Wednesday...Lots of wordplay there, don't you think? "Send...Day...Seed...Say...Sand...Weeds... Way...Wend...Sad...Wed...
Tired of that, are you? I remember playing that game at birthday parties and showers...I was always good at it. Great thing to be good at, right? Well, yeah! I'm a writer. Being good with words is a valuable skill to have.
But, the real skill is in stringing words together. "I say, send some seed and weeds and sand wending it's way this day or you'll wed a troll on Wednesday." All right...all right...I know that's ridiculous. But, being ridiculous is a bit of a skill, too. Don't you admire people with a bit of a sense of humor, a way of being ridiculous without being stupid. Don't you love being out with people with a sense of fun?
Where are they in your books, plays and stories? Those traits make characters interesting, don't you think. Finding just the right quirk for a character, that little gem that sets them apart from the rest of the characters in the world is definitely a skill.
We all have quirks, don't we? Raise your hand...I know you do. All of us have them. Some of them are just far enough beyond quirkly to become eccentric, but those fascinating traits are there.
Take building a hot dog, for instance. How you layer the ingredients can be fascinating. Are you one of the haphazard-style dog-dressers? Throw the bun on the plate and have a field day with the available ingredients...Oh, what's that? You're a bit more selective? Mustard first, then the dog, catsup and then onions...Or, mayonaise, dog, chili, cheese and relish? Oh, oh...Wait...how about...
Enough of the hot dog analogy...It's too close to lunch time, I guess. But, what I'm trying to say is that even the way a character dresses a hot dog says something about him or her. The person who throws the bun on the play and then trowels the yummies on it probably has a messy office, a half-eaten order of fries on the car seat, underwear on the bathroom floor...But, the meticulous dresser of the dog is probably just as meticulous in other areas of his or her life. And, the one with the trowel is probably more fun to be around than the one who applies ingredients with a tweezer.
How would these traits carry over into decor? Into the vehicle the character drives? Or, into the way he or she forms relationships? That's your homework for today, kiddies...build a character from one of our hot dog afficianadoes and see what happens. Slaw anyone?
The photo with today's blog is of Googie Uterhardt. Ridiculous? Not so much. Even though it's really a fun picture, it was actually made during the play "Godspell" at ART Station Theatre. He's an amazing actor and quite a character...
I've been a bit slack about posting blogs, but promise to do better in the future...
Write today, my friend.
Nancy Lu
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