#shes the uber goth wife

[exclamaquest]

ok ngl I was pretty glad to see Sonia a bit more down-to-earth than the other characters made her seem. I know she’s literally the queen of vampires but I like my weirdcore girl ghcbxbj. (Speaking of, I love Gundham. So Much. Guy that looks more like a vampire than his vampire wife) Also I’m giving Byakuya the “Not as Much of an Asshole as You Could Have Been” sticker lmao. I kinda didn’t even notice he’d given an order until Sonia mentioned it lol.

Worth mentioning that the dumb little gremlin side of my brain thinks Hiro is a total drag and annoying when the logical part is screaming “HES LITERALLY TRYING TO KEEP THESE DUMBASS KIDS ALIVE LEAVE HIM ALONE??” so. Leon Kuwata projected into my head ig.

YEAH i wanted to keep her pretty damn close to canon Sonia!! She's like an ancient powerful vampire who's several steps removed from anything resembling human biology by virtue of being thousands and thousands of years old but she still watches creepypastas and is a #weirdgirl. If she isn't a #weirdgirl she's not Sonia y'know?

AND YEAH <33 gundham is so great!! He definitely gets mistake for the vampire sometimes KGJJDJD he's just an uber dorky sexy sexy silly goth boy

they've been married for like. Centuries at this point. And they are still so so so deeply in love <3

To be fair Byakuya was operating on his lowest asshole capacity. He'll get back up to his usual assholeness soon don't worry!

AJDJDHHS LEON IN UR HEAD...fucking rip but yeah that's exactly it KDJSHS he's trying to keep as many of these dumb kids alive as possible and man is it hard work

[cyberfairyblog]

thomas the tank engine au

- thomas and percy work as deliverymen & uber drivers; they also attended college

- thomas has honey colored/blonde hair (because honestly everyone gives him dark or blue hair and i want to stand out) and grey eyes

- percy is also an uber driver but sometimes he also works delivering mail. he has brown hair & blue eyes,

- annie and clarabel are two elderly spinsters who raised thomas from when he was a little boy

- gordon was a former career athlete who retired for a change of pace. he teaches engineering at a trade school and regularly upkeep ancestral manor house now converted into rental living. he has very light blond hair

- henry is a park ranger. he build his own coaster ride to check on wider, less-trekked area of the forests. he has auburn hair and brown eyes

- james is a model still wanting to live the teen dream, he has brown hair that he always describes as a rich shade of the finest chocolate and green eyes

- emily is a school teacher and rather uninterested in settling down. she has black hair and blue eyes

- toby is a middle aged farmer living with his wife henrietta. his hair used to be red but has since gone grey

- sir handel is rich

- peter sam works as a busboy and has a hot italian girlfriend

- duncan is a louse with dreams of becoming a musician

- mighty & mac are conjoined twins and work as accountants

- duke is a war vet and knew peter sam and sir handel's granddads (here given the stuart and falcon names)

- rosie is a college student studying biology and she always looked up to thomas as a big brother

- molly is a mutual friend of emily and said to be really shy

- mavis is a goth girl. oh yeah 😎

- arry and bert work at the scrap yards and may be resident mad scientists

- diesel is a rival uber driver from a family of miners; he smokes

- daisy is a model and also works as a secretary at the delivery business thomas and percy works

- duck, oliver, donald and douglas work at the railway museum and restores heritage engines and lines

- duck and oliver were childhood friends, though oliver had fallen on some very sad times before getting on his feet

- toad is employed at the same museum; may be oliver's partner it's never explicitly stated as oliver and toad prefers privacy

- edward owns the delivery business, and is unused to modern tech so that's he he hired thomas and percy so they cna help him "join the crowd"

- the fat controller still works the railways & on board of directors of edward's business

[goblin-wlw]

Types Of Girls: Goblin Hoard Edition Pt. 1

Gems - Looks gud in everything, makeup is perfect, laugh sounds like colored glass, will talk 4 hours about her passions, soft hands, shiny and colorful painted nails, isn’t afraid 2 fight u 2 the death, looks gud and kicks ur bum at the same time, makes a perfect wife

