Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!
We're glad you're here! It's the First Wednesday of the month; when we celebrate IWSG Day in the form of a blog hop featuring members and guests of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Founded by author Alex Cavanaugh (Thank you, Captain!) and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a comfortable place to share views and literary news as we record our journeys. Check out our newsletter here
The awesome cohosts
for this month’s postings are: Kate
Larkinsdale, SE White, JS Pailly, Olga Godim, and Natalie Aguirre!
This month marks the
Fifteenth Anniversary of the IWSG!
Today’s
entirely optional question:
September
2 question - Do you have a favorite character archetype you tend to gravitate
toward in your writing?
As primarily
a Children’s writer, my go-to character choice is always curious, resourceful,
resilient, and forever young (unless I’m writing a life history story)
My first kid
character crush (as a kid myself) was Harold and the Purple crayon that allowed
him to create anything in world simply by drawing it. That was some tough
competition for a young girl like me with a popsicle stick that (rarely
actually) transported me anywhere in the world 😉Nonetheless, when grandma asked if I
was ready to dispose of the popsicle stick (time and time again) my reply was
always “Nope. I can’t. It’s magic.” That’s
when she’d call me “such a character” and I’d feel like I was right up
there with Harold and all the other GOAT Kid Characters. Does anyone remember Charlie
Bucket (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), Jack Dawkins (The Artful Dodger
in Oliver Twist), Pippi Longstocking, Anne of Green Gables, or Winnie the Pooh?
Every one of these characters leapt off the written page or from a silver
screen to embed themselves within our hearts as the story became an accessory
to the character who carried it. Way to write ‘em folks!
Happy
writing, Everyone!
Fun fact: Willy Wonka was the only film Peter Ostrum appeared in; having given up
Hollywood to become a successful Veterinarian. According to Goodreads, the fate
of the Artful Dodger, Jack Dawkins remains unspecified by Charles Dickens.
Do you still have that popsicle stick?
ReplyDeleteProbably not. I did run across it when I was in my twenties, tucked inside my old Ballerina jewelry box ;-)
DeleteHappy IWSG Day!
Sorry I'm late getting around, we're on the road again.
I love that story with your grandma.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Natalie ;-) And thanks for co-hosting.
DeleteHave you seen the Artful Dodger TV series that recently came out?
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing better than a character you connect with, in life or in a book.
Hi Crystal! I haven't seen the series but it does look interesting.
DeleteHappy IWSG Day! I'll be around to visit soon:-)
What a sweet story about your grandmother! Some characters do just stay with you for life. Especially the ones you read and loved as a child.
ReplyDeleteWriting for children is the hardest, I think. It needs the writer to think like a kid, almost to become a kid herself, to open up to the fullest. Not all of us are that brave. I admire all children's writers.
ReplyDeleteLovely memories. Thanks for sharing. And Happy Writing to you.
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed reading this post. You explained the topic in a clear and easy-to-follow way, and I especially liked how you included practical details rather than keeping it too general. Looking forward to reading more from you.
ReplyDeleteGreat story about the magic popsicle stick! As for those characters... heck, remember them? I've been accused of *being* both Pippi and Anne!
ReplyDeleteLove the popsicle stick! Yes, those were great characters. My daughter was Ramona Quimby, to add another.
ReplyDelete