*Most likely to give me a death stare for suggesting it:*
Ron from Home for the Summer
Because his story was the one already on my mind, and when I glanced at the characters to see if any of them fit, that's what I got. Probably because Ron's both much too mature for anything so childish (he's twelve years old, for Pete's sake) and because he doesn't hesitate to let you know when he's not happy with you. So there you go.
Most Likely to Look Good in a Kilt
Andre from The Shepherd's Song
This one took me a really long time, but I'm pretty confident in my answer. The setting isn't quite right, but if the story was transplanted to Scotland, I'd have no trouble picturing Andre in a kilt. He's a rugged, strong, weather-beaten shepherd, who's also incredibly gentle and kind-hearted--I can so see it! Maybe I should move the story to Scotland...
Funny thing is, I have another character who grew up in a place I modeled off the Scottish highlands, but as hard as I try, I can't picture him in a kilt. :P
Most Likely to Get Punched in the Face
Azariah from Paths of Exile
Because he literally does, in the very first scene of the book. Not that he asks for it or deserves it in the slightest--he's a sweet, innocent, precious baby who should never have anything bad happen to him. But when sweet, innocent babies are captured by Babylonian soldiers, things happen, okay?
I do have some other characters who deserve it much more, but they tend to be super intimidating and/or in positions of power, and my good guys are usually too honorable to take a swing at them anyway. So even though some of them deserve a punch in the face, they're not very likely to get it.
Most Likely to Drop Everything and Become a Sheep Herder
Jaret from Along a Hidden Path
Because this would literally be his dream life. He grew up this way before tragedy struck his family, and he still carries a deep love and longing for the simple life in the highlands. His life has taken some wildly unexpected turns since then, and he's the last one to shirk his responsibilities. But he still feels very inadequate at times, and if he could drop everything and go back without feeling like he was abandoning his best friend, he'd do it in a heartbeat.
Most Likely Found in a Library
Ryan from Home for the Summer
Uh, yeah. I've probably written a lot of bookworm characters, but there's literally no contest. Ryan doesn't just love books; he loves libraries specifically. His choice of activity on vacation would be to visit a library. (At least, if he thought he could choose it without making Ron mad at him.) Ryan's had a rough life growing up, and the library was a safe (and free) place to hang out and lose himself in books. So yeah, he loves them.
Most Likely to Sleep Through an Earthquake
Jess from A Brother Is Born
At least if it hit before about nine in the morning... Jess is a seriously late sleeper and usually doesn't roll out of bed until the last possible second. He's also used to having a bunch of siblings/cousins around, so the noise wouldn't bother him. If he didn't actually sleep through it, he'd probably open one eye, glance at the clock, and go back to sleep--as long as it wasn't threatening to splash water on his face. That gets him up pretty fast.
Most Likely to Steal Food from Other People’s Plates
I'm struggling between two choices for this one, but for very different reasons.
Dodge from Unnamed Dystopian Allegory
This kid would totally do it if he had a reason to want your food. But you'd never catch him at it. He's way too sneaky and smart for his own good. So yeah.
Kevin from Code
Kevin would totally be the type to steal a French fry (or six) off your plate right under your nose--and grin at you while he did it. Mostly because he knows his grin is irresistible and nobody can stay mad at him.
Most Likely to Cheat on a Test
Jordan from Unnamed Mystery
I feel kind of bad about this; Jordan's not really a terrible kid. But he's not always the best behaved kid in the bunch either, and he doesn't have the greatest moral compass or an abundance of self-control, so yeah. I feel like if the temptation was strong enough, he probably would.
*Most likely to tell on him:*
Amelia from Random Hurricane Plot Bunny
Because the girl is obsessed with rules. Like, her siblings and cousins are in emergency survival mode, and she can't stop complaining about all the rules they're breaking. I'm a rule follower myself, but she definitely overdoes it a little.
Most Likely to Say “Oops” After Setting Something on Fire
Dodge from Unnamed Dystopian Allegory
However, it would definitely be because he meant to set it on fire, whatever it was. He can be a little worrisome at times. (Which is a nice way of saying the kid has some serious issues. We're working on it.) Just to be clear, he's not a firebug, but if a fire served his purposes for some reason, he wouldn't have any qualms about starting one.
Most Likely to Open an Orphanage
Actually, I have a few characters who have pretty much done this, but most of them are from stories currently covered in at least two inches of dust. So I'll try to go with someone whose story actually has the potential to be written somewhat soonish.
