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sebenikelaTell me which characters and questions you want me to ramble about:
PHYSICAL PRESENCE AND GESTURE.
1. How do they move and carry themselves? Pace, rhythm, gestures, energy?
2. How much physical space do they use, active and at rest?
3. How do they position themselves in a group? Do they like to be the center of attention, or do they hang back at the edges of a crowd?
4. What is their size and build? How does it influence how they use their body, if it does?
5. How do they dress? What styles, colors, accessories, and other possessions do they favor? Why?
6. What are they like in motion–in different environments, and in different activities? What causes the differences between these?
7. How do they physically engage with other people, inanimate objects, and their environment? What causes the differences between these?
8. Where and when do they seem most and least at ease? Why? How can you tell?
9. How do they manifest energy, exhaustion, tension, or other strong emotions?
10. What energizes and drains them most?
11. How are they vocally expressive? What kind of voice, accent, tones, inflections, volume, phrases and slang, and manner of speaking do they use?
12. How are they bodily expressive? How do they use nonverbal cues such as their posture, stance, eyes, eyebrows, mouths, and hands?
DISPOSITION AND TEMPERAMENT.
13. How do they greet the world — what is their typical attitude towards life? How does it differ in different circumstances, or towards different subjects? Why do they take these attitudes, and why do they change? How do these tend to be expressed?
14. What do they care deeply about? What kind of loyalties, commitments, moral codes, life philosophies, passions, callings, or spirituality and faith do they have? How do these tend to be expressed?
15. What kind of inner life do they have — rich and imaginative? Calculating and practical? Full of doubts and fears? Does it find any sort of outlet in their lives?
16. Do they dream? What are those dreams like?
17. Are they more shaped by nature or nurture — who they are, or what has happened to them? How have these shaped who they’ve become as a person?
18. What kind of person could they become in the future? What are some developmental paths that they could take, (best, worst, most likely?) what would cause them to come to pass, and what consequences might they have? What paths would you especially like to see, and why?
CONNECTIONS WITH OTHERS.
19. How do they behave within a group? What role(s) do they take? Does this differ if they know and trust the group, versus finding themselves in a group of strangers? Why?
20. What kind of individual relationships do they have with others, and how do they behave in them? How are they different between intimate relationships like friends, family, and lovers versus more impersonal relationships?
21. What kind of relationships do they tend to intentionally seek out versus actually cultivate? What kind of social contact do they prefer, and why?
22. How do people respond to them, and why might these responses differ?
23. How do they respond to difficult social moments? What makes them consider a social situation difficult?
24. How do they present themselves socially? What distinguishes their “persona” from their “true self”, and what causes that difference?
25. What do they need and want out of relationships, and how do they go about getting it?
26. How do they view and feel about relationships, and how might this manifest in how they handle them, if it does?
ACTIVITIES AND PREFERENCES.
27. What do they strongly like and dislike, in any category? Why?
28. What are they likely to do if they have the opportunity, resources, and time to accomplish it? Why?
29. What kind of activities, interests, and hobbies do they have? What significance and impact do these have in their lives, both positive and negative?
30. What is their preferred level of activity and stimulation? How do they cope if they get either too little or too much?
31. Is there anything that counts as a “dealbreaker” for them, positively or negatively? What makes things go smoothly, and what spoils an activity or ruins their day? Why?
32. Do they have any “props” that are a significant part of their life, identity, activities, or self-presentation somehow? What are they, how are they used, and why are they so significant? How would these props’ absence impact them, how would they compensate, and why?
THINKING AND LEARNING.
33. How do they learn about the world–what is their preferred learning style? Hands-on learning with trial and error? Research, reading, and note-taking? Observation or rote memorization? Inductive or deductive reasoning? Seeking patterns and organization? Taking things apart and putting them back together? Creative processing via discussing, writing about, or dramatizing things?
34. How do they understand the world–what kind of worldview and thought processes do they have? Why?
35. How and why do they internalize knowledge? What effect has that had on them?
36. How much do they rely on their minds and intellect, versus other approaches like relying on instinct, intuition, faith and spirituality, or emotions? What is their opinion on this?