Knives - Dark jackets, leans against brick walls, deep eyes, can be soft when u get 2 kno her, likes loud music, will fight u, smirk will melt ur soul like chocolate, getting her 2 laugh makes u feel like a goddess, will go feral when she sees dog, makes a perfect wife

Crystals - Doesn’t wear makeup, has lots of raw crystals in room, health conscious, drinks lots of water, will worry about ur chakras, knows in her bones when u are sad, magic probably, has shiny rock hoard of her own, likes instrumental music, will remind u 2 breathe, makes a perfect wife

Smooth Rocks - Barefoot, impulsively squishes moss, wears shorts with pockets and puts rocks in them, will stop midsentence 2 look at bird, gets mud on clothes, walks in streams, luvs worms and snails, will catch and kiss frogs just because, dirt under fingernails, never lost, makes a perfect wife

Buttons - Smol, wears lots of DIY jewelry, handmakes presents 4 friends every holiday and sometimes just because, takes thrift store clothes and gives them personality, does hair different every day, very cute, uber huggable, will squeal when u pick them up, makes a perfect wife

Shells - Flip flops, tank tops, has sand all over room, has jar of cool rocks and shells and sea glass, always a little sunburned, smells like ocean, plays in tide pools, puts starfish back in water, goes 2 the aquarium when it’s cold outside, likes ice cream, worried about the sea turtles, makes a perfect wife

Beads - Has lots of jars with color-coded things in them, p much lives at craft store, probably a cat person, has an Etsy, wears hairclips she made herself, colored streaks in hair, messy room but clean workspace, starts lots of projects that she doesn’t always finish, makes a perfect wife

Dice - Always has notebook or sketchbook, lives in fantasy world, has more dice than she knows what 2 do with, quiet but if u ask questions about her stories she will talk 4 the rest of forever, doesn’t want 2 bug people, very creative, sees the world different, makes a perfect wife

Costume Jewelry - Outgoing, probably in drama, lots of friends and luvs them all, will remember ur birthday but forget the homework, listens exclusively 2 musical numbers, beautiful voice, will always compliment ur outfit, makes u feel gud about ur self, bright smile, makes a perfect wife

Flowers - So soft, wears flowers in hair, will cuddle anytime, makes a perfect little spoon, soft kisses, happy laughs, listens 2 cute music, will shock u when she swears 4 the first time, emotional and not afraid 2 express her feelings, feels like she’s made of watercolors, makes a perfect wife

Broken Glass - Messiest room ever, knows where everything is no matter what, always a little late, takes lots of pictures of everything, always has backpack, hoards everything she finds on ground, KonMari method is not helpful because everything sparks joy, might forget ur name but means well, makes a perfect wife

Plastic Animals - Still rocks light up Sketchers, cartoon t-shirts, has Pokemon cards, likes dinosaurs, still has LPS toys and remembers all their names, lots of stuffed animals, is a gud babysitter but probably also needs babysitter, still luvs Scholastic book fairs, has lots of badly painted plastic animals and dinos, makes a perfect wife

Bones - Dark makeup, goth, wears dark clothes, not afraid 2 swear, listens 2 rock n roll, rocks a choker, sees the world 4 it’s imperfect reality, nihilist, but probably a surprisingly optimistic nihilist, is actually very sweet and kind, has sharp edges and that’s ok, makes a perfect wife

Keys - Wears flannel over t-shirts, denim shorts, always on a roadtrip, wants 2 run in 2 the woods and become a cryptid, knows all cryptids by heart, swears she’s seen bigfoot, willing 2 believe in the impossible, probably an alien or a faerie and that is very neat of them, makes a perfect wife

Coins - Surprise!!! Coins is all other girls!!1 Because there r 2 many 2 list and they’re all wonderful!!! Different and unique no matter where u go!!! See 1 on the street and get very excited!!! Always a happy thing 2 find!!! Makes a perfect wife!!!! I luv u all!!!

