Every last possible detail about Joseph
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy? Joseph is fairly tall, standing at 6'2" on a good day. He was always on the scrawny side, a condition only worsened by his drug abuse in his twenties. Since cleaning up, he's started to fill out a bit, but just enough to finally look healthy.
2. How old is he? Thirty-three, birthday is March 19.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch? He tends to slouch and sprawl as much as possible. Lilith attributes this to his "free spirit"; Tarah says it's because he's always been a slob.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities? His health has been improving over the past four years. He's a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, although he still smokes.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid? He tends to move somewhat slowly, in a laid-back manner that's been emphasized by moving to the South. But when he's got an idea, he can be like a hamster on speed.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror? Back in the day, Joseph was well aware of the fact that he is very pretty. He still knows it now, but tries to downplay it as much as possible.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred? Joseph's skin is light, although getting slowly tanner after four years on the coast.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style. His hair is dark brown, and he lets it grow out to a sophisticatedly shaggy length.
9. What color are his eyes? Medium brown.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features? A winning smile and fairly large hands.
11. What are his chief tension centers? Neck and shoulders, usually from being hunched over his typewriter or playing with Ana.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit? Joseph plays it casual. Lots of worn jeans and cotton shirts, usually checkered or an understated plaid. He has a couple of blazers to dress things up slightly. Despite his extended time in Texas, he refuses to wear cowboy boots.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them? His clothes fit pretty well; sometimes they're a little loose, but he prefers them that way.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences? His job is his free time, more or less, so... yeah, he dresses the same.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando? Boxers, all the way. A man has to breathe.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse? Joseph's pitch is usually about average, a little hoarse at times.
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate? He usually isn't particularly loud, although he can be boisterous. Get him going in a conversation, and he can be quite the chatterbox.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics? He has a pretty neutral American dialect, and he tends to curse a fair bit when frustrated.
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency? American English, a tich of Spanish, but not enough to do very well on his own with.
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations? He only tried his Spanish out when he used to go to the little Cuban place down the street from his apartment.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words? He's adept at speaking on the fly, although given the choice, he'd much prefer to write something up beforehand.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change? Joseph has the ability to be eloquent, he just normally chooses not to be.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart? Despite his track record, Joseph's actually pretty smart. He knows his literature very well. Then again, he also knows how to score and cook up heroin. It's been an interesting life.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate? Nowadays, he prefers having time to deliberate. In life or death situations, he tends to freeze up a little bit until he can think things through.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical? Joseph is idealistic, intuitive, and often impulsive, although he's been trying to reign that in as of late.
4. What kind of education has the character had? Joseph went to a decent public high school, and was accepted to NYU with a merit scholarship, but dropped out before the end of his first year to pursue a career in writing. After that, he got books from the library and taught himself whatever he wanted to know, which was mostly literature related, with the occasional history book or whatever was pertinent to his writing.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about? Joseph wouldn't call himself an expert in anything, really. He's well versed in a number of things, and is presently learning more and more about the religions and spiritual structure of the world.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert? Extrovert.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven? Joseph is pretty upbeat nowadays, although he has his bouts of melancholy and anxiety. But for the most part, he's a laid back guy, taking it in one day at a time.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic? He's pretty relaxed around new people. When he was younger, he was more enthusiastic about going out, but he's settled down now.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react? React.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight? Flight.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks? There isn't a joke too dirty for this man. He's also a fan of black humor, but enjoys his daughter's innocent jokes as well. And puns.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them? Joseph's an addict. In order to keep himself away from booze and drugs, he smokes. It's not the healthiest way of doing things, but it's what's working for him.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
14. What does he fear? Not being able to write, the Apocalypse, any harm coming to Ana (or Lilith, even though he knows she can't be hurt)
15. What are his hopes or aspirations? To raise Ana right and fulfill his holy obligation as a prophet without screwing up too much.
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him? He might be starting to drink again. And he might be falling for Lilith.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents. Joseph really hasn't talked to his parents since he moved to New York, except for a postcard to inform them that they were grandparents, after Ana was six months old.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like? Joseph is an only child.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand? His daughter is the light of his life.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them? Joseph and Ana live with Lilith and Tarah. To Joseph, Tarah is like a wise old aunt whom he's become quite fond of, although neither would openly admit affection for the other. To Lilith, Joseph owes his life in many ways. He admires her, respects her, and wishes sometimes that she weren't who she was so that she could love him the way he's come to love her.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet? Lilith could be considered his best friend. They met when she gave him change to make a phone call, then later visited his apartment with the original intent to kill him. Upon discovering that he was a prophet, she instead saved his life and the life of his daughter.