Astrid from The Butler's Position
Not that she does this, but I could see her doing it under different circumstances, and she'd probably be good at it. She's very sweet and gentle and loves kids, so yeah. (She's also got the most adorable Swedish accent! Which has nothing to do with her ability to run an orphanage, but quite a lot to do with how much I love her...)
Most Likely to Run Off to the Circus
Addi from Paths of Exile
That's a little misleading; Addi's generally too chill to actually run off. But he likes variety, so if he was offered a place in a circus, I feel like he'd take it without hesitation. (Although I'm not sure ancient Babylon had circuses...) Oh well--the personality fits.
[Most Likely to Survive a Catastrophic Takeover]
DaVonte from Bridgers
This was a hard one; apparently I don't have any really tough, battle-skilled characters. But DaVonte is both pretty strong and pretty good at keeping his head down, so I feel like he'd have a good shot at making it. He'd be very determined to make sure his friends survived as well, so you'll want to stay close to this one.
Most Likely to Fake Their Own Death
Umm, actually that's a spoiler. Like a major spoiler. Because if one of my characters actually did do that, he's definitely the most likely, right? But I can't tell you about that.
So, going with the most likely to who hasn't actually done it...
Bryan from Unnamed Dystopian Allegory
I don't necessarily think it's something he wants to do, but if he thought it would be better for his family, I can see him doing it. Particularly because Jetty doesn't intend to let him go without a fight, so he might see it as being easier on her. BTW, remind me not to let this thought cross Bryan's mind. Jetty would kill me!
[Most Likely to Annoy a Sibling to Death]
Chris and Cate from According to Plan
They're actually the first pair of twins I've written that don't get along very well. Cate's got some attitude issues going on, and Chris isn't a fan of backing off, so they get in a lot of sparring matches. I'm not sure which one would wear the other down first if their older brothers weren't around to run interference.
So what'd you guys think? Any of these characters or stories pique your interest? Any other "most likely" questions you'd like answered? Want to try this with your own characters? :D
So here's the thing. I'm going to break the rules just slightly. Because I can! Haha, yeah, no, I'm actually a major rule follower. But I've tweaked a couple of the questions that I wasn't quite comfortable with, because some rules are more important to me than others. No offense to anyone; just my personal convictions. I've also included a couple of bonus follow-up questions that popped into my head while I was working on these. Just because I can. ;)
Rule 1: Thank the blogger who tagged you.
I wasn't tagged (not a surprise, since I'm not actually a blogger :P), but I stole the idea from the lovely Kate Willis. :D
Rule 2: Include the link to the original blog.
I don't know anything about this author or their work, but they absolutely deserve credit for this awesome tag. :)
phoebeamorryce.wordpress.com/2018/10/...
Rule 3: Use your own lovely Original Characters (OC’s); don’t use a friend’s characters or characters from your favorite fandom. They can be from any project, so long as you created them. For more fun, try to use as many different characters as possible.
Not a problem! Actually, I narrowed it a bit more and made myself only use characters from stories that are either already published or that I have a decent chance of writing on in the next couple years or so. (Cause my story files run so deep, you guys.)
Rule 4: Nominate five other bloggers.
I'm going to skip this one since I wasn't officially tagged, but if anyone wants to pick it up, feel free. Also, you can refer back to Kate's post or the original for the actual questions, because like I said, I modified a couple.
And now, my own most likely list:
Most Likely to Become a Poet
Rick from Home for the Summer
He's already a writer (journalist and aspiring author) and the one line I've written that he's written is pretty poetic, so he could totally do this! Plus, he's got lot of solid advice to give, so I feel like his poetry (if he ever wrote it) would be super meaningful and not just random fluff.
Most Likely to Dance in the Rain
Mel from Love Blind
She'd probably do it and pull whoever was with her along just to make them smile. She's always thinking of sweet or fun little things to brighten the day for the people she loves, and she's got a definite zest for life, so I could see her doing this.
*Most likely to give me a death stare for suggesting it:*
Ron from Home for the Summer
Because his story was the one already on my mind, and when I glanced at the characters to see if any of them fit, that's what I got. Probably because Ron's both much too mature for anything so childish (he's twelve years old, for Pete's sake) and because he doesn't hesitate to let you know when he's not happy with you. So there you go.
Most Likely to Look Good in a Kilt
Andre from The Shepherd's Song
This one took me a really long time, but I'm pretty confident in my answer. The setting isn't quite right, but if the story was transplanted to Scotland, I'd have no trouble picturing Andre in a kilt. He's a rugged, strong, weather-beaten shepherd, who's also incredibly gentle and kind-hearted--I can so see it! Maybe I should move the story to Scotland...
