ke238writing

[ke238writing]

Alex Parkson is the main character of No Milk, Two Sugars. They are reckless, stubborn, and determined. Alex is the child of Linda and George, the sibling of Tom, and the best friend of Bess. Although they are introduces as being 21 years old, Alex is 22 for the majority of the play.

The concept of Alex and their story was first created by me during a writing exercise that took place in the first writing class of my university module. The exercise was to answer some rapid-fire questions about a character without thinking about it too much. We then had to write a monologue from the point of view of the character we had created. The monologue I wrote was said by Alex to a cat on the street as they looked for a ladder to attempt to break into Tom’s house. We were then given homework to write a duologue between the character we had created and a new character. I wrote the scene in which Alex and Tom reunite after 5 years with no contact. Whilst the monologue did not make the cut, the general emotions and underlying themes from the duologue are still present in the final version of that scene in the play.

When Alex is first seen in the opening scene, they are dressed unlike they would usually chose to present themself. They are described as follows:

“Alex Parkson, 21, they/them (AMAB)... Alex’s discomfort in front of the camera is noticeable in the way they frequently touch their hair and clothes. They wear a lilac knitted jumper and a black calf-length skirt that flows in the breeze. They also wear black Dr Martens with purple laces. They are adorned with silver jewellery. Their hair is short and messy.”

When dressed in a way that is more suited to them, Alex is described as follows:

“Alex is dressed casually in a faded green t-shirt and dark jeans, and the same Dr Martens as the photo shoot.”

“They wear the same lilac jumper and Dr Martens as in the photoshoot, and black jeans.”

Images are for reference only. Ethnicity, body shape, hair colour/texture of the character are not limited to those depicted. Physical descriptions of characters are limited to clothing and hairstyle to allow for open and diverse casting.

Growing up, I struggled to find representation of people I could relate to in most of the media I consumed. It has always been my aim with my work to have a diverse range of characters that anyone can easily find themselves in. Because of this, I decided that my main character Alex would be nonbinary. This is not a factor that really plays into the story I am telling, and has nothing to do with the overall plot; it is simply just another part of the character. Knowing how important positive representation of underrepresented groups is, I made sure to thoroughly research the topic of gender and being nonbinary, as well as how to accurately write a nonbinary character. I found that there were a few topics that it was widely agreed on to not be appropriate to cover as a cisgender writer, mainly the things that nonbinary people experience that I as a cisgender female could never understand (such as being outed, dysphoria, deadnaming, being misgendered), but as my story does not rely on Alex’s identity this was not something I ever had to bring up. 

Whilst Alex is openly nonbinary when around friends, their parents are unaware of their identity. This is not something that is ever discussed in much detail, as it it not my place to discuss it, and I always made sure to have Linda and George use gender neutral nicknames and avoid gendered pronouns despite them not knowing, as well as having other characters avoid gendered pronouns when talking to Linda and George about Alex, as this would mean Alex would be misgendered and, as previously mentioned, that is not something that is appropriate for me to write. 

However, I did note in Alex’s introduction that they are assigned male at birth. I did this for two reasons. The first being that in my research I found that whilst nonbinary representation is already slim in mainstream media, the ‘societal ideal’ and generally accepted image of nonbinary presentation tends to be from either feminine presenting nonbinary people or people who were assigned female at birth, and there is a huge lack of representation for masculine presenting nonbinary people or people who were assigned male at birth. The second reason for this was because within the play Alex still experiences the gendered expectations from their parents that a cisgender male would have to face in our society.

“We were happy! We were fine! I just wanted that again! I needed that again!”

This line is said by Alex at their breaking point in scene 11. After 5 years of hunting for information, they finally discover the truth that was being held from them by their own parents; Tom’s whereabouts and why he left. Whilst Alex expresses their need to find Tom many times throughout the play, this is the first time they ever explicitly say what exactly is driving them forward on their search. When Tom left, the world fell apart for Alex. Their determination to find their brother drove them forward for years but they are beginning to lose hope. When Alex finds a box with Tom’s name on in the attic, with an address on an old scrap of paper inside, it sparks something inside them and they begin frantically researching, desperate to follow the trail and see where it leads. 

When Alex and Tom finally reunite, Alex is overwhelmed with the urge to leave straight away. It dawns on them that they were trying to find Tom for so long that they never once considered what wold actually happen once they found him. Alex’s recklessness causes them to make questionable decisions more than once in the play, and they even find themself in the house of a stranger and being threatened with a broom. Alex is also incredibly stubborn. In scene 12, when Tom finds Alex after the family argument in scene 11, he says “Don’t think you can out-stubborn me just because you’re all grown up now.” They refuse to talk about anything they don’t want to and are always determined to get their own way (unless talking to George, when they know it is better to just be quiet and avoid conflict).

Alex’s story is one of discovery, both of information and of the self. In a letter to Alex, Tom writes, “You’re a good kid. A great one. Don’t let anyone tell you different. You’ve always been headstrong and independent and determined and I admire you for it. You’re hardworking, even if it’s not obvious to some people. Stay focused, do what’s right. I’ll see you soon. We’ll be ok, I promise.” These are words that Alex has needed to hear for too long, but is not ready to finally hear them. The play ends in a way that leaves things somewhat open, as Alex is forced to make the decision of what happens next.

