Monday, September 10, 2012

Blast from your Past

Something I do when I am fleshing out a new character is to establish his/her frame of reference. What does he like? What type of clothes does she wear? What car does he drive? I like to reach way back to their childhood and figure out what TV shows were big at the time, what music played on the radio and what major events were playing out on the world stage. By thinking about the influences in his or her early life, I can gain insight into the person the character is now.

In that vein, I always picture what the person's childhood bedroom would look like. Did she have a four poster bed with frilly pick sheets? Or maybe she was into sports with a closet chock full of assorted balls and pads and helmets.

What hung on her walls? Maybe a Backstreet Boys poster or even a photo of Carl Sagan. Such imagery can give the reader a better glimpse into the character's background. When I think back to my own childhood, I remember my bedroom walls were covered with the sexy male singers and actors of the day. For years, Jackson Browne graced my walls along with David Soul of Starsky and Hutch. (yeah, I know. I'm old!)

When I asked my husband what posters he had, he smiled like a lovesick puppy. "Farrah Fawcett," he said. "She was wearing a bathing suit and had her head thrown back and a big smile on her face." He obviously wasn't searching for the Farrah Fawcett type when he married me!

So I ask you -- What hung on your walls when you were a child?

Here's something no parent would let their child hang on the wall. It's the cover for my collection of romantic suspense novellas, titled Long and Hard, which is now available in print. It features the stories Sizzle at Sea, Loose Lips and Crescendo.

7 comments:

CaroleDee said...

HA this is embarrassing to admit but I had shelves and shelves of Barbies. I don't know how it started but relatives started giving me the collector ones when I was about five. By the time I was 18 I had around 300 in my room. When I started dating my husband he said it was immensely creepy to have all those eyes watching him. LOL Needless to say when I got married they went up on ebay. *My relatives still think I have them* ;)

Wynter said...

That's funny! I started collecting Barbies after college. Mine wasn't nearly as big as your collection - maybe 50. I have sold some and now have about 20 favorites.

Paige Tyler said...

I had the movie poster from He Man: Masters of the Universe. Yes, the movie with Dolph Lundgren! LOL! Oh, and a poster of some hot guy in a loinloth bikini on the beach! And a Chippendales calendar!

*hugs*
Paige

Wynter said...

I remember Dolph. My best friend swore he was a god!

Naima Simone said...

LOL!! I shared a bedroom with my twin sister so our room was plastered with posters of Corey Feldman, River Phoenix, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and New Kids on the Block...and the list goes on! Sigh. I still have a poster of Vin Diesel in my daughter's room. Hey! It used to be my office before she came along! I gave up my writing area, but I refused to give up Vin! Hee-hee!

Wynter said...

I wouldn't give up Vin, either. And your poster choices highlight for me that you are a bit younger than I;-)

Casey Crow said...

I, too, collected Barbies. I had over 100! Now my daughter has them - even my Dream House. I even had written records of each doll with name, age, job, and boyfriend!