[stainedglasssqurriel]

My friend is under a guardianship and her guardian is emotionally abusive to the point that she's almost in tears any time she has to call him and ask him for something. His favorite thing to do to his 23 year old niece is threaten to toss her in a group home when she doesn't do what he wants. Whether that's "Don't dress Goth" or "Attend the plans that I made for you or else."

She needed money on her debit card because her building's (which is owned by her aunt. Not her guardian's wife tho.) laundry doesn't take cash. She had cash, but they set her up with some fancy credit union, so the nearest ATM that would accept deposits to her account was a 20 minute drive away. She can't drive, and with no money on her card, how could she get an Uber? She can't. She has to call the uncle she's afraid of.

Or ask the adult services lady for help, who basically told her 'we did laundry, pick a different chore' only, they didn't do all the laundry the day they did laundry, they only did her linens. So now she still doesn't have clean clothes. She's also supposed to get three defined tasks done every day, which, sure, fine, but it's not going to happen while she's this overwhelmed, and definitely not if the lady is vetoing her choices.

Plus, apparently the adult services place is judging her ability to live independently based on her ability to do three chores every day to completion, and I don't think I know another 23 year old, myself included, who could consistently pass that test, so I guess no one I know should be living outside a facility, by that metric. Considering also that things that she did before the adult services lady arrives for the day don't count towards this total: only things that she does for the two hours she's there.

Like, yes, I understand that she needs to be able to take care of herself, but why does she need to be able to take care of herself to a higher standard than others in her age group because she's disabled? How is that fair?

[klnofziger]

October 25, 2018, London, England

Thursday was a miscellaneous day where I tried to play catch up, or make any final trips before I head back tomorrow. With there being no concrete plans, I ended up leaving my hotel room with an Uber at about 12:30.

The first stop was to see Temple Church, one of the Da Vinci Code’s literary, and on-screen, locations. Off of Fleet Street, its architecture fits the essence of its patrons, the Templars.

I’d like to think of its design as Crusader mold. With its circular symmetry, elongated hall, tall pillars, and early-Goth ceilings, Temple Church definitely made its mark as you entered its rod iron gates and heavy arched door. The 12th-century effigies of lord-knights and moldings of kings’ sacrosanct statues were pieces of history literally ingrained in carved stone. Additionally, decorated in red and gold, a glorious pipe organ, to echo hymns above patrons and church-goers. A steep-spiral, stone staircase led to a second floor where its semi-circular design was full of multi-colored tiles imprinted with lambs, knights on horseback, lions, and winged horses.

However, I must say that it may be secondary compared to the Rosslyn Chapel. Though I can’t say that based on experience, as I’ve yet to see it when I was last in Scotland.

After some quick snapshots along its courtyard, I walked over to the Charles Dickens Museum on the corner of Doughty Street. For nine pounds and another six for a self-guidebook (as photography isn’t allowed), I ventured into the five-story home of one of the world’s most beloved writers in all literature. Above his doorstep is a blue plaque with his name, his mortality, and literally states, “Novelist lived here”. For nine pounds and some change, I explored the first home he resided in for almost three years. It was the place he finished The Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist, wrote Nicholas Nickleby, and began a more lavish upbringing with his wife, Catherine, and the first of ten children they’d have together.

His study was the ultimate writing space logistically and ascetically. But you’d be surprised that for a writer and avid reader, Dickens grew up in a lower, middle-class family which meant accessibility to books was limited. Even as he climbed the social and economic hierarchies, he maintained his ever-growing wealth for his family. His extensive book collection was acquired merely through gifts and the first editions of his works; mostly it contained nothing more than “three-piece novels and books of travels,” said author, George Henry Lewes. Nevertheless, its translucent display was spectacular; so much so that it amplified the centerpiece of the study: Charles Dickens’ writing desk.

Unfortunately, as I stated before, photography wasn’t allowed so I got a postcard of an infamous drawing by Luke Fildes, illustrator to Dickens’ unfinished novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood. It’s a depiction of the author’s study (his desk and chair as the focal point) at his residence in Gad’s Hill Place shortly after his passing in 1870 (Above).