6. Does he have other close friends? Nope.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people? He makes acquaintances easily, but he was never the type to make a lot of real friends.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends? Now? Family.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once? Joseph is single, although he thought about marrying Lydia before he got hooked.
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than his spouse? He wishes.
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest? First? Demi Moore, after he snuck into "About Last Night". His latest is so hopelessly unrequited.
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner? He tends to be attracted to strong, dominant women, as he likes to bring out their softer side. Or at least, he thinks he does.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any? Joseph has a daughter, Ana, eight years old. For the first four years of her life, he wasn't very involved - mostly because of Lydia's insistence and legal interventions - but with her death, Joseph became the sole custodian and has devoted himself to her. He feels guilty for not having been there early on and is determined to make it up to her.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies? Well, the Messenger wanted him dead, but that got taken care of.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale? Joseph's a one, 99.9% straight. The other .1%... well, he needed money.
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him? Oh, he loves sex. He was all over that when he was younger and famous. He still loves it, but situations are different, so he makes do. As it were.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits? What does any red-blooded straight guy like? Boobs (not too big, not too small), a nice ass, some sexy lingerie, and he's all set to go. He's really only repulsed by a lack of hygiene or if, you know, you're doing it wrong (teeth should not be used during certain acts, mmkay?).
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type? According to the Chinese, Josephs's a Dragon: self-assured, direct, eccentric, intellectual, passionate, pioneering, artistic, generous, loyal; also tactless, arrogant, impetuous, and brash. According to Western astrology, he's a Pisces, but he doesn't really fit the type.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life? In his youth, Joseph was, at best, agnostic. He's becoming more aware of his spirituality after living with a former angel and her niece. The fact that he's the last remaining prophet and his daughter is the new messiah has also prompted this spiritual awakening.
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it? He believes in a general sense of right and wrong, but understands there are always exceptions. It's wrong to steal, but if you're pulling a Robin Hood, then it's kind of okay. That kind of deal.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent? Joseph's pretty easy-going with other people's beliefs, unless they are wholly ignorant (like, KKK ignorant).
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them? He doesn't trust drug users, only because he was one.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt? He was rich, then went broke, and now is kept comfortable by Lilith (he hasn't figured out exactly how she does it, but he suspects she's using her divine influence to create money).
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him? Joseph was a Cinderalla story come true when his first two novels were published; he went from a broke college dropout to the toast of the town, practically overnight. Then he fell from grace into poverty and obscurity. He's managed to crawl out of the pit he was in, although he still enjoys having a moderate level of anonymity again.
3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home her castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others? Joseph had a really cheap apartment in a really sketchy neighborhood, but now lives in a moderately sized house in coastal Texas with Ana, Lilith, and Tarah. He spends most of his time at home, so he considers it his domain.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on? Books, for himself and Ana and Tarah.
5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else? He was an author, and still writes in his free time. Most of his time is spent teaching Ana, and occasionally Tarah, as well as keeping the house in order when Lilith is gone. Yes, he's become a stay-at-home dad, although he'll never call himself that.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time? He loves to read. Tarah is also trying to teach him how to crochet, but it's not going very well. Most of the time, he sits on the front porch, watching the storms roll by as he waits for Lilith to come home.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods? He eats whatever Lilith makes, which lately has been a lot of Tex-Mex. He loves chips and salsa, and misses the days of being able to wash it down with a cold beer. Which is why sometimes he sneaks off to do just that, despite knowing where it very well could lead.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Burnt red
2. Smell? Burning cigarettes
3. Time of day? Dusk
4. Season? Summer
5. Book? Wit by Woody Allen
6. Music? Classic Rock
7. Place? NYC
8. Substance? Heroin (association, not his favorite)
9. Plant? Magnolia
10. Animal? He's become a dog person, thanks to Adam, Lilith's faithful cairn terrier
END
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy? Joseph is fairly tall, standing at 6'2" on a good day. He was always on the scrawny side, a condition only worsened by his drug abuse in his twenties. Since cleaning up, he's started to fill out a bit, but just enough to finally look healthy.
