Beautiful People #19 | July Edition

Do they want to get married and/or have children? Why or why not?
     At this point in time, Quill does not see himself married with or without children.

     Ransom, coming from a large family, would like to have a large family of his own.  He imagines a house in the country, filled with at least six kids, two dogs, and a variety of fish... Sometimes, he thinks he'd like to run his own farm and get away from city life altogether.

What is their weapon of choice? (It doesn’t necessarily have to be a physical weapon.)
     Quill's weapon of choice is words, of course.  Ransom prefers not to be in a situation that requires weapons... However, he is trained to use and owns his own firearms.

What’s the nicest thing they’ve done for someone else, and why did they do it?


Have they ever been physically violent with someone, and what instigated it?
     A fairly easygoing person, Quill has never found himself in a position where physical violence against someone else.

     A retired veteran, Ransom now works in the cyber-crime unit of a local police station. While in the military, he found himself in situations where physical violence was the only way to insure he and his fellow soldiers lived to see another day.

Are they a rule-follower or a rebel?
     Quill is a strict rule-follower, he believes that if there is a rule in place that it must have been created for a reason.

     Ransom is the rebel of their age-group and was an instigator of many "adventures" during their youth.  While he never broke any laws, Ransom is able to see when a rule is not good for a situation and react accordingly.

Are they organized or messy?
     Quill is super organized except for when Ransom comes to visit and then all bets are off.  Shoes left in the middle of the living room?  You bet.  Socks hanging from the lamp in the entry way?  Yep.  Refrigerator all out of whack?  Definitely.

What makes them feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way?


What do they eat for breakfast?
     On mornings that he is scheduled to work, Quill has a breakfast of grape nuts cereal, some fruit, and a cup of fresh coffee.

     Ransom is NOT a morning person. As such, he often just grabs a granola bar to eat on his commute and a cup of coffee when he arrives at the station.

Have they ever lost someone close to them? What happened?
     Quill's grandmother died of natural causes when he was eleven years old. They had always been close and he was absolutely devastated by her death.

What’s their treat of choice? (Or, if not food, how else do they reward themselves?)
     Both men enjoy being outdoors and, whenever possible, escape from city life to hike through the woods, up a mountain, or just go camping.

Beautiful People #18 | June Edition

What are their first childhood memory?
     One of Quill's most vivid childhood memories is of the day he met Ransom. It was at Ransom's sister's wedding and both young boys were tired (and a little cranky) from being dressed up all day long. Their mothers, who had been friends since college, encouraged the boys to play together for the afternoon.

     When he remembers Ransom's first words to him, Quill always as to stifle a laugh... "My sister just got married. I had to dress up all fancy and stupid, but it was nice, I guess. She won't stop smiling. Hey! You wanna get married? We can be married and then you won't have to frown anymore 'cause you'll be happy all the time like my sister."

What were their best and worst childhood experiences?
     Quill's best childhood experience was becoming a big brother and his worst was when he broke his arm falling out of a treehouse.

What was their childhood home like?
     Quill's parents still live in his childhood home. It is an older, Victorian style house that was cozy when family came to visit, but still had enough space that people weren't stepping all over each other. He enjoys being able to visit the house he grew up in and has many good memories that were made there.

What’s something that scared them as child?
     When Quill was very little, he was scared that aliens would come and take him away in their spaceship.

     As for Ransom? He always said that he wasn't scared of anything, when he actually was a little afraid of the dark.

Who did they look up to most?
     Quill has always been enamored with Amelia Earhart and would love to get his private pilot license and fly his own plane to different locations. Of course, he needs to somehow earn enough money to pay for pilot school AND the payment on a plane, lol.

Favorite and least favorite childhood foods?
     Quill thinks that pie is the best thing in the entirety of the world and Brussels sprouts are from the devil. When he was little, Quill's favorite pie was apple pie but his tastes have changed as he's grown older and he now prefers strawberry rhubarb pie. His mother tried to feed him Brussels sprouts once and never attempted it again.

