i have so much to do and yet ~

[lookingland]

okay these prompts are addictive. thankfully, however i've run out of them.

: o p

pack house or respond to prompts? you tell me what you would be doing!

Prompt 001:
Who is your protagonist?

i am doing a double-header. Lewis Fletcher and Tennessee Morse. i really haven't put them together in a long, long time.

What does he/she do for a living?

Lewis is a doctor of dental surgery. Morse is a Jesuit priest.

If he/she were to walk into Wal-Mart today, what would he/she buy and why?

i doubt Morse would step foot into Wal-mart (just the thought is amusing). it's hard to displace them that radically. Lewis would likely buy something very mundane ~ a new toothbrush and toothpaste (hahahahaha). in anticipation of the birth of his baby, he might be inclined to buy something completely frivolous (like a stuffed giraffe).

What does he/she look like?

Morse is 34, ridiculously beautiful, and looks no older than about 21. he's got longish dark wild hair, ridiculously black eyes. he's a tad too thin and pale and never wears anything but his cassock and collar. he's got a secret illness no one but Gwen knows about. easy-going, gentle.

Lewis is 29, sandy-haired on the reddish-dark side, wears a mustache (turned up cavalry-style), wears riding boots with a brown or grey suit, has a game leg from the war and scars on his face. he's deaf in one ear and fakes it. he has a bad temper but knows it. he never wears hats.

*Bonus Question*: What is your protagonist's favorite novel and why?

this is hard to answer for Morse. maybe The Scarlet Letter? i actually don't know. will have to think on it.

Lewis doesn't read novels. he hates reading altogether (and is very poor at it ~ very likely dyslexic, though in those days, just plain "backwards").

*Bonus Question*: What does your protagonist's bedroom look like?

Morse lives in a one-room rectory attached to the wee church. it has a low bed, a small dresser, a table, chair, and pot-bellied stove (for cooking and heating). there's a crucifix over the bed. the room is extremely spare and all the furniture is simple. There is a small window and two doors (one leading to the vestry and one leading out back).

Lewis's room is pretty average. There's a small fireplace, two large windows, a full-sized brass bed, a vanity for his wife, a simple wash stand, a dresser, an armoire, and that's about the size of it. again ~ nothing special.

*Bonus*: How old are each of your established characters? Extra Bonus for birthdates.

Lewis ~ September 18, 1845 (29)
Morse ~ January 21, 1841 (34)
Beasely ~ March 13, 1841 (33 ~ will celebrate his b-day)
Amy ~ December 5, 1850 (25)
Gwen ~ August 7, 1838 (36)
Art ~ April 9, 1837 (37)
Marithé ~ March (day unknown ~ celebrates on the 11th), 1800 (75)

Prompt 004
What hair salon/barber does your protagonist go to?

Morse cuts his own hair ~ usually with a straight razor and not all that often.

Lewis has Amy cut his hair or goes to Jackson's.

What hair cut directions does he/she give to the stylist/barber?

Lewis likes to leave it long enough to cover the back of his neck, but doesn't like it in his eyes.

What does his/her hair look like?

Morse's hair is shaggy, sometimes unruly, too-long, very black, and prone to curl if too short. it's thick and wavy when long.

Lewis's hair is sandy reddish brown, fine, but has body; fairly straight, parted to the right. it used to be blond, but changed colors during the war after Morse accidently bleached it with a turpentine louse cure.

*Bonus*: What toys did your antagonist play with as a child?

Morse grew up very wealthy, the son of a merchant sea captain. he likely had any toy imaginable, but i suspect his favorite would have been something contemplative like a jigsaw puzzle or watercolors or a board/card game of some sort.

Lewis wasn't a very imaginative child. he grew up on a farm and probably made toys out of ordinary things. he probably had a hobby horse of some sort, and maybe some toy animals (horses in particular).

Prompt 006.
Describe three life changing events from your protagonist's past. Who did they involve? What effect will they have on your character as they go into the novel?

Morse: the war (obviously a biggie), the fall of the Commune in Paris, being exiled back to America. not sure that any of these events have a direct impact except subconsciously. the war has lingering effects to be sure and ties most of these people together in some way.

Lewis: being "abandoned" by his father at the age of 8, being spiritually and physically abused by his mother as a child (though the nature of that abuse is very hazy), and again, the war. these events have big implications on L proceeding through this story. his formative experience with religion is the basis of his hostility and were it not for his relationship with Morse during the war, the two would not be close.

NaNo Novel Profile

Novel Title: The Kidnapped Christ
Estimated length: 50k ~ i usually just do the minimum
Your writing experience: extensive
History - new genre? Or old favorite?: old favorite
Other genres of your novel: literary fiction or magical realism, i guess.
Gonna publish?: eventually
Cliches/archetypes you're including: i am sure tons ~ they're escaping me at the moment.
Cliches/archetypes you're avoiding: the spandy-dandy easy "find Jesus" conversion.
Theme(s): spiritual abuse, trust, faith, and loyalty
What we (the readers) will learn: who knows!

Main character(s): Lewis and Morse.
Secondary characters: Beasely, Gwen, Amy, Art, Marithé, the Hunters ~ the usual clan.
Protagonist(s): Lewis and Morse.
Antagonist(s): the renegades at first, then each other.

Setting: Faigerston, MN
Rough geography: woodsy and streamy and prairiey!
Races/inhabitants: human beings, spirits ~ native americans, etc.
Fantasy aspects: the priest's mystical relationship with the world is apt to play a part in this. he sees angels.

Conflict: renegades steal the church tabernacle, nearly kill the parish priest, and are, in turn, killed by the priest's best friend. then the problems really start.
Obstacles in the journey: unresolved past conflicts, power and dominance struggles, the law.
Expected resolution: slow progress of the soul

Comments

[geckobird.livejournal.com]

*laughs* I think I would be responding to the prompts as well! In fact, that's has been what I've been doing. :D

And you're right, these are addicting!