When writers think characterisation, they seldom think clothes designers. Whereas my peculiar imagination immediately connected them.
Context
It all began last Monday, while I fondly folded my 20-year-old Ruth Tarvydas designer dress into an envelope, wrapped it in fancy tissue paper and sealed it closed. Scene-by-scene of my life with this dress unfolded as I prepared to send it away to a new home in Sydney, to a mesmerised online buyer, to a girl.
Flashback
I too was a girl when I first wore the dress. I was a young married girl brimming with possibility. As the history of this dress flashes before my eyes, I become that girl again. Astonished by the gesture of my husband’s associate, who insisted on buying me the dress for a Gala Ball that we were invited to at Parliament House. While some might argue about the motives for the gesture, I saw then, a kind man who gave me the opportunity to be Cinderella.
Foreshadows
This scene of my life foreshadows many others. I was to become a woman who takes opportunities, embraces idiosyncrasies, and loves fairytales. Of course, it also forebode my dangerously trusting nature and my doomed marriage. The characterisation in our stories can be enriched with memories like this. While we learn early in our writing career to draw inspiration from our own lives, this blog is written to steer you to smaller life moments you can use to humanise your characters.
Assumptions
We know, even if readers of other genres don’t yet, that our characters are not all about liturgical music and Holy water. Like everyone else, we live in this world with all its complications, and write about it. I have no doubt that between us all, we can motif, Chekov’s gun, in medias res the assumptions out of any reader and introduce them to our Christian books.
Maybe I was kindly gifted a stunning Tarvydas. Maybe I was victim to a failed temptation. My point is that the inconclusiveness of this memory is the point – it builds characters, tension and curiosity. Another point is to share God’s hand in everything. He is here in my writing today as He was 20-years-ago, when he kept me safe, moral and happy, during my Tarvydas days.
Hi Louise, I love it when authors take the extra step and attach memories/emotional moments to items of clothing, accessories and other ‘props’ in the story settings. Those story elements add a beautiful richness in both fiction and creative nonfiction/memoir. Thanks for sharing with us. 😊
Thanks Narelle. I too love learning something about the author through these things. Makes me feel like I’m reading them as well as their story. Thank you for sharing your thoughts
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