     Ransom likes his mother's chili the best. It is a recipe that's been in his family for generations and he has grown up eating Mexican food. His Abuela has been known to rant for many minutes on the tastelessness of Americanized Mexican food. While he isn't actually a picky eater, Ransom prefers a lot of meat in his diet and not so many vegetables. He has always taken a bit of convincing to eat anything green or leafy.

If they had their childhood again, would they change anything?
     The only thing Quill would change about his youth is the year in high school where he was terrified that something was wrong with him, that somehow he was broken and that his brokenness would be found out and he'd be hated for it.

What kind of child were they? Curious? Wild? Quiet? Devious?
     Quill was a quiet child, but extremely curious about the world around him. He was always getting caught in places that he wasn't supposed to be because he would let his best friend, Ransom, talk him into exploring the woods near their houses.

What was their relationship to their parents and siblings like?
     At first, Quill was jealous of all the attention his little sister was getting from the adults in his life. He had been an only child for seven years and suddenly there was this screaming, red-faced baby taking his parents away from him. It took a few months for Quill to stop feeling jealous and to understand that babies just need a lot of attention and that his parents still loved him. After 'Lizabet grew out of her colicky stage, his parents would spend one-on-one time with Quill to make sure he didn't feel left out.

     Quill loves his parents and appreciates their support of him and his little sister. Even from across the country, he feels safe and loved because he knows that his family is there for him.

What did they want to be when they grew up, and what did they actually become?
     Quill wanted to be a firefighter when he grew up and even though he went to school to become a librarian, he has considered becoming a reserve firefighter and working part-time at a local firehouse.

     When he was little, all Ransom wanted to be when he grew up was a pirate! Sadly, he learned that piracy isn't a legal way to earn one's income and chose instead to go into technology. He now works with a police cyber crime unit.

Beautiful People #1 | June Edition

The Beautiful People meme, created by the Paper Fury blog, is a way for writers to get to know their characters better.  When I found this meme, it looked really interesting and (though it took awhile to get started) I decided to start with the first edition.
Join me and get to know Quill and the other characters from my 398.2 novels... June 2015 Edition

What is their full name and is there a story behind why they got it?      Quinton Caldwell. His nickname is "Quill," which he received from classmates due to the first ad last letters of his name... Qui-ll.
How old are they, and when were they born?      Quill is 27-years-old and was born on December 21 during the winter solstice.
Describe their physical appearance. (Bonus questions: 1. What is their race/ nationality/ ethnicity? 2. Do you have a picture of them? If so, include it!) 

     Quill is happy to claim that he is five feet and eight inches tall, just a little shorter than his best friend Ransom. He has green eyes. If he could ever decide just what he wants to do with it, Quill would get his hair dyed anything other than the mouse brown it is now. He thinks it is boring and one-note in both color and texture.      Though they've lived in the United States for the last four generations, Quill's family is of both German and English descent.

Describe your character’s personality first in one word, and then elaborate with a few sentences.       Quiet. When excited, Quill does tend to speak on the too fast side, but he is normally soft-spoken and is careful to enunciate his words clearly. Quill's favored form of exercise is yoga and running. He wakes early in order to perform sun salutations each day and runs three times a week, weather permitting.
What theme song(s) fit their personality and story arc?      For the first book in this series, Adventures in Solitude by The New Pornographers fits best with both Quill's personality and the arc of the story.
Which one of the seven deadly sins describes your character?      If pressed, Quill might admit to being greedy about his books.
If they were an element (fire, water, earth, air), which one would they be?      If Quill were an element, he would be air because it is able to move through and around things.
What is their favorite word?       Quill's favorite word? That is certainly a difficult question, since all words are just a combination of 26 letters (in the English alphabet).
Who’s one person they really miss?      His best friend since childhood, Ransom Sanders.
What sights, sounds, and smells remind them of that person?      Being outdoors, in the woods, always reminds Quill of his friend. In their youth, Ransom and Quill often camped in their backyards, spent time in their tree-house, and explored the nearby forest.

