Monday Inspiration # 41: Into Character

I don't often talk about it, but I love to write (almost as much as I love to talk). I've been writing stories since I can remember. I have never finished one, but someday in the far off future I will. I'm a pretty okay writer (examples here, here, and here), and while I love it, it's really only ever been a hobby. I like to invent worlds, and people, and lives, and histories. It gives me something to do with my highly over active imagination. I'll never write the Great American Novel, nor anything that won't end up on the $5 romance novel section at target (though I can promise you it will never end up in the romance novels about babies (wtf?) section), but sometimes it's a nice escape from the world (especially when it's 80 degrees in December, and you didn't get the job you really wanted, and you hit every bloody red light on the way to work this morning, and you still haven't had any coffee. Excuse me while I go get some...).

When I was taking my Freshman English class I remember my professor talking about how writers write what they know. If you look at the lives of most authors, you can clearly see them echoed in their writings, and I am no different. My main character is often a conglomeration of myself as I am, and the person I'd like to be. Even when I set out to completely remove myself from the character, little things pop up because I use my own life and personal experience as fodder. But one thing I've noticed is that each of my characters always breed their own style based on their story and the events that transpire. Of course being that I see pictures in my head so life is like a constant movie, when I'm writing I see all the action played out in real time so I know what each character is wearing during each moment. I often find when I'm doing a read through, that I overly describe the clothing of each character. ('His red sweater looked warm and well loved. There were groups of sweater pills around the armpit, and a spot of fraying at the right cuff') Since no one really wants to read a detailed outfit list mid novel, I have turned to Polyvore to satisfy my need to show what they're wearing. I realize this is incredibly ridiculous, but any excuse to play around on Polyvore, is a good excuse in my book (pun intended). 

So I thought I'd share a few of them with you while my laptop is out of commission. There are two different characters here. The first is Georgie Leeds, who I tried to go with a more 60's-Jackie O updated vibe. She is an all American girl, born and raised in the country and suddenly thrust into the big city and a world of glitter and glamour. I wanted to keep her clothing simple, yet elegant, and very classic. She's set in her ways, but very is also very jovial. She's much younger than she's willing to admit, and she also doesn't take herself very seriously. She is from a ridiculous unfinished novel that has turned into a scathing criticism of Los Angeles and Celebrity and the world's view of what's important in life, and also makes me seem like the most emo-sap-tacular-romantic in the world (which I am, but I try to keep this secret). It's ridiculous. (Here is a snippet illustrating my previous parenthesized comment) But I think these sets really sum up who she is.

The second character is Ginny Stevens (not all of them have names starting with G, I swear), who is a newly resurrected character from when I was in Jr. High. She's now actually cool, instead of what my 13 and 14 year-old self thought to be cool (which involved alot of flip-flops and pastel blue backpacks). Ginny is clever, sharp, brave, and incredibly stubborn. She has a strong sense of justice and a knack for being in the wrong place at the right time. She's protective, and strong, and incredibly observant. She craves mystery so it's not surprising that it seems to find her. Ginny spent most of her childhood travelling with her parents throughout the world. She speaks four languages, and is very much an old soul. Her style is very Old World-Neo-Victorian, almost Gothic (without being the overly played out Lolita), inspired by the Cathedrals and Ruins she visited as a child. She sees the world in black and white, with pops of colour, and an occasional shade of grey, and echoes this in her clothing choices. She's also very delicate, and I wanted that to reflect as well. Cool and worldly, she's pretty bad ass. (You can read the first part of the first chapter here.) 

The thing I find funny is that even though these two characters are different, they all are also similar. Maybe it's the common bond they share in being young independent women. Or maybe it's just because they are both figments of my imagination... :-) I have to say, while some pieces in each of their sets are out of my style range, I'd love to sport them all, even if it was just to make me feel like an international super spy who stands up to the man for a day ;-)


I hope you guys enjoyed this. I know it's a little silly (or at least I think so!) You guys ever dress to become a character, or if you write, do you give your character's overly stylized wardrobes? I hope I'm not the only one who's mad!


Happy St. Lucia!