Today I'm going to change. And not just in some abstract metaphorical, spiritual way. But in the tomorrow-mean-girls-will-call-me-metal-mouth way.
Confused? Here's the deal:
When I'm not writing, I'm shooting people--mostly brides and grooms. You can check all that out HERE. Alright, enough self-promotion, back to the story. When a particular fabulous bride and groom said, "hey let's workout an awesome brace trade." I said, "Fo' sure!" (Conversation may have been dramatized for artistic purposes.)
Basically, I'm getting braces.
To the point:
I was thinking about my characters and how they deal with change. Sure there's conflict in my book, but sometimes I overlook the physical manifestations that change (particularly stress) can cause in a person. Though I react to stress one way, I found that stress in other people doesn't always look the same. The helpguide.org is a great site for researching nearly anything. Stress reactions can be viewed in three ways:
- Foot on the gas – An angry or agitated stress response. You’re heated, keyed up, overly emotional, and unable to sit still.
- Foot on the brake – A withdrawn or depressed stress response. You shut down, space out, and show very little energy or emotion.
- Foot on both – A tense and frozen stress response. You “freeze” under pressure and can’t do anything. You look paralyzed, but under the surface you’re extremely agitated.
I'm usually one of the first two responses. But my characters aren't. I'll have to keep these ideas in mind when I'm writing.
What about you?
How do you're characters deal with stress?
Credits: (http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm)
13 SPLURTS:
Yay braces!!
I actually almost got braces because of my TMJ--I need to re-align my jaw, but because of money and moving and my insecurity, it hasn't happened yet. But maybe someday...
You'll look cute with braces. You have one of those faces.
I'm with Charlie-- you'll look great!
And yeah. I can't say I've put huge amounts of thought into how my characters react differently to stress. I'm going to have to take a look at that!
Braces are cute. :) Plus they'll help you identify with characters.
Thanks for the insight and resource--very interesting!
Nice thing is, you can photo-document everything nicely for when your kids go through this. Just call it research for a future character.
I have recently discovered I respond to stress in much the same way as my two-year-old. It's not pretty. My teeth, on the other hand, are fabulous, thanks to four years of braces. I will pray your experience is far shorter than mine and does not involve the trifecta: head gear, neck gear, and rubber bands. Yeah, high school kinda sucked :p
U need braces? In my mind u have perfectly straight teeth! I think I'm going to work this fun story into my ms. Plagiarism rocks!
In my two WIPs, one MC deals with stress in a "foot on the gas" manner, and one is a "foot on both" with an emphasis on the brake. It's actually really interesting to compare the two and the way they react to things. They're physically very similar, but they could not be more different in personality.
Based on experience, the pain of braces is totally worth it in the end. Same with the pain (different kind - the pain of obligation) of wearing a retainer every (or every other) night. :)
Happy writing!
i tend to put the pedal to the metal, hurry up, get out of my way because i'm probably late! i may need to try yoga =)
and i've considered braces/invisalign, but thats on my "when i get published" list.
ps, you won and i need your email! let me know!
taratylertalks a-t gmail d-o-t com
I wish braces had been as desirable when I was a kid and had to wear them as they are now! You know people are going to think you're a teenager, right? You're going to look so cute :-)
Good luck with those braces. I'm sure they'll be awesome/painful/worth it.
Hey, are you still interested in doing my son's senior picture and possibly my author photo?
You now have lots in common with your niece Samantha, braces, Zits, body odor. I think you just might be going through puberty or pre menopause? The braces broke the nail biting habit for both Alison and Sam, maybe they will do the same for you. Love you Erin.
You now have lots in common with your niece Samantha, braces, Zits, body odor. I think you just might be going through puberty or pre menopause? The braces broke the nail biting habit for both Alison and Sam, maybe they will do the same for you. Love you Erin.
Post a Comment