Mar. 13, 2008 - Lesson 4
Iglesia is a 15 year old girl who is very different than most. Not her appearance. No that’s fine. She has brown messy hair that can only be contained in a braid. She has sugary violet eyes, a small pert nose, high cheekbones and a wide mouth. Her build is petit but slender. It’s what she sees and hears that is different. In time I will explain. Sia has a determined, independent, and adventurous spirit. Around people she is quiet and observant. But she also has a quick-temper. When she feels something should be said, you can bet she’ll be the one to say it. Sia lives with her mother and Aunt Tia. They live in a small cottage in the Durell forest. There are two other surrounding cottages next to theirs. Those are for travelers, but one is already taken. You could say they run something like an inn. Sia does what needs to be done around the home, but then quickly will disappear for the rest of the day. She has a little bird she trained and called Tanu. They sit under her favorite tree she calls her Mint tree, because a patch of mint grows beneath it. Sia can hear the voices of the wood. Even her spiritual mother cannot hear them. She hears the wind whisper secrets in her ears. So she whispers back.
Maryann is Sia’s mother. She is the peace-maker you could say. The calm and reserved one. Maryann did not give her looks to her daughter, unfortunately. She has red curly hair, wide blue eyes, high rosy cheekbones and a small mouth. Her build is strong, slender and about medium height. She is content to be in her little cottage and keep things orderly. She is self-controlled but gets a little frustrated when her daughter does not return her calls from the window. She enjoys taking walks to the river to gaze out over the water. Maryann can not stand fighting or cats. Cats are a nuisance to her and always in the way. Fighting is not permitted in her presence. All in all she is the perfect parent.
Letitea is the opposite of her sister. Aunt Tea and Maryann could be twins except Tea has brown hair and gray eyes. In personality Tea and Maryann are different as can be. As I said before Maryann is the calm and peaceful one. Tea is the creative, fun, out-going one of the sisters. She’s high spirited and cheerful. Most of the time Tea is in her garden whistling a tune as she works. She loves all of her five cats. Which she has precisely named: Berries, Cookie, Lintel, Socks, and her favorite Stubborn. Sia says the reason why they get along so well is because they’re both stubborn.
Ackerley is a 17 year old stranger who turns up on their doorstep one day. He doesn’t have a family so he travels. His family was killed by the war. That is why he is bitter and dark at times. He likes to sit out at night and be secretive. Indeed with his black hair all over the place and mysterious chestnut eyes he is a sight. He is mostly quiet and thoughtful but he has a lashing temper. Ley finds Sia different than most of the girls he has met. That is what makes him drawn to follow her in the woods when she isn’t looking. There are also times when Ley and Sia do not agree. After any type of fight Ley will broad for days. One thing that cheers him up is singing, though he doesn’t sing himself. That’s one reason why he follows Sia. So he can listen to her sing. He loves nature and whittling. He can carve beautiful objects that are almost life-like. He loves mint but hates honey. Hmmmmm, different?
Tanu is a little sparrow that Sia trained to come to her. He is always perched on Sia’s mint tree when she goes to search for him. He loves mint, flowers, and singing. So there are times when Sia will sit down and sing to him why she makes him a crown of flowers and mint.
Cronely is their gardener. Or at least he used to be. All of his family has died off and he has nowhere to go so they let him stay in one of the cottages. He can plant flowers but needs help. He loves to listen to Aunt Tea whistle while he works. He hates Tea’s cats and all other animals that get into his garden. His build is willowy and stooped. He has a wrinkled face and a tuft of white hair on his head. Most of the time he wears his hat in the garden, but it usually gets blown of by the wind. That is why he hates wind.
This is basically all of my characters, but I might add a few unimportant travelers or such. Possibly a monk(?). I don’t really think that I have to write a paragraph about all of my characters, but really wanted to. : ) I’m pretty satisfied with the outcome I have so far. I even have a beginning. And yes, I did know that Iglesia meant church. We were driving down the road, and my mother saw it on a church sign. My grandmother is spanish so she passed some words down to my mom. My mother told me what it meant, and immediately I knew that was my characters name. Also I do think the mother needs some fears. I’ll try to work that into my writing.
Rosethorn
Comments
Mar. 13, 2008 - Lesson 4
Posted by skmarlow
Absolutely stunning work here, Rosethorn. I was immediately drawn to your characters--even more so than yesterday. You took your notes and created amazing characters--so alive, so real. I found some traits in Maryann that I didn't see from Lesson 3. Nice work, making her balanced. I didn't necessarily think she needed "fears," just that she needed to be balanced as a real person.
You went above and beyond---writing sketches for all of your main characters. I hope this has helped you solidify
who they are in you mind as you begin to write down the adventure you have prepared for them "before they were even created." :-)
I love writing, as it reminds me how we are God's created main characters--each of us in His story--and the adventure he creates for each of us he did so before the foundation of the world. It's exciting to see myself as a character going through His story--growing, solving the problem, realizing that the conflicts and sometimes scary moments are not out of the Great Author's control--He's writing the story and the solution will be more than we ever imagined.
Ooops. Sorry I got off on that. I occasionally wax poetic when I get excited about characters and unique stories and just can't help seeing a spiritual application. LOL
You did a fine job on this assignment, and I'm excited to read your story. (The official "beginning your story" begins in lesson 10, but REALLY, you can start anytime!). :-)