37. Have they had any special education or training that colors their means of learning about or understanding the world? Conversely, do they lack some kind of education considered essential in their world? What kind of impact has this addition or lack had on them?
38. Is there anything they wish they could change about their worldview or thought processes? What, and why?
39. What sort of questions or thoughts recur in their lives, either specifically or as a theme? Why are these never answered, or answered permanently to their satisfaction?
40. What do they wonder about? What sparks their curiosity and imagination, and why? How is this expressed, if it is?
FREE FOR ALL.
41. What associations do they bring to mind? Words or phrases, images, metaphors or motifs? Why?
42. I have a question of my own!
PHYSICAL PRESENCE AND GESTURE.
1. How do they move and carry themselves? Pace, rhythm, gestures, energy?
2. How much physical space do they use, active and at rest?
3. How do they position themselves in a group? Do they like to be the center of attention, or do they hang back at the edges of a crowd?
4. What is their size and build? How does it influence how they use their body, if it does?
5. How do they dress? What styles, colors, accessories, and other possessions do they favor? Why?
6. What are they like in motion–in different environments, and in different activities? What causes the differences between these?
7. How do they physically engage with other people, inanimate objects, and their environment? What causes the differences between these?
8. Where and when do they seem most and least at ease? Why? How can you tell?
9. How do they manifest energy, exhaustion, tension, or other strong emotions?
10. What energizes and drains them most?
11. How are they vocally expressive? What kind of voice, accent, tones, inflections, volume, phrases and slang, and manner of speaking do they use?
12. How are they bodily expressive? How do they use nonverbal cues such as their posture, stance, eyes, eyebrows, mouths, and hands?
DISPOSITION AND TEMPERAMENT.
13. How do they greet the world — what is their typical attitude towards life? How does it differ in different circumstances, or towards different subjects? Why do they take these attitudes, and why do they change? How do these tend to be expressed?
14. What do they care deeply about? What kind of loyalties, commitments, moral codes, life philosophies, passions, callings, or spirituality and faith do they have? How do these tend to be expressed?
15. What kind of inner life do they have — rich and imaginative? Calculating and practical? Full of doubts and fears? Does it find any sort of outlet in their lives?
16. Do they dream? What are those dreams like?
17. Are they more shaped by nature or nurture — who they are, or what has happened to them? How have these shaped who they’ve become as a person?
18. What kind of person could they become in the future? What are some developmental paths that they could take, (best, worst, most likely?) what would cause them to come to pass, and what consequences might they have? What paths would you especially like to see, and why?
CONNECTIONS WITH OTHERS.
19. How do they behave within a group? What role(s) do they take? Does this differ if they know and trust the group, versus finding themselves in a group of strangers? Why?
20. What kind of individual relationships do they have with others, and how do they behave in them? How are they different between intimate relationships like friends, family, and lovers versus more impersonal relationships?
21. What kind of relationships do they tend to intentionally seek out versus actually cultivate? What kind of social contact do they prefer, and why?
22. How do people respond to them, and why might these responses differ?
23. How do they respond to difficult social moments? What makes them consider a social situation difficult?
24. How do they present themselves socially? What distinguishes their “persona” from their “true self”, and what causes that difference?
25. What do they need and want out of relationships, and how do they go about getting it?
26. How do they view and feel about relationships, and how might this manifest in how they handle them, if it does?
ACTIVITIES AND PREFERENCES.
27. What do they strongly like and dislike, in any category? Why?
28. What are they likely to do if they have the opportunity, resources, and time to accomplish it? Why?
29. What kind of activities, interests, and hobbies do they have? What significance and impact do these have in their lives, both positive and negative?
30. What is their preferred level of activity and stimulation? How do they cope if they get either too little or too much?
31. Is there anything that counts as a “dealbreaker” for them, positively or negatively? What makes things go smoothly, and what spoils an activity or ruins their day? Why?
32. Do they have any “props” that are a significant part of their life, identity, activities, or self-presentation somehow? What are they, how are they used, and why are they so significant? How would these props’ absence impact them, how would they compensate, and why?
THINKING AND LEARNING.
