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[wintersky101]

Freddie, Standard Poodle (3 y/o), Bedford & Carmine St., New York, NY • “He just got groomed on Friday – this is his pre-Passover grooming. He’s the fifth or sixth Poodle in my family. He was named for Freddie Mercury – a little bit of flair. I found people who are good at grooming Poodles – he gets hand-scissored. My mom has a whole book on Poodle grooming techniques that I’ve gone through. He enjoys sleeping in the tub because he likes the coldness. I have some of those push-top Tupperware, and he figured out how to open those up and help himself to some cookies. He’ll also smack my laptop shut, rest his head in front of my iPad, and knock a paw into my Kindle. He will block the technology that I’m ignoring him for.”

[wintersky101]

Koda, German Shepherd, Thompson & Prince St., New York, NY • “You happened upon the most beautiful dog in town. He’s smarter than the average dog. He’s not aggressive – he won’t initiate with another dog, but he’ll react to a dog and stand his ground. He also won’t take snacks.”

[wintersky101]

Odin, French Bulldog (3 y/o), 48th & 1st Ave., New York, NY • “He wants you to pet him so bad. He finds benches and people-watches, and then when he finds people that show him any sort of attention, he gets excited. He kind of hits the part of the heart that you forget exists because he’s so innocent. Frenchies are different – they’re not like dog dogs, they’re like toddlers, but forever. They wanna be loved, they wanna be snuggled, they wanna be in your life. What you’re doing right now, just your interaction – it’s not even about the food, it’s the fact that your interacting with him will make his whole day.”

[wintersky101]

Lylee, Pomsky (5 y/o), Honey Locust Park, New York, NY • “We’re Indian, so she’s a vegetarian. No chicken.” 

[wintersky101]

Louie, Italian Greyhound (3 y/o), 57th & 1st Ave., New York, NY • “He has, like, six good rotating outfits. When he first meets someone, he likes to sniff around, but if he’s at home, he’s very playful. He jumps on the furniture like it’s a playground. He’s just my best friend – he sits and watches TV with me. Having him has given me someone to care for and think about more than myself. Even if I bring him to my friend’s apartment, I’m packing a bag, so I feel like I have a kid. You learn some lessons.”

[wintersky101]

Mitzi, mix (14 y/o), 62nd & 1st Ave., New York, NY • “She’s wonderful, but she goes crazy for treats. I love everything about her. She sleeps with me. I don’t know if she’s changed my life, she just makes me happy. If I don’t watch her, she’ll steal my food. She’s my seventh dog. When I went to get her, since I’m not young, I said I want a medium-sized dog, medium age. And that’s what I got.” A rescue via @bideawee

[wintersky101]

The two twins...

[wintersky101]

Angie, Labradoodle (14 y/o), Carl Schurz Park, New York, NY • “She’s sick – she’s got melanoma inside her mouth. She’s getting a vaccine, and we’re debating whether to do radiation. She’s not moving as quickly as she used to, but she still gets around. She’s a little aloof, like a supermodel. She plays golf with me – her short game is good. She got her name from The Rolling Stones song. She’s the best company. She’s lovable, loyal, and always happy to see us. We got her when our kids went off to school – we were empty nesters. She’s just brought joy and love into the house.”

[wintersky101]

if you’re having a bad day, here’s a cute little marching band

[wintersky101]

Pippa, Rough Collie (4 y/o), Prince & Mott St., New York, NY • “She’s nervous right now – she’s from the suburbs, so she’s trying to figure out what to do. But she’s mellow and very friendly. Collies are excellent family dogs – they love kids, they’re very affectionate. People are afraid of the fur, but we love the fur. Our dogs are like our whole world. Basically the entire house’s art is dog art of some sort. We have a lot of photographs and various signs about ‘hug your Collie.’ All the cheesy stuff.”

[wintersky101]

PSA to fan creators who don't have a lot of regular contact with children: They are almost always bigger than you think. A 1-year-old baby may already be walking. A toddler is likely already hip-high. A 10-year-old may already be taller than at least one of their parents. A 14/15 year old may already have reached their adult height.

[wintersky101]

So my problem with most ‘get to know your character’ questioneers is that they’re full of questions that just aren’t that important (what color eyes do they have) too hard to answer right away (what is their greatest fear) or are just impossible to answer (what is their favorite movie.)  Like no one has one single favorite movie. And even if they do the answer changes.

If I’m doing this exercise, I want 7-10 questions to get the character feeling real in my head. So I thought I’d share the ones that get me (and my students) good results: 

What is the character’s go-to drink order? (this one gets into how do they like to be publicly perceived, because there is always some level of theatricality to ordering drinks at a bar/resturant)

What is their grooming routine? (how do they treat themselves in private)

What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? (Gets you thinking about socio-economic class, values, and how they spend their leisure time)

Do they have any scars or tattoos? (good way to get into literal backstory) 

What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances? (Good way to get some *emotional* backstory in.) 

Are they an oldest, middle, youngest or only child? (This one might be a me thing, because I LOVE writing/reading about family dynamics, but knowing what kinds of things were ‘normal’ for them growing up is important.)

Describe the shoes they’re wearing. (This is a big catch all, gets into money, taste, practicality, level of wear, level of repair, literally what kind of shoes they require to live their life.)

Describe the place where they sleep. (ie what does their safe space look like. How much (or how little) care / decoration / personal touch goes into it.)

What is their favorite holiday? (How do they relate to their culture/outside world. Also fun is least favorite holiday.) 

What objects do they always carry around with them? (What do they need for their normal, day-to-day routine? What does ‘normal’ even look like for them.) 

[wintersky101]

almost forgot to post bby Yin yu

[wintersky101]

Charlie, Chihuahua mix, 7th & 1st Ave., New York, NY • “I rescued him in Costa Rica. I was eating at a restaurant, and he was hopping around begging for food. A couple had abandoned him there, and the restaurant had been feeding him. They were trying to find him a home – I happened to come in, and I took him home for dessert. I brought back a cat, too, so they’re buddies. He’s super sweet, but on the street he’s a little difficult on a leash. He’s like the nicest dog – he never gets into anything, he’s never had an accident in the house. This is my first dog – I’ve had cats my whole life, and I’m a total convert. I love my cat, but she doesn’t seem to need me as much as this guy. I just love how he likes to cuddle up next to me. He’s like my little shadow. I love him.”

[wintersky101]

Russki, Cavapoo (7 y/o), Washington Square Park, NY • “He’s half Russian. He loves cats – he loves going into bodegas to say hi to them. They usually don’t like him back, but he doesn't care. He also knows all his toys by their names – shark, taco, cat. He knows some in Russian, too. He eats everything except Milk-Bones. He loves swimming – if he sees a pool, even if it’s cold, he goes for a swim. He’s definitely my best friend. Sometimes I don’t even have to go out; I can be with my dog and have a great time. I’m more his emotional support than he is mine. We support each other.”

[wintersky101]

English added by me :)

[wintersky101]

Toaster, West Highland White Terrier (8 y/o), 7th & 1st Ave., New York, NY • ”This is our first Westie. Our friends had a Westie who just died, and we loved him so much – he was the inspiration. He’s very loyal to his humans, and he’s most loyal to my wife – he ranks us. During the pandemic, we had a rat come out of our toilet. I opened up the door, and there’s a giant rat in our bathroom. I threw Toaster in there, and he mortally wounded the rat, but it was still able to escape into the back of the toilet. I put the cat in there too, and the cat was like, eh, no. Toaster came through.”