Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Character Bible


Andita Daji (she finally has a tentative name!!)

Nickname: Dita (or Andi?), Ghost

Origin of Nickname: Dita is the shortened version of her name. Ghost is a nickname given to her by some of her neighbors, based on her role as a ghostwriter.

Age: 30ish

Current Location: Verumir

Biological gender: female

Identifiable gender: female

Sexual Orientation: gay

Can she write well?: Yes, very well. It’s part of her job.

Can she read well?: Yes, (though not out loud. She doesn’t like speaking in front of lot’s of people)

Average, high, or poor intellect: She has a pretty high intellect when it comes to academics (other than science which she despises). However, she has almost no people skills or street smarts.

Broken the law: she breaks into a library and a house in the book so yes.

Education level: She’s quite highly educated (she has basically our equivalence of a masters in the history of the Trading Circle (which is a region of her world)).

Economic situation: pretty poor. Ghostwriters don’t make much money. Especially ones that don’t get along with anyone.

Current Occupation: at the beginning of the book she’s a historian who’s struggling to be taken seriously. She’s also a ghostwriter, which pays the bills.

Personality Type: (on Meyer-Briggs) INTP

Good at interacting in social situations: only with people she knows well and is confortable with. Otherwise she gets nervous which translates as rude and sarcastic.

Hobbies: Debating almost anything. It doesn’t matter if she knows anything about the subject. She’ll try to debate it anyway.

Easily Bored?: only in boring situations

Known Quirks: She has the tendency to cut corners when she feels that something is beneath her. She always needs to have the last word. She stubbornly doesn’t care about what most people find important (religion, gossip), but if she cares about you she’ll walk through hell for you.

Quiet or loud: usually pretty loud, except in very emotional situations where she tends to disappear.

Fears: Not ever doing anything that really matters in the world. Ending up alone. Revealing too much about herself.

Role in group: the annoying one who is constantly making sarcastic comments but who’s too good at their job to fire. Is that a role?

In group, would contribute: good ideas with some snarky comments on the side.

Good at cooperating: if she knows and likes you, yes, usually. If she doesn’t, no.

Kind of thinker: she likes to think she’s a realist, but she’s way too idealistic for that.

What annoys her?: people belittling/being threatened by intelligence. People who do things only for personal gain. People lying to her.

Reaction when annoyed: She will just become extra argumentative and sarcastic.

Easily angered? No

Reaction when angry: If you’ve done something bad enough to get her really mad at you, she’ll usually just ignore you.

Is she sad often? She’s not addressed, but she is often lonely.

Reaction when sad: to throw herself into work.

Strengths: writing, history, debating, setting her mind to do something and actually doing it.

Weaknesses: talking about her feelings, lying, opening up to people.

Self serving/self sacrificing: in the moment she’ll usually be more self-protecting, but once she’s had a chance to think, she’ll be more self-sacrificing (for her friends)

Dreamer/realist: more of a realist. (hope for the best, prepare for the worst)

Personality flaws: easily annoyed and takes it out on people. She’s not easy to get along with. She tends to be conceited when it comes to her work. She tends to make stupid decisions in the moment that she later regrets. She has a hard time letting people see her vulnerabilities.

How reliable is her memory: on historical stuff her memory is incredible. She’s not as good at remembering the practical stuff or details about people she doesn’t really care about.

Self-confident/self deprecating: self confident, but it’s most to cover up her insecurities.

Sense of humor: very snarky and sarcastic. She says that she only likes intelligent humor, but sometimes will laugh at stupid things too (she’ll then claim that it’s not funny).

Good at keeping secrets: sometimes. She’s not a good liar, but as long as the subject never comes up she won’t gossip about it to anyone.

Prone to gossip: no

Messy/neat handwriting: messy. Basically illegible.

Personal moral code: mostly to tell the truth. She hates people who lie or exaggerate to make themselves look better.

Religion: she’s not religious. Though she was raised in (a currently unnamed religion with many deities). That’s why she uses their names when she swears.

Political affiliation: she tends to try to stay out of politics that aren’t at least 100 years old.

Reputation among family: she’s the weird, bookish, who won’t get married and moved away to a big city.

Reputation among friends: she’s the stubborn one who won’t do anything unless she wants to, but she has a big heart under all the sarcasm and obscure history facts.

Skin color: black

Height: 5’ 4” (ish)

Right/left handed: left-handed

Body type: a little on the heavier side.

Eye color: dark brown

Hair color: black

Fashion: very simple and practical. She favors trousers over dresses (which luckily are becoming increasingly common)

Accent: she tries very hard to hide her country accent behind a more elite city accent. If you have a good ear you can hear it slip through sometimes though.



Thursday, March 30, 2017

(Not) Wednesday Word Count

Word Count Goal: 2000


What am I working on?

A ton of different things. I worked on my book a bit. I was inspired in class on Monday and wrote the first episode of a podcast that hopefully I'll record this weekend. And a bunch of other random things.


How do I feel about this process?

It was a really productive week. I had a lot of ideas and was genuinely really inspired to write. So that was really nice. I've decided to make a goal for myself that I'm going to try to write every day of April, and this week made me think I could actually do that.


Total Word Count: 6743


What am I reading/experiencing?

The 20 Master Plots (which has been really interesting so far). Also the Netflix show Grace and Frankie. Season 3 just came out and I've had fun binge watching it.