This was a doorstep that led to lots of entertainment and socialization. Dickens was an adamant extrovert. People were his inspiration. After dedicated yet tedious hours of writing, he’d go out on the hustle and bustle of the Bloomsbury area. He’d take extended walks observing, and absorbing the energy of, his fellow man. The spirit of the people conjured his brilliant yet relatable ideas for the stories we still keep on our shelves today. Meanwhile, this Regency home was the perfect convenience for him to see his publishers, go to the theatre, and resided within the familiar routes to his regular spots for leisure.

Once I had my fill of creator to Scrooge, Pip, and countless other characters, I purchased notable souvenirs and made my way to the cafe. It’s part of the home’s extension and bypass into his garden. Naturally, I ordered a comforting pot of tea with a cheddar and bacon quiche. While I waited, I went around the brief corner to find the most amazing chair perfectly designed for any English major: high wingback, red, leather-worn, soft as butter, and upholstery that molded into your body like a deep hug. I sat there for an hour gladly in spite of the occasional patron glancing over with slight envy.

As the afternoon turned into late, I gathered my bearings for a brisk walk to the British Library. For the sake that it’s a nationally acclaimed (even internationally) sanctum of knowledge, discovery, and history, and deemed an exciting field trip for English majors and writers alike.

However, since I did arrive later than anticipated, its latest expedition was closing up in an hour; and the entire display of Saxon gallery would take at least twice as long to go through. Meanwhile, you have to be a member or make an appointment to see specific collections of rare works within the library. But I managed a passing wave to Shakespeare by the stairs, then headed to the multitude of books several stories high labeled the King’s Library. After a brief appraisal of all things accessible on the complimentary map, I came across their rare books and documents gallery available to the public.

For those of you who have yet to take a look in there, you will spend a good forty-five minutes viewing heavy, age-old books of all regions, illustrations, frayed sheet music, hand-written accounts of authors and scholars, superbly preserved religious works (Bible, Torah, Qur’an, etc.), and so much more.

The texts and written works that caught my attention, and kept it, were quite partial to me: a 14th-century illustrated, yet very graphic, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight; an early edition of Christopher Marlowe‘s work from the late 16th century (a fellow bard and considered the predecessor to Shakespeare on the London stage); a portable writing desk belonging to Jane Austen with a handwritten letter addressed to her brother displayed on top; a journal of Charlotte Bronte’s early writings she brainstormed at just 19 years old; AND most importantly, to me, a 13th (or 14th) century account of supposed story of King Arthur on a journey with remanents of Christ’s cross. I felt a supreme sense of confirmation when I saw this leather-bound, well-preserved, rather colorfully adorned text. Even though I wasn’t meant to go to Cadbury–to explore for Arthur–it was wonderful to be reminded of my current purpose as a writer; a sign that stated I’ve all the time in the world and Arthur will always be there. Whether in England or on my bookshelf in my New England apartment. How exaggeratingly sentimental, I know.

A black blanket of night cast over the vibrating streets in mid-London. So that was my cue to get takeaway and grab a ride back to the hotel. Nothing really stuck out for a place to sit for dinner (and my phone was dying), so I headed into a nearby Tesco, got some pasta, cheddar and red onion crisps, and sparkling water for dinner. Then my uber arrived on a buzzing street. After picking me up ten minutes later, I ended up being in an hour ride due to unsuspecting yet obscene traffic.

Tonight, I relaxed as I somehow reorganized my suitcase with laundry, souvenirs, and my stamp high tops.

Thank you, London. You’ve certainly opened my eyes about the solo experience on your streets and by the River. I will see you again and, if God-willing, become a squatter nearby.

Templars, Dickens’ Chair, & Arthur October 25, 2018, London, England Thursday was a miscellaneous day where I tried to play catch up, or make any final trips before I head back tomorrow.

[totesmccoats]

Batman #36

Batman and Superman avoid calling each-other to talk about the recent engagement, each making their own excuses to their better halves, and placing the responsibility on the other to avoid making the first move.