Whilst I cannot personally relate to Alex, I found it somewhat cathartic to write going on such a personal journey of growth and discovery.  

[ke238writing]

Bess Jones is an extremely dynamic character, rarely sitting still and always doing something to occupy herself. She is bold, bubbly, and bright. She is the housemate of Ethan Gallagher, a secondary character in the play, and the best friend of the main character, Alex Parkson.

The two images below give a rough idea of the overall look of one of my favourite setting in the play, Bess’s bedroom. It is first seen in scene 2 and described as follows:

“Bess and Alex sit on the bed, surrounded by pillows and blankets. An empty bottle of wine and two wine glasses sit on the floor by the bed. The walls are covered in various photographs, some at a professional standard and some just simple selfies. Music plays quietly from the radio sat on top of a chest of drawers near the bed. The only light in the room comes from the various candles around the room, on shelves, window sills, etc, and the fairy lights hanging from the ceiling.”

I imagine the room to always be warm and comfortable; a place that welcomes worried and replaces them with reassurance. It is a place full of creativity, covered in memories. The bedroom is an extension of Bess as a character. 

“Never a burden. Ever. Not to me.”

This line is said by Bess in scene 1, and it is one that I feel sums up Bess very well. When writing her I quickly realised that her main purpose was to help and support Alex. Initially I wasn’t too keen on the idea of a character’s only purpose being emotional support, so much so that towards the end of the play I wrote a scene in which two other characters, Alex and Tom, discuss how much Bess does for Alex whilst getting seemingly nothing in return. As I kept writing and developing I realised that that’s just who Bess is. She is known by many to be a kind, selfless, and brutally honest individual. 

I wanted Alex’s story to begin and end with Bess. Alex describes her as “the best thing in my life,” and I wanted to show that through the way they spend time together. In all of their scenes together, it is obvious between them that there are no obligations, no expectations, and no barriers. Bess is the one person who Alex can always be open with, feeling no need to hide a single thing about themself. Their relationship is one of understanding. In their first scene together, Alex is helping Bess with her photography work. Bess is quick to spot Alex’s discomfort and prioritises them over her work. In their last scene together, Alex goes to Bess’s house after a series of events causing a family-wide argument and leaving Alex with nowhere else to go. They aren’t yet ready to talk about things, and Bess doesn’t expect them to. Instead, she welcomes Alex with open arms and offers them a cup of tea, stating “I’m ready when you are. Stay as long as you need.”

With a heart as big as hers, Bess’s downfall is her strong emotions. She is usually level-headed, but when she thinks something could be seriously wrong her mind wanders. Bess and Alex argue after Alex tells Bess she can come with them to find Tom, Alex’s brother who has been gone for 5 years, but then goes without her as she asks them to wait until their university assessments are over. After hours and hours of trying to contact Alex and hearing nothing, Bess assumes the worst. She only calms down once Alex arrives at her house to apologise and show her they are alright.

The first physical description of Bess is as follows:

“It is golden hour, and Bess Jones, 23, she/her, holds a camera, the strap around her neck. The way she photographs her subject... almost suggest that the camera is just an extension of herself. She is dressed casually in a white hoodie, black jeans, and trainers that have seen better days. Her hair is pulled back out of her face in a loose, messy ponytail. Her navy blue backpack and light denim jacket sit in a heap under a tree a few feet away. She crouches down [and] lays down on the ground to get another angle. Throughout the scene she moves around, continuing to take photos.”

Images are for reference only. Ethnicity, body shape, hair colour/texture of the character are not limited to those depicted. Physical descriptions of characters are limited to clothing and hairstyle to allow for open and diverse casting.

As someone who holds my friends so closely, and values all they do for me, I found myself linking aspects of my own friends to Bess. Her humour, her love of her work, her honesty, and her selflessness are all traits I have found in my closest friends, and writing Bess felt as easy as a conversation with them.

[ke238writing]

No Milk, Two Sugars

On the 23rd of November 2014, Tom Parkson left. Five years later, it is as though he never existed. Family photos taken down, bedroom converted to a home gym, and a shell of a household who refuse to speak his name. On the 30th of November 2019, Alex finds a box in the attic containing their brother’s belongings, photographs, and a scrap of paper with an address in Tom’s handwriting. After so long, could this scrap of paper hold the answers that Alex has been searching for? And when those answers are revealed, what happens next?

No Milk, Two Sugar follows the story of Alex Parkson and their journey to find their older brother Tom. The story primarily takes place in Bath, England, and spans over a two week time period in midwinter.

The play’s naturalistic style pushes the themes of family dynamic, secrecy, friendship, and discovery. As Alex grows more and more tired of their parents avoiding the subject of Tom, they turn to friends both old and new for advice before deciding to face things alone. When the truth is finally uncovered, it is unpleasant for everyone involved, and leaves an already broken family with nothing left but the consequences of the actions they never meant to take.

Research topics required to write this piece include writing transgender and nonbinary characters, writing characters with dementia, and the psychology behind secrets and why people withhold information.

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It is perfectly okay to write garbage—as long as you edit brilliantly.

C. J. Cherryh (via writingdotcoffee)