Where Ladybugs Roar

Confessions and Passions of a Compulsive Writer

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Your characters don't exist and other lies they tell you...

So, I have this shirt that I bought several years ago. It has a vampire-fanged mouth on it with the words "Bite Me" on it. When I started writing my Honor series, it was one of the first things to go into the book--both as her favorite retort and she wears my shirt. (It's okay, though, I borrow it back to wear it. Reeve washes it for her--we're good.) So, I wore the shirt one day and wound up working on the Creche stuff. (It's exactly perfect to wear at church when you're working on setting up nativities--or I forgot I was wearing it.) I pulled off my coat and Katie, who has read Honor, said, "You have an Honor shirt!" (Cue embarrassment.) Yes. Yes, I do. Then, she asked, "Do you wear it when you write?" Yes. Yes, I do. Actually...it's more resounding than that. Heck yeah, I do! I love that shirt. I always wear it to the dentist's office too, but they don't "get me" like my fictional characters do. In fact, typically, they just look confused--my dentist's office, I mean--not my characters. My characters know exactly what I'm thinking.

So, per my adult female prerogative, I just bought myself Christmas gifts. Merry Christmas, Wendy! You're so thoughtful. It's like you knew exactly what I wanted. I bought myself two new articles of clothing that say "Bite me!" (I've been secretly worried that something would happen to my shirt--so it's time to have back-ups.) I was trying to explain this strange behavior and excitement over my purchases to my son and it struck me as slightly neurotic.

It's not the first time, though, that there has been spillage across fictional lines for me. Either I put things from my life into the stories, or I get interested in things from their lives. I'm highly susceptible to their food choices as they are to mine.

(For those that have read the Honor series, Canadian donuts ARE really that good. It's something in the metric conversion, I swear. Also, both the son and I spray whipped cream straight into our mouths.)

Anyone else blur the lines with their characters?

So, Monday is official Kissing Day on the blogosphere.

It'll probably be my last official post for the year. We're hoping to leave Monday night for Utah in order to get ahead of the weather. (No, the car isn't magically better. Le sigh. We're taking our Expedition--which will involve so much money spent on gas--it's disturbing.) I'm hoping we'll be able to drive at night--so that my much beloved six year old will survive. Last night at the church party, they started singing "Twelve Days of Christmas" and several of my friends who've been listening to my ranting this week--snickered. (It's nice that your friends know you well enough to poke fun at an open wound.)

Right in the middle of all my buying self-love, my son managed to turn off my laptop's cursor. He was sent from the room grumbling about how he wanted to buy a shirt too. I spent twenty minutes cursing my lost cursor--and trying to figure out where it was by watching for items to be highlighted. (T has killed my cursor before--I don't know what magic thing he pushes.) Finally, I couldn't handle it anymore--so I called up the husband--who reminded me I have a touchscreen. (This is why I must buy myself stuff--only I understand the strange wonder that is me. Also, I have really good taste.)

Anyway, it's five a.m. and I've been awake since four--when B woke me up. I can't get back to sleep.

I should do my Christmas cards which have been pushed back in favor of other things nearly every day.

Nah.

Have a good Saturday, everyone!

7 comments:

  1. I hope you have a safe trip, and that we hear from you again before the new year.

    Merry Christmas!

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  2. Oh the dreaded Christmas cards...yeah, I've procrastinated mine too. Ugh.

    I love that you have crossed the line with Honor, it can get blurry sometimes but your friend saying "is that an honor t-shirt" classic. I love it. I use a moment in time from my own life or a I play out a scenario that with my hindsight my characters can dominate but that is as far as I have taken it but now, i want a t-shirt. I will have to get creative.

    I am doing the Monday kiss as well. I can't wait to read everyone's. I also would like to point out the every sentence here starts with I. I have nothing against self preservation but me, me ,me, enough about me, what do you think about I?

    I'm out.

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  3. Once I almost told a friend what one of my MC's did that day. Then I remembered (in the nick of time) that it was FICTIONAL. Not exactly something you "gossip" about.

    Yeah. My lines cross.

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  4. LOL, I have done the same thing Catherine has done. I totally forgot. The other day I was telling my best friend/cheerleader what one of my characters said funny and then I stopped myself. It freaked me out a bit.

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  5. OMG! I have the same shirt! Bite me is an absolute favorite thing of my mom's to say, so I bought her one and then one for myself, because duh! it was so cute with the red sparkly lips and white fangs! Now I can call it my "Honor" shirt. My mom also likes to say that she lives at the corner of Bite Me Blvd. and No Frickin' Way! Ah, I love mainstream humor. It's like there are people out there that matter that get me:) I don't know that I have ever talked about things my characters have done, but I often laugh out loud at my own WIPs and my daughter comes running..."What? Did Wendy post another muffin joke?" Yeah...she loved it that much, too.

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  6. OOh, I'd love to get one of those shirts. Then I could embarrass my oldest daughter:)

    I totally get the buying something for yourself. I put that in my post last night.

    Have a safe trip!

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  7. I miss you already Wendy. I hope your trip is angst-free, worry-free, maybe wonderful. I hope the world is kind to you and your family.

    I want an Honor shirt too. I want one that says, "Bite me" and underneath it "Okay."

    My characters are so real to me I'll watch a show or hear a song and think, "Oh, so-and-so has GOT to watch this-- oh wait."

    Safe trip, Wendy :)

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