Beautiful People #17 | May Edition

The Beautiful People meme, created by Cait at Paper Fury and Skye at Further Up and Further In, is a way for writers to get to know their characters better. This entry is my first time actually linking to the meme, but be on the lookout as I fill out older questionnaires from the site.
Join me and get to know Quill and the other characters from my 398.2 novels...
May 2016 Edition
How often do they smile? Would they smile at a stranger?      Quill finds himself smiling almost daily at the antics of his owl-friend, Des. He tries to be kind to strangers and hopes that by sharing a smile with someone, he can make their day a little better.
What is the cruelest thing they’ve ever been told? And what was their reaction?      The cruelest thing Quill was ever told was that he was an abomination and that he needed to be cured of his sickness. Even with the support of his friends and family, Quill continues to struggle with the memory of these harsh words. He has never reconciled with the Uncle who said these things.
What is the kindest thing they’ve ever been told? And what was their reaction?

What is one strong memory that has stuck with your character from childhood? Why is it so powerful and lasting?      The most memorable event of Quill's childhood is his sister, Elizabeth's first birthday. He remembers being confused (and frustrated) that he wasn't allowed to have a piece of cake... even though 'Lizabet was too little to have any. Ransom got some and he was only a little bit older than Quill. It just wasn't fair to a seven-year-old Quill.      The reason he remembers this so well, is because it is one of the first times he was allowed to hold his sister without one of his parents helping him.
What book (a real actual published book!) do you think your character would benefit from reading?     "The Wisdom of the Shire: A Short Guide to a Long and Happy Life" by Noble Smith.
Have they ever been seriously injured? How severely? How did they react?      No, Quill has never been seriously injured. He was accident prone as most children can be and experienced his own fair share of scrapes and bruises, but hasn't broken anything nor has he needed any surgeries.
Do they like and get along with their neighbors?      Back home, yes, Quill gets along with all of his neighbors. He grew up with many of them, so they are long-time friends of his family.      Quill hasn't had the chance to get to know many of his new neighbors in the apartment complex in Montana. Some of them keep odd hours and others seem to party long into the night, so he isn't sure if they will get along when they finally meet.
On a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being easy and 10 being difficult) how easy are they to get along with?      Those who have met him would say that Quill is fairly easy to get a long with. He can be a little withdrawn and quiet until he gets to know someone, but after that first hurdle is passed things 
If they could travel anywhere in the world, where would they go?      If he could travel anywhere, Quill would choose to go to Alaska. The landscapes are amazing and both the people and animals that call the area home are resilient. He would love the opportunity to spend time exploring and learning about the culture of the area.
Who was the last person they held hands with?      Excluding handshakes, the last person Quill held hands with was Ransom.

Best Advice for Writing

The best advice I have ever received, in regards to writing strong women, was to just write women.  I write stories as a hobby, but looking back at my work the main characters have predominantly been men.  Simply put, this is because they are easier for me to write; I don't feel like there is some standard I need to meet.

This is not OK.

As creators, we should not be afraid to write female characters.  We should write strong women.  Injured women dealing with their pain.  Women who cry because they aren't afraid to be emotional.  Women who don't need romance to feel good about themselves.  Women who love being in love.  Strong women.  Frail women.  Black women.  Aboriginal women.  Crippled women.  The list goes on and on...

We should be writing women who are human.


I'll leave you with this quote:

"Screw writing “strong” women.  Write interesting women.  Write well-rounded women.  Write complicated women.  Write a woman who kicks ass, write a woman who cowers in a corner.  Write a woman who’s desperate for a husband.  Write a woman who doesn’t need a man.  Write women who cry, women who rant, women who are shy, women who don’t take no shit, women who need validation and women who don’t care what anybody thinks.  THEY ARE ALL OKAY, and all those things could exist in THE SAME WOMAN.  Women shouldn’t be valued because we are strong, or kick-ass, but because we are people.  So don’t focus on writing characters who are strong.  Write characters who are people."  -- MadLori