It shouldn’t be surprising in retrospect, but who knew Tom King could be this adorable? King makes it obvious how much each man respects and adores the other by how intimidated each is to start this conversation despite knowing that they should. Besides, they’re busy with superheroing – the other’ll call if it’s that important. Meanwhile, Catwoman starts to feel like Bruce might be ashamed of her; and Lois just really wants to meet her!

Clay Mann draws the two heroes in a way that fits each’s opinion of the other. Both are imposing figures, larger than life, mythic. Superman swoops into action, catching trains before they fall off cliffs, as Batman poses dramatically on Gotham’s gargoyles, leaping through skylights to kick criminals. Even in the same room, Superman glows and Batman seems to carry shadows with him.

  Batman: White Knight #3

New Harley can’t accept that Jack no longer wants to be Joker, and decides to take up the mantle for herself. Meanwhile, Jack moves forward with his plan to discredit Batman and the Gotham establishment, using the mind-controlled supervillains as both a distraction and a cudgel. While Batman chases them through Blackport, causing untold damages to people and property; Jack raids the city records office to look for exactly how much those damages cost Gotham, and finds his answer.

The next day, Jack reveals that Batman costs the city three billion dollars a year in taxpayer money, and is still completely unaccountable for it, or the priceless emotional damage he costs the city, further widening the divide between Batman and Gotham, including close allies like Gordon, Dick, and Barbara. Continuing with his plan, Jack and Harley head to Blackport where they find an ally in Duke Thomas – in this universe, ex-military, ex-police, and Blackport native who organized a grassroots police-force for the part of the city Gotham forgot.

This issue further reveals that Jack may not be as squeaky clean as he presents himself to Gotham, but he still makes a heckuva strong argument against Batman’s continued existence; especially as Batman’s methods become more and more reckless. SGM also adds another stir to the pot with new Harley, who becomes an element that neither Jack nor Batman have figured into their equations, and could become a spanner in either or both of their designs.

As of now, turning Duke into Luke Cage-lite could go either way, but the big-black guy stereotype is a fine-line to walk. SGM’s other big diversion from canon in this issue, however, really changes who this Batman is and what his relationship to the rest of the Bat-family and the Joker is compared to the norm.

  Superman #36

A not-great conclusion to a not-great arc. The war on Apokolips is ended by deus ex machina, and Superman sits on Darkseid’s throne just long enough to abdicate it to the people. Gleason gives a bland version of a “truth, justice, and the american way” speech for Superman to say, then booms things to Metropolis. The last couple of pages are a cliffhanger for a much more interesting story development than the past four issues.

Also, I’ll be skipping the next two issues that will be part of a crossover – so hopefully #39 gets things back on track!

  Green Arrow #35

Aww yeah, Ferrerya’s back! And he’s illustrating Oliver’s adventure to the bottom of a trench in the Pacific Ocean to raid the vaults of the sunken Ninth Circle base, the Inferno, with his used-to-be-evil-and-also-dead mother, Moira. Meanwhile, detective Shuffleton follows the dirty detective Ros when he tails Oliver’s lawyer, and the two discover that Wendy Poole – whom Oliver is charged with murdering – is still alive. One of them can’t say the same for themselves much longer. And when Moira inevitably betrays her son, Black Canary and Henry team up and follow him into the trench to save him.

This issue is a little all over the place, including one flashback that I think turned into two different flashbacks without much to signal the transition, and an abrupt – even for comics – ending. Also, for the amount of space it’s given, there just isn’t much going on below the surface. The opening helpfully provides enough exposition to catch-up any new readers, but the amount of plot actually going on leaves a lot of room to be filled by Oliver’s self-flaggilating over his wealth; which, while appreciated in a way, disappoints compared to what’s going on above the waves, where people are uncovering secrets and blowing each-other up.

Still, a book of new Ferrerya art is never a completely bad thing, even when he isn’t allowed to really play to his strong suits and deliver high-octane action sequences. Also, I guess Moira Queen just looks like a woman in her late 30’s forever now?

