NaNoWriMo 2015 Project

Day 2 - Protagonist Profile & Voice

Friday, Oct. 02
Required: Protagonist Profile ▼
Complete a character profile of your protagonist. The point of this exercise is for you to get to know your character inside and out before you write your novel. If you don't know your character, how can you expect it of your readers? Flesh out your pre-story character in detail. Keep in mind that your protagonist will grow in some way during your story. Add the profile to your character database (if applicable.) For more serious character profilers, here is an optional, very extensive template: "Character Interview / Profile Sheet"

Courtesy of Fancy
CHARACTER INTERVIEW / PROFILE

Name: young woman = I need a name = Taryn Campbell

Background: lower middle class
Birthday: January 19, 19. - I am thinking she is around 35 years old.
Place of birth: New Liskeard - small town Northern Ontario
Parents: Father died when she was young - 12; her mother remarried when she started University; her stepfather just passed away a year ago,
What was important to the people who raised her:
Siblings: none
Economic/social status growing up: lower middle class - her father was an electrician and her mother a secretary
Ethnic background: Canadian; Scottish, English, Irish descents
Places lived: Northern Ontario - New Liskeard, Guelph & Kitchener
Current address and phone number:
Education: Bachelor of Arts - Psychology and English; Teaching Certificate
Favorite subject in school: She loved school, it was a predictable safe place - all of them, but English was her favourite.
Special training: Teacher's College
Jobs: After the separation from her husband she gets a part time job in a bookshop; she also has a special services at home client and she is on the Waterloo Elementary Supply list- she is hoping to get a long term position and eventually a contract teaching position of her own.

Salary: She has a varying income - ometimes she makes good money; other times very little - this makes living alone not possible right now so she has moved home with her mother.
Travel: she has traveled to Mexico, Jamaica, and Florida with Carson.

Friends: Gwyn Harper is her best friend - they have known each other since the were 7 and 9 years of age.
How do people view this character:
Lives with: her mother, after her separation (maybe); then she moves into an old house in the Historic District by Victoria Park - she rents a room from a couple who are teachers who want a little help with the mortgage. They also rent to Alex Donovan (that is how she meets him)
Fights with: her ex... but this takes time and confidence.
Spends time with: her mother, her friend Gwyn, her roommates - particularly Alex.
Wishes to spend time with: enjoys spending time with Alex - they do their planning at the dinning room table; and she finds he likes a lot of the same things she does.... she asks him if he is really a guy? He laughs.
Who depends on her and why:
What people does she most admire: her mother for stepping up and raising her alone after finding her father unfaithful.
Enemies: none - she gets alone with most people... except her ex
Dating, marriage: she is recently divorced, her ex may eventually want her back; roommate is interested in being with her.
Children: none; and she was not ready to have children with her ex - something held her back from going that route.
Relationship with God: immature and fledgling

Overall outlook on life: she tries to stay positive
Does this character like himself: she has a few dark moments, but her positive outlook helps her stay into the liking of herself and her abilities... successes in time also help to resolidify her liking of herself. her mother's emotional support is also helpful.

What, if anything, would she like to change about her life: she would like to be more financially sound and working in her own teaching position - she is content with half time as she also wants to increase her writing dreams.

What personal demons haunt her: Is she good enough, deserving enough to get her dreams and be with this other guy (Alex).
Is she lying to herself about something:
Optimistic/pessimistic: Mostly optimistic... but in darker moments she can revert to the pessimissm of her childhood.
Real/feigned:
Morality level: high
Confidence level: mid level. Her separation and marriage have bombarded her, but she is healing.
Typical day:

Physical appearance
Body type: Tall and leggy with athletic curves
Posture: tall and erect; she takes care to walk tall; yoga keeps her long and limber
Head shape: heart shaped face
Eyes: silver blue with rims of dark indigo.
Nose: pert
Mouth: kissable
Hair: long, blond that she likes to pile in a messy knot on top of her head. She wears it down while teaching.
Skin: toned and tanned
Tattoos/piercings/scars: none
Voice: musical calm lilt
What people notice first:
Clothing: she likes comfort
How would she describe herself:
Health/disabilities/handicaps: all good

Characteristics
Personality type (choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic, melancholy):
Strongest/weakest character traits: emphathetic to others she cares about
How can the flip side of his strong point be a weakness: she tends to avoid heavy conflict and being able to sense discord she prefers to give a wide berth.
How much self-control and self-discipline does she have:
What makes her irrationally angry:
What makes her cry: betrayal, sad movies and commercials and books, harsh words, conflict
Fears: abandonment,
Talents: writes fiction, poetry and some non-fiction (articles)
What people like best about her: she is honest and genuine, she cares

Interests and favorites
Political leaning:
Collections: books
Food, drink: not much of a drinker, but will have some with friends if not driving.
Music: ecclectic tastes
Books: reads a little of everything, romance is her go to escapist reading material, reads current teaching trends
Movies: love stories, action and adventure.
Sports, recreation: loves to hike, walks often, will play tennis and golf but not well.
Did she play in school: no
Color: teal and aqua.
Best way to spend a weekend: reading and writing
A great gift for this person: books
Pets: had a cat who died of old age.
Vehicles: Toyota Corolla
What large possessions does he own (car, home, furnishings, boat, etc.) - car, home (with Carson) - she invests the money she gets from the sale of the house, she has few possessions from the house - only dining table and side cabinet.
and which does she like best:

Typical expressions
When happy: smiles easily
When angry:
When frustrated:
When sad:

Idiosyncrasies:
Laughs or jeers at:
Ways to cheer up this person:
Ways to annoy this person:
Hopes and dreams:
How does he see himself accomplishing these dreams:
What’s the worst thing he’s ever done to someone and why:
Greatest success:
Biggest trauma:
Most embarrassing thing that ever happened to him:
What does he care about most in the world:
Does he have a secret:
If he could do one thing and succeed at it, what would it be:
He is the kind of person who:
What do you love most about this character:
Why will the reader sympathize with this person right away:
How is the character ordinary or extraordinary:
How is his situation ordinary or extraordinary:

Core Need:
Corresponding psychological maneuver (delusions, obsessions,
compulsions, addictions, denials, hysterical ailments, hypochondria, illnesses,
behaviors harming the self, behavior harming others, manias, and phobias):
Anecdote (defining moment):
History:


Bonus: Protagonist Voice ▼
Have your protagonist introduce themselves to us in first person using their own voice. Brainstorm ways to make their voice unique. Add the introduction to your character database (if applicable.)

Hi. My name is Taryn Campbell. I hate being in this situation... feel like a failure... a failure at something that should never have happened. I tried to make it work, well I guess I could have done more... Carson said I was spending too much time on school work. He never understood that I needed to spend more time planning for my students. It's crazy to walk in to a class unprepared, but he'd say "they leave a 3:30. Why do you not get home until after 5 PM?"
I tried to do more on the weeks he was on nights... but I still had a lot to do.... being a first year teacher you have to do so much more than the more established teachers... and being an LTO... you do all the work, but don't get a lot of credit for it. You have to do extra to get noticed... so that your chances of getting a contract teaching position improve. It is very competitive...
I was also trying to write again... started with Nanowrimo and wanted to continue... just... well, not with any group. I didn't want Carson getting all bent about me spending time on my interests... he saw no point in my writing... no instant money... no point was the impression he gave me so I opted to write instead of watching TV... which all meant, I wasn't watching all the stupid shows over and over with him... they bored me and I wanted to be more productive with my time. I think he felt I was ignoring him.
I know he thinks I should be doing a better job cleaning our place... but housework is so over rated... our place is tidy... it just looks a bit more lived in than his parents show place home. Who wants to live like that anyway?





Extra copy:
CHARACTER INTERVIEW / PROFILE

Name:

Background
Birthday:
Place of birth:
Parents:
What was important to the people who raised him:
Siblings:
Economic/social status growing up:
Ethnic background:
Places lived:
Current address and phone number:
Education:
Favorite subject in school:
Special training:
Jobs:
Salary:
Travel:

Friends:
How do people view this character:
Lives with:
Fights with:
Spends time with:
Wishes to spend time with:
Who depends on him and why:
What people does he most admire:
Enemies:
Dating, marriage:
Children:
Relationship with God:

Overall outlook on life:
Does this character like himself:
What, if anything, would he like to change about his life:
What personal demons haunt him:
Is he lying to himself about something:
Optimistic/pessimistic:
Real/feigned:
Morality level:
Confidence level:
Typical day:

Physical appearance
Body type:
Posture:
Head shape:
Eyes:
Nose:
Mouth:
Hair:
Skin:
Tattoos/piercings/scars:
Voice:
What people notice first:
Clothing:
How would he describe himself:
Health/disabilities/handicaps:

Characteristics
Personality type (choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic, melancholy):
Strongest/weakest character traits:
How can the flip side of his strong point be a weakness:
How much self-control and self-discipline does he have:
What makes him irrationally angry:
What makes him cry:
Fears:
Talents:
What people like best about him:

Interests and favorites
Political leaning:
Collections:
Food, drink:
Music:
Books:
Movies:
Sports, recreation:
Did he play in school:
Color:
Best way to spend a weekend:
A great gift for this person:
Pets:
Vehicles:
What large possessions does he own (car, home, furnishings, boat, etc.)
and which does he like best:

Typical expressions
When happy:
When angry:
When frustrated:
When sad:

Idiosyncrasies:
Laughs or jeers at:
Ways to cheer up this person:
Ways to annoy this person:
Hopes and dreams:
How does he see himself accomplishing these dreams:
What’s the worst thing he’s ever done to someone and why:
Greatest success:
Biggest trauma:
Most embarrassing thing that ever happened to him:
What does he care about most in the world:
Does he have a secret:
If he could do one thing and succeed at it, what would it be:
He is the kind of person who:
What do you love most about this character:
Why will the reader sympathize with this person right away:
How is the character ordinary or extraordinary:
How is his situation ordinary or extraordinary:

Core Need:
Corresponding psychological maneuver (delusions, obsessions,
compulsions, addictions, denials, hysterical ailments, hypochondria, illnesses,
behaviors harming the self, behavior harming others, manias, and phobias):
Anecdote (defining moment):
History:

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