33. How do they learn about the world–what is their preferred learning style? Hands-on learning with trial and error? Research, reading, and note-taking? Observation or rote memorization? Inductive or deductive reasoning? Seeking patterns and organization? Taking things apart and putting them back together? Creative processing via discussing, writing about, or dramatizing things?
34. How do they understand the world–what kind of worldview and thought processes do they have? Why?
35. How and why do they internalize knowledge? What effect has that had on them?
36. How much do they rely on their minds and intellect, versus other approaches like relying on instinct, intuition, faith and spirituality, or emotions? What is their opinion on this?
37. Have they had any special education or training that colors their means of learning about or understanding the world? Conversely, do they lack some kind of education considered essential in their world? What kind of impact has this addition or lack had on them?
38. Is there anything they wish they could change about their worldview or thought processes? What, and why?
39. What sort of questions or thoughts recur in their lives, either specifically or as a theme? Why are these never answered, or answered permanently to their satisfaction?
40. What do they wonder about? What sparks their curiosity and imagination, and why? How is this expressed, if it is?
FREE FOR ALL.
41. What associations do they bring to mind? Words or phrases, images, metaphors or motifs? Why?
42. I have a question of my own!
no subject
Date: 2017-10-21 05:54 pm (UTC)20. What kind of individual relationships do they have with others, and how do they behave in them? How are they different between intimate relationships like friends, family, and lovers versus more impersonal relationships?
Zea is probably the most open of the characters I write. She also would be the mom-friend of the saboteurs group if Lucerne wasn’t already filling that role, she’s loyal and she’s not really one for long-winded feelings-talk so she shows people she cares by taking care of them (or trying to, with her current band of nutjobs). She’s one of those people who ends up only having pretty close friends because anyone who comes within her orbit enough to start getting to know her gets pulled into closer friendship pretty quickly.
This is kind of why things are strained with Emmer’s family when they’re together–it’s not that Zea thinks they’re going to get married and be together forever, but while she’s in a relationship she doesn’t really imagine it ending? Whereas for Emmer’s parents (and to some degree for Emmer herself) the whole “working on a wheat crew” thing is temporary, until she’s got enough seniority to stay in the city year-round, so since Zea isn’t moving to the city that makes this also temporary. Which is…dissonant might be the best word…with how Zea thinks about things. There’s this nagging wrong note where Zea feels like Emmer’s already halfway out the door, even though Emmer doesn’t act that way in general. This is also why Sara backs off pretty quickly from any more-than-friendship with Zea, because when they’re fake-dating/kissing to pass information every once in a while and then Sara leaves, it’s fun, but once they’re in the same place Sara figures out pretty quick that “casual” isn’t something Zea will be able to do. I mean at first there’s the whole [spoilers] that means everyone’s thrown back on their heels, and then Sara just kind of lets things drop because she’s like “oh this will end badly.” Which is probably true.
The closest Zea has to “impersonal” is probably the other people on her crew, but actually she does think of all of them as friends (T___T poor Zea), or surrogate family in the case of Durum. If she lived in the City, that might be different, and she doesn’t make friends with everyone in her bunkhouse over the winter (although….Milo probably begs to differ), but given the givens, she doesn’t “just run into” people very often.
21. What kind of relationships do they tend to intentionally seek out versus actually cultivate? What kind of social contact do they prefer, and why?
Y’know, the first part of this question confused me the first time I did this meme, and it still does. I think someone said it was like “the people you get crushes on” versus “the people you actually end up in a relationship with” and actually for Zea there isn’t much difference so….whatever. Go with it.
So for starters… I tend to default to writing characters as bi, because, well, I am. Why would gender determine who you find attractive?? (this confusion is possibly the best evidence of my own sexuality, lol) But I think Zea is actually a lesbian, I don’t think she’s interested in guys at all. And like I said up there, she doesn’t really do casual dating, so her romantic relationships tend to evolve out of friendships. She’s…maybe demisexual? When she’s with someone she likes she has a relatively normal (whatever that means) sex drive but otherwise she…doesn’t really think about sex? It becomes just not relevant to her? So a lot of times her “seeking out” a romantic/sexual relationship is the switch flipping from “Emmer is great” to “Emmer is cute I want to kiss her OH HUH!” and then “hey does Emmer want to kiss me too? Great!” and etc.