Thursday, March 23, 2017

100 Word Stories

I found this exercise once in a writing book (I don't remember which one) and I've written quite a few since. The idea is you pick a random word and then write a 100 word short story based on it. It's a really fun way to practice word choice. I like it because it really makes me question the purpose of every single word I'm using. So, here are some of the ones I've written. Enjoy!



                                                                                 Things in the Dark          

My breathing echoes in the darkness. I’m sure that someone can hear it. If there’s anyone in the dark besides me, which I doubt. No one else is that stupid. Just me. I reach my hands into the blackness, searching for the wall. Nothing. Then, my fingers find something. It’s slick with goo. I shudder, yanking them back.
         For a moment I stand in the dark. Blind. Shaking. Then I reach my hands out again, needing to feel something besides the dark pressing in on me. But I can’t find anything. Whatever I had felt is gone. Something else’s here.


Miss Adams

“Miss Adams, have you been taking your pills?” asked the doctor. The sticker on her shirt said her name was Ashley Philips. The old woman looked up, suddenly furious,
         “Of course I haven’t! Those things’ll kill me before the pneumonia does!” 
         The doctor pursed her lips, “We’re only trying to help you Miss Adams-” she began.
         “Then help me by minding your own business and leaving me alone!” shouted the woman heaving herself up from the couch and making for the door.
         “Wait! Miss Adams! Your pills!” shouted the doctor behind her.
         “To hell with them!” 
         The appointment was over.



The Sixtieth


         The old man drove his car along the road. It was full of potholes and bumps. Pebbles kept flying up around him. He pulled his car into a small, unpaved parking lot and climbed unsteadily out. He took a bouquet from the passenger’s seat and walked into a small cemetery. He placed the bouquet on a grave that had wilted flowers already on it.
         “Look Dolores,” said the man, “I brought you something special for our anniversary. It’s our sixtieth today. I was tellin’ Sam yesterday not everyone makes it to their sixtieth.” He turned to leave, smiling,
         “Happy anniversary”


Summoned

The hall seemed to have stretched itself out impossibly long. Marco could’ve sworn that it hadn’t always been this long. Faces glanced at him as he walked by. Then they ducked back behind computer screens. They all knew why he was walking down the impossibly long hall. His breathing was heavy and his heart pounded. Finally, he reached the end of the hall. He stopped before his boss’s office, his arm raised to knock. Black smoke poured out from beneath the door. He dropped his fist against the wood. The sound echoed against the moans and screams. The door opened.


Thank You

She found him squeezed into a nook behind the boathouse. The note that had told her to meet him there was crumbled in her pocket. He grinned when he saw her and moved over to make more room.
         “Do you have it?” he asked excitedly.
         By way of answer she held out the book she’d stolen from the library. His attention immediately turned from her to it as he flipped through the dusty pages. He’d forgotten to say thank you. He always did. She watched his quick, eager eyes scan the words and smiled slightly. She knew what he meant.


Echoes

“General”
The man didn’t turn to face the owner of the shaky young voice. Too young.
“Yes Private.”
“The backup just called. They won’t here in time, sir.”
The words seemed to echo around the room.
When the man said nothing the young voice spoke again.
“Sir, we’re almost out of ammunition. We won’t last the night without backup.”
“Yes.” The man finally turned.
“What should I tell the men sir?”
The man looked down at the pictures he’d received yesterday. The pictures of a baby that had just been born.
“Tell them to write letters.”
More echoes.
“Yes sir.”


Wednesday Word Count

Word Count Goal: 1000

What am I working on?

I finished a screenplay that I've had on the back burner forever. I've also been writing a couple random scenes that have been floating around in my mind for a while now. I have no idea if they'll ever actually be apart of anything, but I wanted to get them down on paper.

How do I feel about this process? 

I felt really good over break and I got a lot done. I haven't been as good since school started. I have to relearn how to budget my time.

Total Word Count: 3026

What am I reading/experiencing right now? 

I finished Maus (which is a very odd book with a confusing ending. I literally thought that someone had torn out the last couple of pages from my copy. There's no ending; it just stops). I also have been listening to the Welcome to Night Vale podcast a lot. The 100th episode is so good I can't stop listening to it.


Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Wednesday Word Count

Word Count Goal: 1000 words

What am I working on?

Way too many things. My book, an old screenplay, the latest writing experiment (which hopefully will be done by tomorrow)

Total Word Count: 1932

What am I reading now?

Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Wednesday Word Count

Word Count Goal: 1000 words

What am I working on? 

Mostly just random pieces of writing. Most of my bigger projects are on a temporary hold right now because life is so busy. 

Total Word Count: 1002 (barely made it) 

How do I feel about this process? 

Pretty good. I haven't be writing too much just because I'm really busy, but break's next week, so I'll have way more time then. 

What am I reading now?

Nothing currently. I just finished Wicked and am searching for a new book. Any suggestions?



Monday, March 6, 2017

Very, Very, Very Late Wednesday Word Count

Word Count Goal: 1000


What am I working on?

Mostly my book, and a lot of essays and other school related things.

Total Word Count: (as of last Wednesday) about 800ish


How do I feel about this process?

Kind of frustrated to be honest. I haven't had that much time recently (which is also the reason I forgot about this so thoroughly) so I don't really feel like I'm getting as much done as I should. I'm also thinking seriously about making a weekly reminder for this class.


What am I reading now?

Wicked by Gregory Maguire