Character Interview

Oct 07, 2008 13:00

Nano novel title - Dark Orchid. Starring Jeremiah Anderson.

My name is Jeremiah Anderson and I am the MMC in Tels novel for Nano. These are the questions that were asked by midnyteabbadon

1. Where do you live? Do you like it there? Why, or why not?

I live in Scotland, in a small village in the Highlands. It's beautiful. Rolling mountains, heather, wide open spaces. It's a tad quiet at times, bitterly cold in the winter. We get snowed in quite frequently. Craig loves it. Craig's my son. But the solitude is what I need for my work. While I live and breathe I will always be a Scot. Would nae want tae be anywhere else.

2. Do you have any bad habits? What are they?

I bite my nails. My ex-wife insists I snore, not that I believe her. I hate washing up and have a tendency to be very disorganised and lose things. That used to really annoy the ex-wife. Oh and I am very short-tempered.

3. How do your bad habits affect your day-to-day life?

I never seem to be able to find a clean coffee cup. Maybe I should run the dishwasher once in a while. I also have no idea where my card index or filofax are and I really need them. I tend to lose my temper a lot these days.

4. What is your best characteristic? How does it affect your day-to-day life?

Hmmm, that’s a tough one. You know I honestly don’t know if I have anything good in me at all. If I have, I’d say it’s what I do for a living. It’s pretty cathartic at times. Oh and I sing. Don’t know it that counts.

5. You've won your dream vacation in a sweepstakes. Tell us where you're going and what you'll do there.

That would be two weeks in the States. One spent in Disneyland. Craig has always wanted to go there but I just can’t afford it. We’d go on all the rides, eat all the hot dogs he wants, catch a ball game, buy him all the toys he could ever need. And spend the second week on the beach somewhere. Just sand, sea, one of those long tall drinks with the umbrella in and my laptop. Bliss.

6. Do you know how to read? Who taught you? Do you enjoy it?

Aye I can read. It’s pretty much required for my job. Mum always read to me as a child. Taught me some, but most of my learning was done in school. Started school at four. Love reading. Always have two or three books on the go at once.

7. How big was your family growing up? How big was the house you lived in? Has that helped mould who you are today?

I have a twin brother, Ted, and a younger sister, Rebekka. Dad was a pastor, Mum was a pastor's wife. The manse was a fair size I guess. Four bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, lounge, study. We ate in the kitchen. Mum’s dead now, cancer, died about four years ago. I know I wouldn’t be the man I am now if I had a different upbringing. I am everything my brother isn’t. If you like - I’m the evil twin.

8. Did you know you're going to appear in a novel this November? Are you excited?

If I’m honest the idea scares the living daylights out of me. There’s stuff in my life I don’t want people knowing. I’m not a nice bloke you know? Plus there’s pretty hard stuff I’ll have to relive - Ted’s accident for one thing. And the divorce no doubt will come out too.

9. What do you most want Tels to show about you? Least want?

Well like I said above, there’s stuff I don’t want anyone knowing. The bar incident for one thing (makes sure Tels isn’t in the room). Yeah, the bar incident and the speeding ticket and points on my licence too. What do I want her to show? Maybe that no matter how hard things get there is a silver lining on the cloud.

10. If you were writing a novel about Tels instead of she about you, what would the first paragraph be?

Mwhahahahaha. It would start... Once upon a time... Okay I’ll be serious.

The phone never brought good news, she decided. Or rang at the best moment. Here she was half way between home and her parents, three winging kids in the back of the car and her mobile was ringing. She left it, deciding against pulling over. After all she’d be home in ten minutes. If it was urgent they’d ring back. It wasn’t the hospital, she knew that, as she’d only left her husband there an hour previously. The phone beeped to indicate a text. Again she left it.

Pulling onto the drive ten minutes later she let the kids into the house. Tuning out the fights over the TV which was immediately switched on, she pulled her phone from her back. She read the message the bottom falling out of her world. 'Hey hon, they’re taking me down to the OR now. I love you. Dxxx.'

She sank onto the bottom stair. What... I only just left him, she thought tears filling her eyes. He was fine...

Ok thats three paragraphs. Sorry. Got carried away.
Ha-ha revenge is sweet. She’ll hate me now. And yes that’s a true story.

This was Jeremiah posting from Tels account while she’s having lunch.
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