I’m on my way to Hawaii for a few days and won’t be able to check in very often. In the meantime, I do hope you will take me up on my challenge. Here are the details:
Pick an age between 55 and 70 and in 250 words or less create a character for a novel or short story, and I want details about them - not just physical details either. Give me a character who stands on their own physically, emotionally, mentally and intellectually and one who defies stereotypes of age.
Put your descriptions in the comments section of this post or the previous one, but think carefully before you post. Stereotypes of any type should be avoided.
As of this post, there are 2 good entries from Ello and Church Lady.
The person who develops the most realistic, least stereotypical character will receive a $20 Amazon.com gift certificate to be awarded on November 6th when I return from Hawaii.
Aloha and Pomaika`i!
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9 comments:
Ello and I will split the $20!
This would be difficult for me, not because I hate or stereotype baby boomers but because I try to write ageless characters. They're often immortal and so the typical rules of maturity simply don't apply. They might look twenty, but some of them have centuries of guilt riding on their shoulders. Others never grew up at all (like many people of a certain age that I know.)
Another reason is that my immediate family (my bros and my mom) are within this age range and they all do everything they want to do without complaint or excuses, even though my mom has severe arthritis and one of my bros doesn't take good care of himself physically. For me, the
"stereotypical baby-boomer" doesn't really exist. I guess I don't experience much age-ism.
I'm 40, I dress from high-school stores, and I snowboard. I love to bake and be a boring soccer mommy; I also love to party until I can't remember my own name. I have a largely boring, longstanding marriage with a non-perfect man I wouldn't trade for anyone (yes, yawn) and yet I will flirt with any cute twenty-something that comes my way.
In other words, I really could give a crap at this point what anyone else thinks of me or my age or some kind of stereotypical appropriateness. You've really struck me as the same sort of person. So I'm wondering why this is an issue for you? Do you experience ageism all the time?
Also, have a great time in Hawaii!! Sigh. I love the islands.
Ooo you frightened me for a moment there! I thought you wrote pick an age between 55 and 70 and 250!
Dyslexia rules - ko
“We’re halfway,” Ann said.
“I’ll never make it.” Jim was ready to quit, but he couldn’t let Ann beat him. It would be humiliating and she’d never let him forget. He kept reminding himself, I’m 43. I’ve trained for the last 6 months. I can do this
Jim wondered how she could be in such great shape. She wasn’t even winded. “Why did I let you talk me into this? This is a really stupid idea,” he said.
Ann laughed and ran a little circle around him. “Don’t be such a wimp. You were 30 pounds overweight and had trouble breathing walking up a flight of stairs. All you did was sit at your desk all day then go home and park yourself in your recliner, watch TV, eat and drink beer. I just wanted to inspire you to get off your ass and get back into shape.”
“So, you thought running a marathon was the best way? Couldn’t we have done Yoga or something less stressful?”
“In your condition anything was stressful. Listening to you complain for the last 6 months hasn’t exactly been a pleasure, but unlike you I stayed focused on the goal instead of the immediate discomfort.”
“Sometimes I hate you,” Jim said.
“Sometimes I hate you too.”
“No you don’t. You always love me.”
“So you think,” Ann laughed.
Jim looked at the woman running next to him and though how very lucky he was to have a mother who cared so much about him.
Anon's is really nice!
What's 20 divided by 3?
On the eve of his 70th birthday, John and his 55-yr-old wife (his "trophy wife" they both liked to say) took a moment to assess his life as they waited for the plane to arrive.
He'd come a long way from that gangly boy who'd been shipped to Korea to fight the Communists. He'd come a long way from the world-weary too-soon-experienced young man who worked his way through law school while raising a growing family. He'd come a long way from interrogating drunks in Bourbon Street backrooms as an FBI agent.
His recent physical proved he was healthier than the stepdaughter 1/3rd his age. And, though not fleet of foot, he could outwalk anyone he knew.
He watched the small plane touch the ground and taxi to within a few yards. The pilot walked over to him and said, "Now that you've gone through all the class instruction, just give me a few minutes to refuel the plane, and we'll be ready for your first flying lesson."
{ Sorry for the lack of smoothness to this entry...I didn't really have time to edit. Or revise. }
Can I use a character I've already created and used in a story, or does it have to be a new one?
And does it have to be a Baby Boomer? I've been doing future speculative fiction lately, so my middle aged characters are just babies in our time.
Bunnygirl,
Old or new - doesn't matter, but it has to be a baby boomer.
Shoot -- I missed this! I intended to post my own entry and managed to forget all about it until today.
Will there be another chance?
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