So that’s that kind of relationship. In terms of friendship and social contact… So Zea and a lot of the other Nines are based off my family in Kansas, who share the west-midwest traits of being pretty quiet and stoic (and stubborn as all holy hell) – not really talking a lot, especially about feelings. So she’s not really a fan of loud dinner-party-type anything, not that she has much experience. “Sit around a fire and tell stories” is a staple (and how the young folk know about the days when Depots were independent and etc), or card games, or other kinds of board games or whatever when they’re in the city and can play with new people. Then if you need to have a conversation, you can do it around the game, without having to make all that much eye contact or anything. Or just hanging out reading books and drinking tea is fine too. Zea likes people, but she’s still an introvert who grew up on a Depot miles from the nearest neighbors and now spends most of her time sitting in a combine or tractor and traveling around the district with only 5 other people. So she gets overloaded pretty fast.
22. How do people respond to them, and why might these responses differ?
Sara mostly thinks she’s adorable and naive, and she’s not totally wrong, but it’s more that Zea’s sheltered than that she’s naive. The difference being that Zea just didn’t know what was happening in other districts, or how things could be different, and once she started learning more she started wanting to change things. She’s not wearing rose-colored glasses, she’s just wearing sunglasses so she misses stuff. And Sara underestimates how much Zea does understand by now because Zea is quiet.
Alister starts off about the same as Sara, but he figures out pretty quick that Zea might not say much but when she does she has a knack for getting right to the tricky part of any given issue. So that bumps up his respect for her. As does finding out that she’s good at fixing stuff, and is ACTUALLY CAUTIOUS unlike some people (ahem, Sara) so he can trust her not to run off and do stupid stuff. (Sara says HEY! and he just gives her the :| look until she gives in)
Durum feels very paternal toward her–she apprenticed with him back when she first started. But he also has probably the most accurate impression of what she’s actually capable of, so he’s not going to shelter her more than she needs.
Lucerne, well, for one thing I’m pretty sure she takes Zea with her to help run the district once the Capitol’s gone. She respects Zea quite a bit, because she’s capable and hardworking and good with people, and those are all important qualities in Lucerne’s book.
Milo, well if Durum is the father-figure, Milo’s the big brother. Including the part where he finds her a little irritating sometimes but he’s also very protective. Zea’s a good girl, follows the rules, and Milo has a temper and gets himself into trouble, so they clash at that kind of level, but they do care about each other, and trust each other.
I think in general, she comes off as… steady, competent, the kind of person you want on your crew, who doesn’t really stand out much? It’s exacerbated because right now she’s living with lunatics, but even before if someone had asked, say, Ester what Zea was like, she’d have said she’s a good kid. Does her job, does it well, does whatever extra is needed without complaining, pays attention, gets along with everyone.
Which makes her sound kind of boring, which is probably why there aren’t a ton of Zea-types in fiction, but she’s also the kind of person you can’t actually have a society without.
no subject
Date: 2017-10-21 07:19 pm (UTC)3. How do they position themselves in a group? Do they like to be the center of attention, or do they hang back at the edges of a crowd?
Allie: hangs back, tries to blend in. When they get to Two, Allie desperately wants to fit in and be normal.
Kadi: Likes attention. She’s a very attention-hungry little kid, so she’ll go introduce herself and demand cuddles from pretty much anybody. If she didn’t have Marc and Heidi and Brutus and etc. looking out for her, this could be a problem. As is, Marc and Heidi and Brutus give her a lot of hugs, and fear of the above means nobody sketchy is going to try shit.
4. What is their size and build? How does it influence how they use their body, if it does?
Allie: She’s about Rokia’s height, but stockier. They look alike enough people always peg them as sisters, whereas with Kadi they sometimes don’t. I think in Six Allie’s a little self-conscious because she feels like she’s bigger than her friends, but when she comes to Two and her adoptive family is all giants, she’s like :D :D :D She’s not really athletic or anything, but she’s a tough kid.