Funny thing is, I have another character who grew up in a place I modeled off the Scottish highlands, but as hard as I try, I can't picture him in a kilt. :P
Most Likely to Get Punched in the Face
Azariah from Paths of Exile
Because he literally does, in the very first scene of the book. Not that he asks for it or deserves it in the slightest--he's a sweet, innocent, precious baby who should never have anything bad happen to him. But when sweet, innocent babies are captured by Babylonian soldiers, things happen, okay?
I do have some other characters who deserve it much more, but they tend to be super intimidating and/or in positions of power, and my good guys are usually too honorable to take a swing at them anyway. So even though some of them deserve a punch in the face, they're not very likely to get it.
Most Likely to Drop Everything and Become a Sheep Herder
Jaret from Along a Hidden Path
Because this would literally be his dream life. He grew up this way before tragedy struck his family, and he still carries a deep love and longing for the simple life in the highlands. His life has taken some wildly unexpected turns since then, and he's the last one to shirk his responsibilities. But he still feels very inadequate at times, and if he could drop everything and go back without feeling like he was abandoning his best friend, he'd do it in a heartbeat.
Most Likely Found in a Library
Ryan from Home for the Summer
Uh, yeah. I've probably written a lot of bookworm characters, but there's literally no contest. Ryan doesn't just love books; he loves libraries specifically. His choice of activity on vacation would be to visit a library. (At least, if he thought he could choose it without making Ron mad at him.) Ryan's had a rough life growing up, and the library was a safe (and free) place to hang out and lose himself in books. So yeah, he loves them.
Most Likely to Sleep Through an Earthquake
Jess from A Brother Is Born
At least if it hit before about nine in the morning... Jess is a seriously late sleeper and usually doesn't roll out of bed until the last possible second. He's also used to having a bunch of siblings/cousins around, so the noise wouldn't bother him. If he didn't actually sleep through it, he'd probably open one eye, glance at the clock, and go back to sleep--as long as it wasn't threatening to splash water on his face. That gets him up pretty fast.
Most Likely to Steal Food from Other People’s Plates
I'm struggling between two choices for this one, but for very different reasons.
Dodge from Unnamed Dystopian Allegory
This kid would totally do it if he had a reason to want your food. But you'd never catch him at it. He's way too sneaky and smart for his own good. So yeah.
Kevin from Code
Kevin would totally be the type to steal a French fry (or six) off your plate right under your nose--and grin at you while he did it. Mostly because he knows his grin is irresistible and nobody can stay mad at him.
Most Likely to Cheat on a Test
Jordan from Unnamed Mystery
I feel kind of bad about this; Jordan's not really a terrible kid. But he's not always the best behaved kid in the bunch either, and he doesn't have the greatest moral compass or an abundance of self-control, so yeah. I feel like if the temptation was strong enough, he probably would.
*Most likely to tell on him:*
Amelia from Random Hurricane Plot Bunny
Because the girl is obsessed with rules. Like, her siblings and cousins are in emergency survival mode, and she can't stop complaining about all the rules they're breaking. I'm a rule follower myself, but she definitely overdoes it a little.
Most Likely to Say “Oops” After Setting Something on Fire
Dodge from Unnamed Dystopian Allegory
However, it would definitely be because he meant to set it on fire, whatever it was. He can be a little worrisome at times. (Which is a nice way of saying the kid has some serious issues. We're working on it.) Just to be clear, he's not a firebug, but if a fire served his purposes for some reason, he wouldn't have any qualms about starting one.
Most Likely to Open an Orphanage
Actually, I have a few characters who have pretty much done this, but most of them are from stories currently covered in at least two inches of dust. So I'll try to go with someone whose story actually has the potential to be written somewhat soonish.
Astrid from The Butler's Position
Not that she does this, but I could see her doing it under different circumstances, and she'd probably be good at it. She's very sweet and gentle and loves kids, so yeah. (She's also got the most adorable Swedish accent! Which has nothing to do with her ability to run an orphanage, but quite a lot to do with how much I love her...)
Most Likely to Run Off to the Circus
Addi from Paths of Exile
That's a little misleading; Addi's generally too chill to actually run off. But he likes variety, so if he was offered a place in a circus, I feel like he'd take it without hesitation. (Although I'm not sure ancient Babylon had circuses...) Oh well--the personality fits.