  Justice League #34

Bruce hasn’t had a full rest in three days, and still insists on being the brains of the Justice League. He sends Superman, Flash, and Jessica Cruz to help people trapped in an earthquake, while he, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman rescue some kidnapped nuns. Meanwhile. Simon Baz monitors what appears to be a massive alien invasion. But in delegating these tasks, an underslept and overworked Batman may have made a tactical error – one that could cost lives.

This is Priest’s first issue on Justice League, and he immediately makes it a distinctly “Priest” book, with parallel storytelling, stakes that matter, and sharp dialogue. Appropriately, his Justice League run starts off lighter than his time with Deathstroke, with a lot of that credit going towards artist Pete Woods, who draws with bold lines and saturates his colors to heroic proportions. We even get some daytime Batman action!

  Black Bolt #8

Black Bolt finally returns to Earth, but isn’t given exactly the warm welcome he expected. A lot has happened during his absence, including an attempted holocaust under Hydra, and the disappearance of much of the royal family; and his people that once looked to him as a father now regard him as a deadbeat. And, before he can tend to the needs of his people, he has a promise to keep.

To use a cliché, you can take the Black Bolt out of prison, but you can’t take the prison out of Black Bolt. He is still trapped by the effects of his brother, by the loss of his voice, the trauma of his imprisonment, and the suffering of his people in his absence. Though Black Bolt has changed, he still isn’t whole.

Blinky adjusts better, wide eyed and slightly overwhelmed by her new home. Though she’s experienced the same trauma as Black Bolt, her advantage is in being better able to communicate her emotions – being a telepath helps with that.

And Ward’s art doesn’t suffer at all for being contained to Earth. He trades the neon blues and pinks for golden yellows and browns, bathing the issue in sunshine for the first time in the series. And Lockjaw is as floppy and adorable as ever.

  Hawkeye #13

Like all great Hawkeye stories involving Clint Barton, this one starts off with Hawkeye(s) falling from a great height. But before they were falling, Clint and Kate had just reunited, and were discussing whose problem to solve first when Clint’s problem popped up to try to kill the two with arrows. So, Clint’s problem takes priority. After Clint fills Kate in on who might be trying to kill him this time, Kate deduces that it’s Eden, the Swordsman’s apprentice from the Generations: The Archers issue. Unfortunately, she’s able to find them again before they can find her, and her teleportation powers make her an extra tricky baddie to nab.

If you’ve liked how Thompson wrote one Hawkeye, then you’re really going to enjoy how she writes two. She writes Kate and Clint with a familiar rapport, but still manages to give each their own character, Clint being looser and chiller despite being hunted, while Kate continues to be the more sarcastic one.

This even translates to their body language, and is immediately clear on the first page we see them falling together. Even while falling, Kate is poised and ready to shoot, while Clint is still grabbing at his quiver and is falling freely. And her style, with Bellaires’ colors, continue to give Hawkeye a distinct sunkissed tone regardless of how dark the book may go, but never to its detriment.

  Paper Girls #18

The Girls are able to escape Charlotte while the giant mech fight still roars invisibly around them, and Tiff admits to Chris – her future husband – that she’s his wife, or will be in 12 years. On their way to Tiff’s house, Mac tells Erin that she suspects KJ might be a clone or something of the real KJ, mostly because of the shock of her coming out of the closet last issue. And, in the mechs above the town, the Old Timers suffer a blow that may prompt them to forfeit what already passed for proper rules of engagement.

Despite the very fast-feeling issue (it’s amazing how the pace of a comic can vary so much considering they’re all about the same length!), each of the Girls get a moment, from KJ trying to talk down Charlotte, Erin ninja-throwing a newspaper, Mac’s newfound skepticism, and Tiff negotiating the politics of time travel with her Goth husband. Tiff actually seems to be the focus of this issue, which is a welcome shifting of the spotlight. BKV’s dialogue continues to be some of the best in comics, with everyone but the Old Timers reading as completely natural, and Chiang can draw the heck out of girls wandering through the woods and giant robot fights equally.

