Journal christening/meme feast
To christen this journal, I'm going to post a bunch of NaNoWriMo memes and prompts, to get the ball rolling.
From nanowarmup:
◦ Name, nicknames: Mark, Marky (last name TK)
◦ Is this a main character? How important is he to the story? He is the MC, no competition. Yet. *glances shiftily at minor characters, elbowing each other, trying to get to the front of the character hierarchy*
◦ Occupation: Ah... haven't really worked that out yet. He's a college drop-out, with plans to return in several years... he DOES have a job but I haven't thought it up yet. It's not too terribly fun, and rather low-paying.
Personality
◦ How does he generally act towards other people?
He isn't very outgoing, or especially friendly. However, he is polite. But, when faced with the stupidity of others (he sees himself as being above not all, but most, people), he can be extremely sarcastic, and is prone to make cutting, witty remarks.
◦ What are the little things he takes pleasure in (like Amelie, if you've seen it)? Long walks (usually along the Hudson River, or in the country), the night sky, roses, colonial architecture (he loves those dirty 18th century bricks and white-painted woodwork), listening to music very late at night, mixing paints, shopping for art supplies, getting his fingers and hands covered with ink/paint/charcoal, taking hot showers in the winter and cold showers in the summer, washing his hair so thoroughly that his scalp turns red and feels rather raw for a few hours.
◦ Is he confident in himself, and does he convey this to those around him? Yes, I think he's fairly confident. He certainly conveys confidence, sureness, and a "high-and-mighty" attitude to those around him. Although, on the inside, he isn't necessarily too confident.
◦ What is he especially proud of, about himself? Although he has a rather proud demeanor, he isn't too proud of himself. He does take pride in his art, though. He certainly isn't modest. He also takes pride in his mother (yes, this sounds a little weird, I know). Whenever anyone says good things about her, his heart swells with pride, and he sort of glows with happiness.
◦ What is his heritage, does he have an important role in his culture, his family? Mark doesn't know much about his family. His father was a wealthy, "preppy" young man, who left his mother before Mark was born. Mark hasn't seen any of his relatives on his father's side of the family, except for one friendly uncle who took care of him for a few weekends when he was very little, and his mother was away.
However, Mark's relationship with his mother was an enormously important one. They were very, very, very close... some say too close, for a mother and a son. Mark was extremely devoted to her, and hardly ever left her side. When she died, Mark was 13 (somewhere around that, I'm not sure yet). Mark was horribly upset, broken-hearted, and confused. Her death forced him to leave his happy childhood of summer night spent under the stars and happy frolics in the meadows of upstate New York behind. It forced him to enter a harsh, cold reality. It was like waking up from a happy dream.
After his mother's death, Mark was passed back and forth between two of his maternal aunts. They were both quite loving and kind, but seemed to hold him at a distance after they realized that his mother's death had scarred him irreversibly. Mark began to have violent mood swings, and bouts of extreme depression. This made his aunts begin to fear him, and draw away from him. Needless to say, this did not help at all.
◦ What are him hobbies? Reading, painting, walking, etc.
Skills
◦ How is he talented, if at all? Mark is a very talented artist, although his painting is unusual, slightly disturbing, and somehow "not quite right," or "off-key." He paints and draws in charcoal very often, and some of his work can be found in the dingier and quirkier of Manhattan's art galleries.
◦ What assets would he bring to a group of people? He is quite intelligent, witty, and well-learned. Although he dropped out of college, he still reads an enormous amount.. and he reads substantial things, too. Often he can be found with his nose buried in a book on history, physics, or another academic subject. He can also be very funny--his humor is usually sophisticated, dark, and dry.
◦ What assets do the other characters envy of him; what does he do especially well? His painting skills are certainly envious. He manages to hide things in a seemingly abstract whirl of color. He is very talented in this respect. On the whole, I think he is most likely to be envied simply for his being... he has an air of assurance, sophistication, and intelligence.
◦ Does he have any mutant, magical, psychic or otherwise "supernatural" powers? Does he realize he has them?Nope, none whatsoever. Although a certain person (whose name I haven't thought up yet) seems to think he is a wizard. XDDD
◦ What mundane skills does he have? Art, smooth talking, yeah...
