Xavier

Francis Xavier hates students who question.

(That's a little shout-out to all my CMH peeps!)

This month I am participating in the April A-Z Challenge! My theme for the month is ‘character development.’ Some days will be exercises from John Gardner’s The Art of Fiction, others will be profiles of characters from my book Armageddon: Pick Your Plot, and some will just be random characters I make up. I hope you enjoy!
This post also brought to you by..

Wes

**It appears that I am being blog blitzed! Oh my! Welcome everyone, I am so happy to have you here :) Hope you enjoy Naturally Sweet and come back to visit often!**

We knew Wes was different from the time he was a toddler. He'd sit, tiny curls brushing florid cheeks, intently focused on a speck on the floor. It was as if he could see the universe in that small spot. He loved to be read to and would spend long minutes babbling out his own stories. Wild hand gestures and big eyes told of the import of these stories. It was impossible to focus on anything else. As he grew, his depth increased. His teachers told us of moments that he'd seem so far away, only to snap back to attention and give a thorough and complete answer. They'd see him at recess 'preaching' to the other children - holding them rapt with his stories and graceful charisma. We had endless conversations about morality and free will, thinking surely our child would grow to be a preacher or philosopher. He's a good man. A strong, moral man. And so I plead with the jury to be lenient. He would never hurt those people! He's not a bad man! If he did what you are saying it was surely because he believed it was in their best interest...

This month I am participating in the April A-Z Challenge! My theme for the month is ‘character development.’ Some days will be exercises from John Gardner’s The Art of Fiction, others will be profiles of characters from my book Armageddon: Pick Your Plot (paperback, Kindle), and some will just be random characters I make up. I hope you enjoy!

Vera

She ties her shoes... deliberately, just so. Stands up, straightens her blouse, and checks her hair. There is comfort in old habits. Vera walks to the kitchen and makes breakfast. She barely counts the scoops of coffee as they spill into the filter; the grains trembling in time with her fingers. She stirs her oatmeal as the coffee brews, its complex smells awakening simple memories of morning conversations and late-night contemplation. Vera goes for her daily walk and says a prayer, thankful for another day of sunshine and memories.


This month I am participating in the April A-Z Challenge! My theme for the month is ‘character development.’ Some days will be exercises from John Gardner’s The Art of Fiction, others will be profiles of characters from my book Armageddon: Pick Your Plot, and some will just be random characters I make up. I hope you enjoy!

Underling

They clipped my wings, and forever sealed my fate as an Underling. I was a servant to my Lord, most devoted. But some thought I was trying to rise too far. My beautiful wings, they said, might make people think I was above my Lord... so they destroyed them. They cut me and made my wings non-functional, and trimmed the beautiful ends off my feathers. It will take years to regrow them. My Lord does not seek me out as he once did; my lack of beauty offends him. Even my song does not sound so melodious, as my gestures do not flow with the music, and my body tells no story.

This month I am participating in the April A-Z Challenge! My theme for the month is ‘character development.’ Some days will be exercises from John Gardner’s The Art of Fiction, others will be profiles of characters from my book Armageddon: Pick Your Plot, and some will just be random characters I make up. I hope you enjoy!

Time

Time had always kind-of resented her parents for giving her that particular name. Not only because kids at school had an easy time picking on her - "Hey look, it's potty-Time!" and "Can I be a Time Traveler? It won't hurt, I promise!" - but also because it gave her teachers ample fuel for calling on her - "Given your name, you must have thought about the impact on Time and xyz." Umm no, she hadn't actually. She tried not to think about it whenever possible.

In college Time started introducing herself as Ty. It saved her the pain of having to explain her name, and the inevitable "clever" jokes afterward. Under that guise she was finally able to really think about her name and its influence upon the world, and even herself. She began to wonder if her parents hadn't been on to something as she learned the true value of Carpe Diem and understood why people might want to travel back in Time to change things. Time slowly changed, and began to see herself differently. The more she reflected on her name, the more she cherished her parents, as she knew that her time with them may be limited.

She asked her father why they named her what they did and he said, "We were young, but just realizing our mortality. We hoped that you would learn to value every day and live your life to its fullest. Your name was also a reminder to us to value every moment we had with you as a child. It worked, and we hope that someday it will remind you of the same." Time determined that she would do her best to live up to her parents' hope, and once again began introducing herself with her full name. For those who would listen, she would tell her father's story. For those who made jokes, she took a moment to cherish their joy, for that was a happy moment in their time on Earth.

This month I am participating in the April A-Z Challenge! My theme for the month is ‘character development.’ Some days will be exercises from John Gardner’s The Art of Fiction, others will be profiles of characters from my book Armageddon: Pick Your Plot, and some will just be random characters I make up. I hope you enjoy!

Sam

Sam has these bright blue eyes that you'd swear never stopped sparkling. His dark curly hair, endless energy, and love of food makes a Hobbit costume strangely believable. Not that he's fat. He just likes to eat :) Also I don't think his feet are hairy. When he juggles a lot he could be Popeye - forearms grow larger with the exertion. Though juggling is not generally a useful skill for rescuing damsels in distress, his introducing me to it gave me a good extracurricular focus during school. Maybe not a full-on rescue, but certainly a flotation device. He taught me how to cook stir-fry and enchiladas. I fed the roommates chocolate chip cookies. It was a good arrangement. This week Sam is getting married to a lovely, fiery lawyer. She certainly doesn't need any rescuing. They compliment one another beautifully and I am so excited to get to go see them wed. Cheers and love to you, my friend!

(Ok this one isn't fiction. But I am feeling nostalgic, so there you go :) )

This month I am participating in the April A-Z Challenge! My theme for the month is ‘character development.’ Some days will be exercises from John Gardner’s The Art of Fiction, others will be profiles of characters from my book Armageddon: Pick Your Plot, and some will just be random characters I make up. I hope you enjoy!