  Uber: Invasion #10

For better or worse, things are gearing up in Uber: Invasion. The Nazis recover Siegfried’s body, and the burning corpse of the Zephyr that killed him, and plan their counter-attack for before the United States can create enough Zephyrs to win the war. In Boston, while the US army celebrates Siegfried’s death, Stephanie wonders if they have the time to make enough Zephyrs and complete the Colossus II before the inevitable Nazi response. As a stalling tactic, she suggests that the army set up ghost-armies to make the Nazis think that the US already has the numbers. In San Francisco, a small team hunts the Japanese Battleship Yamato, and discuss whether they should search a Japanese Internment Camp for him.

Like many great war stories, some of the most dramatic moments of this issue involve people looking at maps and trying to outbluff the other. And, for the first time in Invasion, instead of sticking with one army for the entire issue, we get multiple concurrent threads, ratcheting up the tension even further.

Comic Reviews 12/5/17 Batman #36 Batman and Superman avoid calling each-other to talk about the recent engagement, each making their own excuses to their better halves, and placing the responsibility on the other to avoid making the first move.

[guyanthonydemarco]

New Post has been published on Guy Anthony De Marco

New Post has been published on http://guyanthonydemarco.com/takes-village-full-weirdos/

It Takes a Village (Full of Weirdos)

I’ve been writing off and on since 1977. More off than on, just like my normal mental state. The first few stories I horrifically assembled were based on some dreams with the antics of some of my friends mixed in. I was still in high school and I hung out with the freaks, geeks, and weirdos. I also spent time with some of the stoner and drug using folks, even though I never partook. (No, really, I was even sorta famous for it.) On top of that, I was friendly with many of the jocks, and even tried out for the baseball team as a pitcher. I still think I didn’t get on the team because I drilled the coach with a line shot off of his cranium during a practice. Well, that or because I had a wicked fast ball that I couldn’t control. Anyways…

Over the years, I’ve made friends and lost some, drifted apart or buried others. Most of the time I admit I was just too lazy to send a letter or pick up the phone to say hello. Some folks were just acquaintances or Friends-of-Friends.

Some folks were people I once just said hello to. A good example is Fiona. My wife and I were going through the checkout line at the North Island Commissary (like a military store), and the young lady who was ringing things up was the Uber Queen of the Goths. Every bit of exposed skin was pale, like the pallor of the dead. Fiona wore all black, of course. She was also very nice and friendly. For years my wife and I would recall Fiona out of the blue. The only reason we know her name is because of her name tag. She’s appeared in two of my books in one form or another.

All of the friends, acquaintances, and random weirdos and strangers I’ve encountered in my life at one time or another are all now living as part of the DNA in the characters I write. I never try to copy them directly — it would feel like plagiarizing meatspace. I take tiny bits of personality and blend them together. The subtle half-wink as they tell a joke; the way their voice wavers as they yell in anger; the way they smell because they don’t believe in deodorant. All of these slices can come together to create a complete and believable character. In many cases, I know why they do what they do. The old friend who never used deodorant was too poor to afford the luxury. That background adds seasoning for characters. Now I know how they may act in certain situations, like finding an envelope of hundred dollar bills in a donated dresser. That pungent friend would do his best to find the rightful owner because he knows what it feels like to be destitute.

Asian Woman Taking Selfie Photo On Smart Phone Pop Art Colorful Retro Style Vector Illustration

One should be careful not to make the characters recognizable. In many cases, it can cause hurt feelings. If I copied a friend down to a speech impediment and a facial birthmark, then gave it to a horrific villain who tortures small fuzzy animals for kicks, you can rest assured that my friend would be quite irate (and probably move into the ‘former friend’ category.) Always make the characters you create a collection of traits put into a blender and hit the frappe button a few times. The froth you end up with can then be used to make believable, realistic characters that seem like they’re someone you know intimately — because they are.

There are times you have to create characters that are outside of your scope of knowledge. Take a walk around and listen to strangers. Take notes, write down interesting descriptions, and even consider saying hello. You might end up with a new friend and a protagonist outline in one fell swoop.