[Most Likely to Survive a Catastrophic Takeover]
DaVonte from Bridgers
This was a hard one; apparently I don't have any really tough, battle-skilled characters. But DaVonte is both pretty strong and pretty good at keeping his head down, so I feel like he'd have a good shot at making it. He'd be very determined to make sure his friends survived as well, so you'll want to stay close to this one.
Most Likely to Fake Their Own Death
Umm, actually that's a spoiler. Like a major spoiler. Because if one of my characters actually did do that, he's definitely the most likely, right? But I can't tell you about that.
So, going with the most likely to who hasn't actually done it...
Bryan from Unnamed Dystopian Allegory
I don't necessarily think it's something he wants to do, but if he thought it would be better for his family, I can see him doing it. Particularly because Jetty doesn't intend to let him go without a fight, so he might see it as being easier on her. BTW, remind me not to let this thought cross Bryan's mind. Jetty would kill me!
[Most Likely to Annoy a Sibling to Death]
Chris and Cate from According to Plan
They're actually the first pair of twins I've written that don't get along very well. Cate's got some attitude issues going on, and Chris isn't a fan of backing off, so they get in a lot of sparring matches. I'm not sure which one would wear the other down first if their older brothers weren't around to run interference.
So what'd you guys think? Any of these characters or stories pique your interest? Any other "most likely" questions you'd like answered? Want to try this with your own characters? :D
Flash Fiction - Traitor
Hey, guys! I recently ran across a flash fiction contest with a prompt that really grabbed my attention. I haven't written a lot of super-short pieces, but I was inspired for this one, so I gave it a shot, and I thought I'd share it with you here. :D
Give it a read, and let me know what you think!
~Traitor~
They say we were born for a purpose. That our role is to serve the king in any way he requires. Maybe it is.
But I can't believe everything they say.
They say we could never live on the outside. That the walls exist for our protection. That we would die without their care.
But only Elispeth could have known the symbol scratched beneath the single word "safe."
They say without the king our city would collapse into ruin. That he cares for us like a father. That it is our duty to preserve him.
But when the nest in the tree beyond the east gate was threatened, I saw the father bird risk his own life for his young.
They say we were born in test tubes. That we have no right to feelings. That our only value is in our service.
But they never looked deep into little Jemmy's eyes.
They say he alone has the power to save the king. That it might be a full generation before they breed another with the perfect blood type. That without him, the king will die in a year.
But why is a child's life of less value than a king's?
They don't try to pretend that Jemmy would live through the procedure. They know he is too small. Instead, they talk about duty and prosperity and our purpose and our place.
But all I can feel is Jemmy's trusting little hand in mine.
They say life is trouble and pain. That Jemmy would be better not knowing it. That his would be an easy and merciful end.
But I believe the stories of a God who made life and says it should not be destroyed.
They say they've improved security. That our quarters are sealed tight. That no one will ever make another escape.
But Jemmy and Elispeth are already over the wall.
They say Jemmy is a state asset. That I am to blame for his escape. That if he is not returned, I will die with the king.
But Elispeth knows that I chose this path.
They say I'm a traitor. Maybe I am.
Maybe I don't care.
Give it a read, and let me know what you think!
~Traitor~
They say we were born for a purpose. That our role is to serve the king in any way he requires. Maybe it is.
But I can't believe everything they say.
They say we could never live on the outside. That the walls exist for our protection. That we would die without their care.
But only Elispeth could have known the symbol scratched beneath the single word "safe."
They say without the king our city would collapse into ruin. That he cares for us like a father. That it is our duty to preserve him.
But when the nest in the tree beyond the east gate was threatened, I saw the father bird risk his own life for his young.
They say we were born in test tubes. That we have no right to feelings. That our only value is in our service.
But they never looked deep into little Jemmy's eyes.
They say he alone has the power to save the king. That it might be a full generation before they breed another with the perfect blood type. That without him, the king will die in a year.
But why is a child's life of less value than a king's?
They don't try to pretend that Jemmy would live through the procedure. They know he is too small. Instead, they talk about duty and prosperity and our purpose and our place.
But all I can feel is Jemmy's trusting little hand in mine.
They say life is trouble and pain. That Jemmy would be better not knowing it. That his would be an easy and merciful end.
But I believe the stories of a God who made life and says it should not be destroyed.
They say they've improved security. That our quarters are sealed tight. That no one will ever make another escape.
But Jemmy and Elispeth are already over the wall.
They say Jemmy is a state asset. That I am to blame for his escape. That if he is not returned, I will die with the king.
But Elispeth knows that I chose this path.
They say I'm a traitor. Maybe I am.
Maybe I don't care.
