I’m told the heroine of my current work-in-progress (WIP) is pleasant.
Ugh.
Nice is good, but not memorable. So I’m scratching my head (and various other body parts) to think of a way to make her…well…quirky…but normal. And still nice.
She grew up in an Italian-American household with five brothers. Talk about chaotic! And loud. She moved from there to a husband and a small child without taking a breather. Now that she’s on her own (you’ll have to read the book to find out why), she’s built a life around rituals: cloth napkins and grace at every meal and never leaving the house with a hair out of place.
She reminds me of my mother’s cousin in Germany. There were certain ways to do things, certain standards that needed to be upheld. Breakfast was a ritualized affair in the sun room at the back of the house. The right dishes–including an egg cup–were out and heaven forbid a plastic dish or jar of jelly ever be put on the table. Cloth napkins were laid out in napkin rings. The ritual was repeated at dinner time in the the dining room.
My mother tried to keep the same kind of house, but was defeated by the passive-aggressive man she married, my father. He ostensibly went along…but got his revenge. He stood by the stove when he ate his seconds…eating directly out of the pot!
But I digress…are color-coordinated napkins and perfectly coiffed hair going to be enough?
Or do I need more to make her memorable. I’m ready for your comments!
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