2. How old is he? Thirty-three, birthday is March 19.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch? He tends to slouch and sprawl as much as possible. Lilith attributes this to his "free spirit"; Tarah says it's because he's always been a slob.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities? His health has been improving over the past four years. He's a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, although he still smokes.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid? He tends to move somewhat slowly, in a laid-back manner that's been emphasized by moving to the South. But when he's got an idea, he can be like a hamster on speed.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror? Back in the day, Joseph was well aware of the fact that he is very pretty. He still knows it now, but tries to downplay it as much as possible.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred? Joseph's skin is light, although getting slowly tanner after four years on the coast.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style. His hair is dark brown, and he lets it grow out to a sophisticatedly shaggy length.
9. What color are his eyes? Medium brown.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features? A winning smile and fairly large hands.
11. What are his chief tension centers? Neck and shoulders, usually from being hunched over his typewriter or playing with Ana.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit? Joseph plays it casual. Lots of worn jeans and cotton shirts, usually checkered or an understated plaid. He has a couple of blazers to dress things up slightly. Despite his extended time in Texas, he refuses to wear cowboy boots.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them? His clothes fit pretty well; sometimes they're a little loose, but he prefers them that way.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences? His job is his free time, more or less, so... yeah, he dresses the same.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando? Boxers, all the way. A man has to breathe.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse? Joseph's pitch is usually about average, a little hoarse at times.
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate? He usually isn't particularly loud, although he can be boisterous. Get him going in a conversation, and he can be quite the chatterbox.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics? He has a pretty neutral American dialect, and he tends to curse a fair bit when frustrated.
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency? American English, a tich of Spanish, but not enough to do very well on his own with.
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations? He only tried his Spanish out when he used to go to the little Cuban place down the street from his apartment.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words? He's adept at speaking on the fly, although given the choice, he'd much prefer to write something up beforehand.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change? Joseph has the ability to be eloquent, he just normally chooses not to be.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart? Despite his track record, Joseph's actually pretty smart. He knows his literature very well. Then again, he also knows how to score and cook up heroin. It's been an interesting life.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate? Nowadays, he prefers having time to deliberate. In life or death situations, he tends to freeze up a little bit until he can think things through.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical? Joseph is idealistic, intuitive, and often impulsive, although he's been trying to reign that in as of late.
4. What kind of education has the character had? Joseph went to a decent public high school, and was accepted to NYU with a merit scholarship, but dropped out before the end of his first year to pursue a career in writing. After that, he got books from the library and taught himself whatever he wanted to know, which was mostly literature related, with the occasional history book or whatever was pertinent to his writing.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about? Joseph wouldn't call himself an expert in anything, really. He's well versed in a number of things, and is presently learning more and more about the religions and spiritual structure of the world.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert? Extrovert.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven? Joseph is pretty upbeat nowadays, although he has his bouts of melancholy and anxiety. But for the most part, he's a laid back guy, taking it in one day at a time.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic? He's pretty relaxed around new people. When he was younger, he was more enthusiastic about going out, but he's settled down now.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react? React.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight? Flight.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks? There isn't a joke too dirty for this man. He's also a fan of black humor, but enjoys his daughter's innocent jokes as well. And puns.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them? Joseph's an addict. In order to keep himself away from booze and drugs, he smokes. It's not the healthiest way of doing things, but it's what's working for him.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
- Moving to New York
- Getting his first novel published
- Meeting Lydia Gray, his literary agent and eventual girlfriend, after her purse got stuck in a subway door
- Getting his second novel published
- Caving into the pressure of writing his third novel and trying heroin with a girl he'd met at a bar in the Village
- Lydia leaving him after telling him she was pregnant
- Finding out he was a father by text message
- Losing partial custody, and only being allowed to visit Ana under supervision
- Being visited by the Messenger and told he was a prophet of God, but not believing it thinking it was a drug-fueled hallucination
- Getting robbed, losing his manuscript, breaking his hand, and meeting Lilith, all in the same hour
- Running with Lilith to save Ana, only to find Lydia dead on the floor
- Watching his four year old daughter destroy the Messenger
- Realizing, after three days in Texas, that he was in the middle of withdrawal and had to learn how to care for his daughter
14. What does he fear? Not being able to write, the Apocalypse, any harm coming to Ana (or Lilith, even though he knows she can't be hurt)
15. What are his hopes or aspirations? To raise Ana right and fulfill his holy obligation as a prophet without screwing up too much.
