Five MORE Things I Never Knew I Needed to Know About My Main Character
Last time I answered 5 questions about my main character in HIDDEN KNIGHT: A Novel of a Bear. Today I’ll answer 5 more questions, but this time about my main character in my current WIP (Work in Progress), Daydream. My main character (or MC) is Michelle, an exhausted military mom trying to keep the home together during her husband’s deployment while homeschooling her lively 9-year-old daughter, Sammie, and her 5-year-old son, JJ. Michelle never dreamed she’d be suddenly transported into her own fantasy world from the forgotten drafts of her novel.
- What is your MC’s favorite color?
Michelle has a favorite color? That’s news to me. How on earth am I supposed to decide for my character what her favorite color is? Do I make it my own favorite color? That doesn’t sit well with me. After all, I tried hard to make my main character not me. I’m not exactly sure how Michelle’s favorite color plays into the plot or character arc, but apparently it’s important because everyone must know. Whelp, Michelle’s fantasy world has colors that don’t exist in our world. Problem solved. Her favorite color is an unknown color.
Though all the homes are built with a similar white brick to the city walls, each home has painted doors and window frames of varying color. Common colors like red, purple, yellow. Unique colors like cyan, coral, burgundy, and one Sammie calls wormy green. Other homes, I’m certain, have colors that don’t exist in my own world. If we used most any of these colors on our house, our homeowners association would have a fit.
- Does your MC have a pet?
Michelle actually does not like animals, and is very much afraid of dogs. Sammie and JJ have been begging her for a puppy for a while, but Michelle fears it would grow into an oversized beast. Despite Michelle’s dislike of animals, she is beginning to grow rather fond of a certain pony named Prattles. He was the first to greet Michelle at the start of her adventure and has become a faithful companion.
There’s a growing circle of villagers standing around me staring, their astonishment matching my own. I stare back, making a squeaking noise as air escapes my lungs, unable to form a coherent thought much less speak. The pony nuzzles me as though hoping for sugar, and evidently, the only one not in the least disturbed by my sudden appearance.
- What flower would your MC be?
Why would my main character—or any of my characters—ever be a flower? I’m baffled as to the purpose of this exercise. I don’t even know which flower is Michelle’s favorite. Heck, I don’t even know if she is allergic to pollen. Maybe that is the purpose of this question—to help me have a more intimate knowledge of my characters. Is contemplating the type of flower your characters might be a normal part of writing? I don’t know about Michelle, but I’m fairly confident her daughter, Sammie, would be a wildflower.
Sammie flopped onto her back and made a sand angel, soiling her blue sundress. The shaggy dog ran in circles around her barking. Sammie sat up, wet sand plastered all over her skin and clothes. She brushed sandy strands of hair from her face. “No, I don’t think so,” she told the shaggy dog as he cocked his head to one side. “Mama wouldn’t like it here at all. She wouldn’t even hear the magic in the sea shells.”
- Does your MC wear makeup?
No. Perhaps in normal circumstances? Common toiletries in that world are either non-existent or unavailable. Michelle gets an unexpected bath in a terrifying meeting.
Our light meal finished, I am ungracefully mounting Prattles when he suddenly gives a frightened snort and bolts. I fly back off the saddle and into the shallow creek, where I flail ridiculously in the cold water. A shadow falls across me, which I at first suppose is Sir Lightlee coming to help. Instead I look into an evil grimace of a sickly gray being, whether man or beast I cannot tell. It reaches a long clawed hand and grabs me by the neck. A shiver of cold runs down my spine that makes the stream feel like a warm bath.
- What does your MC like to drink?
Before Michelle was a sleep deprived mom, she enjoyed a cup of hot tea on occasion, but raising energetic children has brewed an affinity for coffee. Unfortunately, coffee isn’t anywhere to be found in her fantasy world because she created that world over ten years ago. In her words:
On second thought, I’m sick of tea and could use a really strong cup of black coffee. No sugar, no milk—just bitter dark water to match my mood.
I hope you enjoyed these excerpts from Daydream. It’s a work in progress, and these snippets are from the rough draft. Leave a comment and please subscribe for updates!
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Love it! I’m enjoying your posts!
Thank you! I’m glad to hear it.
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