◦ Are there any mundane skills that most people have that he lacks? I suppose... being friendly, well-adjusted, etc. He is pretty screwed up, psychologically and emotionally.
Physical description
◦ How old is he?Mark is 21 years old. June birthday.
◦ Is he in good health?Fairly decent health. He eats okay, certainly not too much, but not too little either. His diet is pretty balanced, leaning towards veggies and grains.. he doesn't eat a whole lot of meat. But he does walk a lot, and does some other exercising... so he is pretty fit/in shape.
◦ Is he generally attractive, or unattractive? Describe what he looks like. Generally, Mark is on the attractive side. He is tall, at about 6'2", fairly muscular (not OVERLY thought), and has dirty, sort of mousy/sandy blonde hair. His eyes are a dark chocolate brown, and he has a long, clean-shaven face, with full lips and a nicely sculpted nose.
◦ Does he have any athletic, martial, or otherwise physical skills? Not especially, no. No "mad skillz" in the physical area. He is fit, but mostly from eating healthfully, walking/running, and doing sit ups and the like.
◦ Any distinguishing marks, scars? Nope, none.
◦ Sense of fashion? Sort of grungy, not too distincitve. Very college student-ish, reminiscent of an Oxford student... dark curduroy blazers, jeans, faded t-shirts, stripey button-downs, usually leather shoes... clean-cut and nice, but not too much color. His clothes are usually pretty sophisticated, but no really expensive. Yeah, he's the type of guy who knows how to wear a suit, but can also pull off jeans and a t-shirt, and always look pretty good.
Psychological description
◦ Is he in good mental health? Is he generally happy/content with life? No, not really. His mother's death basically screwed up his life.
◦ What is his general outlook on life?He regards it as something to be cherished, something that should be filled with love. Sadly, he doesn't quite practice what he preaches. He is very depressed, although he takes great enjoyment in little things.. like long riverside walks.
◦ What is his outlook on other people? He tends to think that they are inferior, not having suffered what he has... but he does have some "loves" ... he doesn't hate all humanity. ;D
◦ On himself? He has a pretty bad view of himself... he holds himself somewhat responsible for his mother's death.
◦ How intelligent is he?Mark is quite intelligent.
◦ Does he have any specific intellectual talents (e.g. good with numbers, great memory for facts, etc.)? He is very witty, if that counts. He is a fast-thinker, and can make up good insults and the like on the spot very easily.
◦ Are there any intellectual areas that he lacks average skill in? He isn't too mathematically-minded. Although his logic is not too bad.
◦ Is he focused or scatter-brained? Very focused, I'd say.
In relation to other people
◦ Who are the important people in him life? His mother, above all. Also Mr. (Insert Name here).
◦ How does he feel towards the (other) main characters? There aren't any other main characters, yet. XD (will update when I think of some more)
◦ What people from him past have made a significant impact on him? His mother's death, certainly.. and the way his aunts turned away from him when they noticed his violence.
◦ Is he trusting of other people, or suspicious? Neither, really. More suspicious, but mostly he doesn't depend on others at all. He is very independent.. not really a healthy thing, in his case.
◦ Who are him enemies, and what effect do they have on him? He doesn't really have enemies (yet).
◦ How does he generally act towards othim people? Is he especially socially skilled or awkward? He is certainly socially skilled, but more in a polite way than in a friendly, outgoing, cheerful way.
◦ What opinion are other people likely to form about him? They are likely to think that he is a very intelligent person, but not a very nice one.
◦ Do other people treat him well? (respectful, condescending, indifferent, awe-struck, caring) People tend to be somewhat respectful of him, but they don't really tend to look on him as a friend.
◦ Is he single, married, in a long-term relationship etc., and does this change over the course of the story? He is in several different short-term relationships, at the end he may get into a long-term one.
◦ Is he extraverted, or does he like to spend a lot of time alone? Certainly an introvert.
Plot -- COMING SOON!
◦ What is his role in the story? What is he trying to accomplish?
◦ Why him?
◦ What's his story? How did he get to the point where we meet him in the story?
◦ What insights and lessons will he have gained through the course of the story?
◦ What secrets does he know about the situation/other people? Do we know them, too?