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him? He might be starting to drink again. And he might be falling for Lilith.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents. Joseph really hasn't talked to his parents since he moved to New York, except for a postcard to inform them that they were grandparents, after Ana was six months old.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like? Joseph is an only child.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand? His daughter is the light of his life.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them? Joseph and Ana live with Lilith and Tarah. To Joseph, Tarah is like a wise old aunt whom he's become quite fond of, although neither would openly admit affection for the other. To Lilith, Joseph owes his life in many ways. He admires her, respects her, and wishes sometimes that she weren't who she was so that she could love him the way he's come to love her.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet? Lilith could be considered his best friend. They met when she gave him change to make a phone call, then later visited his apartment with the original intent to kill him. Upon discovering that he was a prophet, she instead saved his life and the life of his daughter.
6. Does he have other close friends? Nope.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people? He makes acquaintances easily, but he was never the type to make a lot of real friends.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends? Now? Family.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once? Joseph is single, although he thought about marrying Lydia before he got hooked.
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than his spouse? He wishes.
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest? First? Demi Moore, after he snuck into "About Last Night". His latest is so hopelessly unrequited.
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner? He tends to be attracted to strong, dominant women, as he likes to bring out their softer side. Or at least, he thinks he does.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any? Joseph has a daughter, Ana, eight years old. For the first four years of her life, he wasn't very involved - mostly because of Lydia's insistence and legal interventions - but with her death, Joseph became the sole custodian and has devoted himself to her. He feels guilty for not having been there early on and is determined to make it up to her.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies? Well, the Messenger wanted him dead, but that got taken care of.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale? Joseph's a one, 99.9% straight. The other .1%... well, he needed money.
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him? Oh, he loves sex. He was all over that when he was younger and famous. He still loves it, but situations are different, so he makes do. As it were.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits? What does any red-blooded straight guy like? Boobs (not too big, not too small), a nice ass, some sexy lingerie, and he's all set to go. He's really only repulsed by a lack of hygiene or if, you know, you're doing it wrong (teeth should not be used during certain acts, mmkay?).
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type? According to the Chinese, Josephs's a Dragon: self-assured, direct, eccentric, intellectual, passionate, pioneering, artistic, generous, loyal; also tactless, arrogant, impetuous, and brash. According to Western astrology, he's a Pisces, but he doesn't really fit the type.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life? In his youth, Joseph was, at best, agnostic. He's becoming more aware of his spirituality after living with a former angel and her niece. The fact that he's the last remaining prophet and his daughter is the new messiah has also prompted this spiritual awakening.
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it? He believes in a general sense of right and wrong, but understands there are always exceptions. It's wrong to steal, but if you're pulling a Robin Hood, then it's kind of okay. That kind of deal.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent? Joseph's pretty easy-going with other people's beliefs, unless they are wholly ignorant (like, KKK ignorant).
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them? He doesn't trust drug users, only because he was one.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt? He was rich, then went broke, and now is kept comfortable by Lilith (he hasn't figured out exactly how she does it, but he suspects she's using her divine influence to create money).
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him? Joseph was a Cinderalla story come true when his first two novels were published; he went from a broke college dropout to the toast of the town, practically overnight. Then he fell from grace into poverty and obscurity. He's managed to crawl out of the pit he was in, although he still enjoys having a moderate level of anonymity again.
3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home her castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others? Joseph had a really cheap apartment in a really sketchy neighborhood, but now lives in a moderately sized house in coastal Texas with Ana, Lilith, and Tarah. He spends most of his time at home, so he considers it his domain.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on? Books, for himself and Ana and Tarah.
5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else? He was an author, and still writes in his free time. Most of his time is spent teaching Ana, and occasionally Tarah, as well as keeping the house in order when Lilith is gone. Yes, he's become a stay-at-home dad, although he'll never call himself that.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time? He loves to read. Tarah is also trying to teach him how to crochet, but it's not going very well. Most of the time, he sits on the front porch, watching the storms roll by as he waits for Lilith to come home.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods? He eats whatever Lilith makes, which lately has been a lot of Tex-Mex. He loves chips and salsa, and misses the days of being able to wash it down with a cold beer. Which is why sometimes he sneaks off to do just that, despite knowing where it very well could lead.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Burnt red
2. Smell? Burning cigarettes
3. Time of day? Dusk
4. Season? Summer
5. Book? Wit by Woody Allen
6. Music? Classic Rock
7. Place? NYC
8. Substance? Heroin (association, not his favorite)
9. Plant? Magnolia
10. Animal? He's become a dog person, thanks to Adam, Lilith's faithful cairn terrier
END