Something silly popped into my head the other day. I was in my daughter’s room, rocking her. It was her naptime, and I was trying to get her from this:
To this:
So as I rocked, unable to do anything other than listen to the Blue Danube Waltz I was playing to calm Little Miss Frenzy down, my mind started to wander. And then a picture popped into my head of two characters I am working on, dancing a waltz, both wearing very old - I suppose you can call vintage- army fatigues and very dark sunglasses.
If you now believe I am crazy, I can assure you that you are not the first person to think that.
I wanted to share this because truly this is a great way to give a character you are creating some depth. If you write, try it as an exercise. Take two of your characters. Any two. They can be of the same gender, or from two different stories. It doesn’t really matter what they are wearing. Visualize them waltzing (listening to music helps). Based on their personalities and their relationship (or lack of), how would the dance go?
Would they hold each other close and enjoy the dance, or would they keep a comfortable distance? How would they hold each other?
Would they cut a rug and take over the floor, or would they stumble clumsily through the song?
Would they enjoy each other’s company, or would they stiffly go through the motions, anxious for the song to end?
Which character would lead?
Would one character try to trip up the other, or would the pair connect and come up with a completely new dance, just to show off?
Would they make eye contact? Would they glare at each other or make silly faces to try and crack the other’s composure?
If you like to read, take two of your favorite characters and have them dance while you try to answer the questions above. See what kind of scenario your imagination comes up with.
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