◦ What effect does he leave on the other characters? How does he change them?
From nanowarmup:
◦ Name, nicknames: Mark, Marky (last name TK)
◦ Is this a main character? How important is he to the story? He is the MC, no competition. Yet. *glances shiftily at minor characters, elbowing each other, trying to get to the front of the character hierarchy*
◦ Occupation: Ah... haven't really worked that out yet. He's a college drop-out, with plans to return in several years... he DOES have a job but I haven't thought it up yet. It's not too terribly fun, and rather low-paying.
Personality
◦ How does he generally act towards other people?
He isn't very outgoing, or especially friendly. However, he is polite. But, when faced with the stupidity of others (he sees himself as being above not all, but most, people), he can be extremely sarcastic, and is prone to make cutting, witty remarks.
◦ What are the little things he takes pleasure in (like Amelie, if you've seen it)? Long walks (usually along the Hudson River, or in the country), the night sky, roses, colonial architecture (he loves those dirty 18th century bricks and white-painted woodwork), listening to music very late at night, mixing paints, shopping for art supplies, getting his fingers and hands covered with ink/paint/charcoal, taking hot showers in the winter and cold showers in the summer, washing his hair so thoroughly that his scalp turns red and feels rather raw for a few hours.
◦ Is he confident in himself, and does he convey this to those around him? Yes, I think he's fairly confident. He certainly conveys confidence, sureness, and a "high-and-mighty" attitude to those around him. Although, on the inside, he isn't necessarily too confident.
◦ What is he especially proud of, about himself? Although he has a rather proud demeanor, he isn't too proud of himself. He does take pride in his art, though. He certainly isn't modest. He also takes pride in his mother (yes, this sounds a little weird, I know). Whenever anyone says good things about her, his heart swells with pride, and he sort of glows with happiness.
◦ What is his heritage, does he have an important role in his culture, his family? Mark doesn't know much about his family. His father was a wealthy, "preppy" young man, who left his mother before Mark was born. Mark hasn't seen any of his relatives on his father's side of the family, except for one friendly uncle who took care of him for a few weekends when he was very little, and his mother was away.
However, Mark's relationship with his mother was an enormously important one. They were very, very, very close... some say too close, for a mother and a son. Mark was extremely devoted to her, and hardly ever left her side. When she died, Mark was 13 (somewhere around that, I'm not sure yet). Mark was horribly upset, broken-hearted, and confused. Her death forced him to leave his happy childhood of summer night spent under the stars and happy frolics in the meadows of upstate New York behind. It forced him to enter a harsh, cold reality. It was like waking up from a happy dream.
After his mother's death, Mark was passed back and forth between two of his maternal aunts. They were both quite loving and kind, but seemed to hold him at a distance after they realized that his mother's death had scarred him irreversibly. Mark began to have violent mood swings, and bouts of extreme depression. This made his aunts begin to fear him, and draw away from him. Needless to say, this did not help at all.
◦ What are him hobbies? Reading, painting, walking, etc.
Skills
◦ How is he talented, if at all? Mark is a very talented artist, although his painting is unusual, slightly disturbing, and somehow "not quite right," or "off-key." He paints and draws in charcoal very often, and some of his work can be found in the dingier and quirkier of Manhattan's art galleries.
◦ What assets would he bring to a group of people? He is quite intelligent, witty, and well-learned. Although he dropped out of college, he still reads an enormous amount.. and he reads substantial things, too. Often he can be found with his nose buried in a book on history, physics, or another academic subject. He can also be very funny--his humor is usually sophisticated, dark, and dry.
◦ What assets do the other characters envy of him; what does he do especially well? His painting skills are certainly envious. He manages to hide things in a seemingly abstract whirl of color. He is very talented in this respect. On the whole, I think he is most likely to be envied simply for his being... he has an air of assurance, sophistication, and intelligence.
◦ Does he have any mutant, magical, psychic or otherwise "supernatural" powers? Does he realize he has them?Nope, none whatsoever. Although a certain person (whose name I haven't thought up yet) seems to think he is a wizard. XDDD
◦ What mundane skills does he have? Art, smooth talking, yeah...
