Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Generating Writing Power
Influence: “So Dope” Tech N9ne feat. Wrekonize, Twisted
Insane & Snow Tha Product (Something Else, 2013)
Let’s play a game today.
Sometimes I get bored being told by my characters about
themselves. I like discovery and when I stuck in the rut of the confines of my
character perimeters I stray away. I play with generators on the internet that
give me names and personality traits and I use these as a opportunity to rein
in my writer’s onset of ADHD.
So it’s a simple game. Take the first generator- The NAME
generator and get you a character to work with. Or five. Or ten. Or even
twenty.
Meet Lela Maynard.
Lela needs a Personality. So I pull up this generator and find one.
I’m giving her super powers because that’s the mode of writing I’m in right now. Use the Power generator: Fire Breath.
***
Fire licked around my feet, teased my hair. It heated my blood, flowed through like lava in my veins. The feeling pushed me harder, faster. This power over me was seductive. And if he could twist the knife deep in my back, I’d destroy everything we touched.
Just like he did when he walked away.
***
Not again.
The sound of chaos rained down as flying cinder blocks shot through the air. Metal twisted and groaned as it gave way under the intense pressure of broken down concrete. Pieces of paper and plastic curled on edge and floated almost in slow motion, falling and incinerating anything the ash snow touched.
Kids stumbled as they ran like cockroaches touched by light.
The little ones were crying and screaming, the elder dazed and confused, blood
trickling from head wounds and limbs hanging at odd angles and dragging behind
the fast retreating rest of them.
I scanned the area and prayed to the heavens, to the Gods, to anyone listening. The edges of my gaze hazy, and wetness dampened my cheeks. I swiped it away as I stepped gingerly onto a large concrete barrier fallen in the wreckage.
“Maya?” My voice cracked. Pain shot down my throat and intensified in my ears. The taste of blood filled me and I swallowed convulsively to be rid of it. “Maya?”
My lungs heaved with the effort to breath. I toed rubble. Used my fingers until the pads were raw and torn to the muscle. I repeated her name as if it were a prayer, a mantra. She was here. Somewhere. For miles my gaze was filled with billowing smoke and ash and rubble. My ears consumed by the wails and cries of the innocent running away. The pit of my stomach rolled with taste of blood.
He’s gone.
And she was missing. Gone.
“Maya?” Please help me. Please guide me. Please give me something. “Help me, Maya.”
Tendrils brushed along my conscious, urgent, seeking and the rush threw me off balance. I stumbled to my knees and cupped my hands over my ears.
Here! I’m right here.
As if someone grabbed my wrist, I stumbled upright and tripped over fallen blocks and kicked through fire. Her soft voice beckoned from under several walls of concrete. I fell forward, shoving at concrete and gasping for air and screaming.
Bones so fragile they cracked and splintered and would never be whole again. Blond curls soiled with ash and blood lay haloed. Cherub face serene, eyes closed, lips parted as if she were sleeping.
She was gone.
***
Come up with something for fun? And even if you don’t come up with a
paragraph just share what the generator came up with for you.
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Books by the Crew
15 comments:
Okay, I've got my name, personality, super power, and title. Now I have to put them together. I didn't even know generators like this existed. Huh.
Mine will be YA para, which might be fun. Will post when I get it done. Also, I find it interesting that your character personality is playful and adventurous, but what you wrote still went totally dark. Goes to show, voice is pretty dang consistent.
ARGH!! I know! I got so aggravated. And that was my second attempt. The first one was so twisted I couldn't find ANY of the personality traits I was trying to show. At least in this one I got the Dutiful and Loyal in there.
LOL! Yes you did. The loyal came through loud and clear!
Let's see, my book is called RAVAGED LOVER, and the heroine is name Dee Myers. She has a problem in not taking people's feeling into account AND has acid breath. It's clear to me: she's a shapeshifting dragon. She's in love with a human man--an accountant!--but there runs the very real chance that if he loves her back, she will kill him in the night when she accidentally sets the bed on fire. This is particularly bothersome for the accountant--he's terrified of fire after his grandmother died in a housefire when he was 5.
Clearly for a HEA to happen, I'm going to need some flame-retardant bedding and handy fire extinguishers that drop from the ceiling as soon as the smoke detectors go off.
I'd buy this book.
I'd even write fan fiction for it.
Well, it IS one of my better ideas. *LOL*
Hellie, that's hysterical. That poor accountant!
Okay, here's the start of something. I guess.
Title: The Whispering Nobody
Jewell Ward sighed. "He's so dreamy."
"He's old!" her BFF Bella cried. "And he's a cop. He just wants to use you for that woo-woo stuff you do."