Kadi: She ends up taller than Rokia, is one of those gangly teenagers who are all arms and legs and moving around all the time (she’s also probably ADHD, that “feel as if driven by a motor” symptom? that). She will try anything someone dares her to do, which makes for excitement
I haven’t found good irl-people doubles for Allie or Rokia, but Quvenzhané Wallis is a pretty good bb!Kadi.
7. How do they physically engage with other people, inanimate objects, and their environment? What causes the differences between these?
Allie: In general, she’s careful. She doesn’t want to mess things up, so she tends to avoid touching things if she doesn’t have to. And she’s a little touch-averse with people as well, except for with Kadi (and Rokia, before the war, but that gets….weird, and never totally recovers). She likes working in the garden though, and there the caution and thoughtfulness are definite good things.
Kadi: Preeeetty much the opposite. It’s not that she’s reckless, but she is curious, so she’ll go around poking at things to see what they do or understand them better or what have you. And as previously mentioned, she goes in search of affection from people a LOT.
(Tangent: they should get a dog. Allie would like having a critter to chill with, and Kadi would like having a playmate, so Kadi can wear it out and then it can sit with Allie while she reads books)
14. What do they care deeply about? What kind of loyalties, commitments, moral codes, life philosophies, passions, callings, or spirituality and faith do they have? How do these tend to be expressed?
OK so this doesn’t really come up because Panem is officially areligious, but the girls’ grandma is Muslim, and while public religious events are banned, there’s some things done in secret and she still prays 5 times a day. Rokia gets a bit of that when she’s living with them, so she knows some stories and such, but since she moves away when she’s eight, it doesn’t really become an important part of her life.
So none of the girls are really religious, for starters.
Allie cares about Her People. She wants to have a family and she wants them to all be okay, and comfortable and safe. Good news: she gets her wish! Bad news, only after age 12. She grew up in chaos and she craves stability. She’s pretty pragmatic beyond that, I think if you asked her about her life philosophy she’d just look at you funny. But she also pretty much embraces the quarry-town themes of working hard, taking care of each other, doing what’s right because that’s how we are. She gets married (to one of Devon’s nephews, the joke being that no one else would get past both Brutus and Marc–not entirely untrue!) and has kids and lives down the street from her (adoptive) parents and she loves it.
Kadi…man, Kadi I’ve only really thought about through college-age, so she’s still this whirlwind kid who wants to do everything. She goes to Beetee’s Polytechnic school in Two (and lives with Rokia while she does) and likes doing engineering type work (and half-consciously idolizes Rokia, while Allie half-consciously resents her for a long time) and figuring things out. I don’t think she thinks too hard about moral codes beyond “my parents brought me up well so I should not embarrass them by being rude/otherwise terrible.”
27. What do they strongly like and dislike, in any category? Why?
Allie:
Likes: All things Two. She wants to fit in so bad as a kid that she ends up being more of a D2 stereotype than most of her born-here classmates. Rocks, the outdoors, do-it-yourself resourcefulness, etc etc etc. She loves working in the garden and always has a huge one when she’s got her own house. Oh, and music. Marc teaches her how to play the fiddle.
Dislikes: Reminders of Six, math, organized competitive sports (mostly because she’s not as familiar as everyone else so she’s bad at them so she gets embarrassed)
Kadi:
Likes: Building stuff, robots, figuring stuff out (they probably go through a “no, Kadi you may not take apart the oven” phase in the Arendsen household), running around outside with the neighborhood kids in packs. Later, still likes working with her hands, “building stuff” evolves into proper engineering, etc.
Dislikes: Being left alone (she has persistent separation anxiety mostly from the war years). Boredom (Kadi probably makes herself fidget toys). She hates reminders of the war, but doesn’t mind reminders of Six (she goes to work with Matt there on a summer internship). Mostly because she was 4 when Rokia won and only 8 when the war started, so she doesn’t have much memory of living with their mom, and has mostly good memories about living in the Victors Village. Allie, by contrast, remembers more about before, and was old enough to understand more of the shit with their mom after Rokia won, and to notice the weirdness every time Rokia came back from the Capitol.