◦ Are there any mundane skills that most people have that he lacks? I suppose... being friendly, well-adjusted, etc. He is pretty screwed up, psychologically and emotionally.
Physical description
◦ How old is he?Mark is 21 years old. June birthday.
◦ Is he in good health?Fairly decent health. He eats okay, certainly not too much, but not too little either. His diet is pretty balanced, leaning towards veggies and grains.. he doesn't eat a whole lot of meat. But he does walk a lot, and does some other exercising... so he is pretty fit/in shape.
◦ Is he generally attractive, or unattractive? Describe what he looks like. Generally, Mark is on the attractive side. He is tall, at about 6'2", fairly muscular (not OVERLY thought), and has dirty, sort of mousy/sandy blonde hair. His eyes are a dark chocolate brown, and he has a long, clean-shaven face, with full lips and a nicely sculpted nose.
◦ Does he have any athletic, martial, or otherwise physical skills? Not especially, no. No "mad skillz" in the physical area. He is fit, but mostly from eating healthfully, walking/running, and doing sit ups and the like.
◦ Any distinguishing marks, scars? Nope, none.
◦ Sense of fashion? Sort of grungy, not too distincitve. Very college student-ish, reminiscent of an Oxford student... dark curduroy blazers, jeans, faded t-shirts, stripey button-downs, usually leather shoes... clean-cut and nice, but not too much color. His clothes are usually pretty sophisticated, but no really expensive. Yeah, he's the type of guy who knows how to wear a suit, but can also pull off jeans and a t-shirt, and always look pretty good.
Psychological description
◦ Is he in good mental health? Is he generally happy/content with life? No, not really. His mother's death basically screwed up his life.
◦ What is his general outlook on life?He regards it as something to be cherished, something that should be filled with love. Sadly, he doesn't quite practice what he preaches. He is very depressed, although he takes great enjoyment in little things.. like long riverside walks.
◦ What is his outlook on other people? He tends to think that they are inferior, not having suffered what he has... but he does have some "loves" ... he doesn't hate all humanity. ;D
◦ On himself? He has a pretty bad view of himself... he holds himself somewhat responsible for his mother's death.
◦ How intelligent is he?Mark is quite intelligent.
◦ Does he have any specific intellectual talents (e.g. good with numbers, great memory for facts, etc.)? He is very witty, if that counts. He is a fast-thinker, and can make up good insults and the like on the spot very easily.
◦ Are there any intellectual areas that he lacks average skill in? He isn't too mathematically-minded. Although his logic is not too bad.
◦ Is he focused or scatter-brained? Very focused, I'd say.
In relation to other people
◦ Who are the important people in him life? His mother, above all. Also Mr. (Insert Name here).
◦ How does he feel towards the (other) main characters? There aren't any other main characters, yet. XD (will update when I think of some more)
◦ What people from him past have made a significant impact on him? His mother's death, certainly.. and the way his aunts turned away from him when they noticed his violence.
◦ Is he trusting of other people, or suspicious? Neither, really. More suspicious, but mostly he doesn't depend on others at all. He is very independent.. not really a healthy thing, in his case.
◦ Who are him enemies, and what effect do they have on him? He doesn't really have enemies (yet).
◦ How does he generally act towards othim people? Is he especially socially skilled or awkward? He is certainly socially skilled, but more in a polite way than in a friendly, outgoing, cheerful way.
◦ What opinion are other people likely to form about him? They are likely to think that he is a very intelligent person, but not a very nice one.
◦ Do other people treat him well? (respectful, condescending, indifferent, awe-struck, caring) People tend to be somewhat respectful of him, but they don't really tend to look on him as a friend.
◦ Is he single, married, in a long-term relationship etc., and does this change over the course of the story? He is in several different short-term relationships, at the end he may get into a long-term one.
◦ Is he extraverted, or does he like to spend a lot of time alone? Certainly an introvert.
Plot -- COMING SOON!
◦ What is his role in the story? What is he trying to accomplish?
◦ Why him?
◦ What's his story? How did he get to the point where we meet him in the story?
◦ What insights and lessons will he have gained through the course of the story?
◦ What secrets does he know about the situation/other people? Do we know them, too?
◦ What effect does he leave on the other characters? How does he change them?