"I've told you a million times, Psychometry is not woo-woo. And I know he's not going to fall for a seventeen year old with tiny breasts and big feet." Jewell would give anything if those descriptions were reversed. "Doesn't mean I can't appreciate the prime real estate he brings to the yard."
Bella rolled her eyes, then grinned. "He is pretty freaking hot."
The girls picked up their pace down Cedar Lane headed for Bella's house. They'd walked this route together a thousand times since first grade, when Jewell's mother died and her best friend stepped into the mother role. The sperm donor, as Jewell referred to him, was never in the picture.
"What's he bringing for you to feel up today?" Bella asked.
Jewell could read the history of an object, where it had been and what it had endured, by touch alone. Which made eating out a bitch, and had taught her not to touch people unless she absolutely had to. Yeah. People counted as objects in her demented brain. And in her experience, most people had seriously F-d up lives.
Seriously.
PS: Can you tell I live with a teen?
I skipped the super power, but here are the rest of the results.
Alexander Marshall
Psychology and perception: Intuitive and Creative
Self-discipline: Restless and Full of potential
Lifestyle: Organised, Requires time alone
Social attitude: Extroverted. Reluctant to express opinions and values and May feel lonely even when with others due to secrecy
Honesty and honour: Very trustworthy and Very loyal
Emotional capacity: Supportive
Current emotional state: Courageous
Title: Forgotten Magic
Something really weird happened with the character's name. Max Marshall is the hero of my first ms. He has two younger half-brothers who are referred to only a couple of times. One of them is Alexander Marshall. I wonder what the chances of that happening are. I wish I had time to play with this, but I'm on deadline and must write about proxemics instead. But I'm saving the info. I may get a new story out of this. Fun exercise! Thanks, Sin!
Wow. Janga, what were the odds??
I don't know what proxemics are, but have fun with them.
Yeah, Janga, I think that's a hint from the Universe. You should keep the notes down for a later time to explore at least.
This was fun! I have a workshop this weekend that my local chapter is presenting so I HAVE to work on my WIP, but this is what I was given:
Eli Mitchell
Psychology and perception: Intuitive
Self-discipline: Adaptable
Lifestyle: Flexible, A perfectionist, Laid-back
Social attitude: Dislikes being alone
Honesty and Honour: Loyal and Has a strong value system
Emotional capacity: Thoughtful and Warm
Current emotional state: Loyal
Levitation
The Rough Kiss
Di
I have never heard of a perfectionist being flexible, but rock on Mr. Eli. LOL!
Have fun at your workshop, Di.
John Mercado
Psychology and perception: May rely on others to make decisions and Bright
Self-discipline: Easily bored and May be unable to see possibilities
Lifestyle: Requires time alone, Organised
Social attitude: Dislikes being alone. May feel lonely even when with others due to secrecy and Excellent people skills
Honesty and honour: Very trustworthy and Very loyal
Emotional capacity: Loving
Current emotional state: Invidious
White magic
The Silk of the Magic
Uh, my character seems a little contradictory, possibly nuts. Hee.
I like Hellion's hero; I've been dying to read a romance featuring an accountant (as opposed to the usual cop, SEAL, sheik, CEO, etc.).
Pat, you've watched STRANGER THAN FICTION haven't you? A restrained Will Ferrell, a neurotic Emma Thompson, a no-nonsense Queen Latifah, and the sarcastic anarchist, Maggie Gahhoweveryouspellhername.
He's an accountant type...and he's an adorable hero.
FUn stuff. I random generated three characters ... A love triangle with a twist.
Edward Hawkins:
Psychology and perception:Practical and Intelligent
Self-discipline:Very dependable
Lifestyle:Organised, Down-to-earth, Law-abiding
Social attitude:People-oriented. Cooperative and Makes people feel good about themselves
Honesty and honour:Follows a strong moral code
Emotional capacity:Generous and Warm
Current emotional state:Stressed
Power: Invincibility
Cameron Reed:
Psychology and perception:Thorough
Self-discipline:Very dependable
Lifestyle:Organised, Law-abiding, May blindly accept rules
Social attitude:Outgoing. Understanding
Honesty and honour:Helpful
Emotional capacity:Does not understand unkindness
Current emotional state:Sombre
Power: Energy conversion
Diana Kent:
Psychology and perception:Reflective and Unaware of mundane details
Self-discipline:Has high standards
Lifestyle:Flexible, A perfectionist, Laid-back
Social attitude:Outgoing. Good listeners
Honesty and honour:Has a strong value system and A trusted confidante
Emotional capacity:Caring
Current emotional state:Crafty
Power: Summoning
Titles Diamond Flames, The First End, Spirits of Tower, The Twilight's Moons, The River of the Woman, Hunter in the Sparks
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