Tabitha’s Character Zodiac, a Detours in Time character study

Tabitha Hansen of Detours in Time.  Photo via Pixabay.com.

This is a source idea I read about online somewhere for NANOWRIMO inspiration as I wrote the second of my books starring Tabitha, a character in the time travel series, Detours in Time.  Tabitha, a.k.a Pinky, is in her early thirties.  In book two, she no longer answers to the moniker Pinky.  She says it’s too childish.  Her hair: not exactly blonde, not exactly dark.  Some call it dirty blonde, while others call it “touched with honey.”  Her body stature: small. She is a picky eater.  Height: 5’6.  She is built like a dancer.  Eyes:  hazel, sometimes brownish.  Maybe amber.  I don’t know; I’m going on the word of her best friend and partner, Milt.  Let’s be glad he remembered her birthday (3/28/1967).  Skin: beautiful.  Tans easily, with dark eyebrows.  Reminds me a little of the movie star, Ashley Judd, in her thirties.  Just lovely.  Long, skinny fingers on her hands, and toes to match.  Long, thin arms.  Loves to dance.  She actually went to dance school for a while, but also loves art.  She draws, paints, dreams.

She’s a student when she meets Milt, but after graduating, she works in an art gallery because it brings more money than trying to sell her own art.  She is prone to moodiness and flights of fancy, yet, set in her ways.  Her parents are deceased, and she has one brother, two years younger, who is a little, let’s just say, wayward.  Has his own issues and struggles.  Family is so important to her, and she is also a loyal friend.  Just don’t get on her bad side.   While she loved the Flashdance fashions from the eighties, her go-to wardrobe in the nineties consists of jeans, Doc Martens or Chucks, and rock-n-roll or progressive band t-shirts.  But watch out, she can also rock a little black dress and will dress up for the art gallery when it is called for.

Listens to: Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Elvis Costello, U2, Sting, The Police, The Who, The Cowboy Junkies, Smashing Pumpkins, and a lot of music from that alternative/progressive station.

Particularly true for my character are numbers 1, 3, 6,7, 10, 12, 13, some of which almost made me consider making her a Gemini, but that didn’t set well with her. 🙂

The idea that inspired me was to match my character to a Zodiac sign, and make it hers.  I know little about any signs other than my Gemini sign, so I found a helpful article about Aries at http://www.yourtango.com/2015261912/13-brutal-truths-about-loving-aries-as-written-by-aries  by Andrea Zimmerman.  It is easy to see my character Tabitha in this zodiac description.

The article is titled “13 Brutal Truths about Loving an Aries, (As Written by One)”  What are our Aries friends like?

     “We’re fiery. We are a fire sign, so this should come as no surprise. I’ve been described as “fiery” my whole life, which after many years of introspection, I’ve come to realize is both a compliment and an insult. (I choose the former.) On the pro side, this means when we walk into a room, we bring a LOT of energy. Mostly good energy. Some bad, depending on our mood.”

Like I said, don’t get on Tabitha’s bad side.  She’s a pistol, for sure, but fiery can also mean passionate, and if she loves you, she will love you deeply and without faltering, as is also mentioned in this same article.

     “We have an ego…. Aries women need people who both stroke our egos when we need them to (which, admittedly, is a lot) but also can keep us humble. Have fun with that balancing act!”

In fact, there are times when Tabitha has Milt, whom she meets when he hires her to clean his university office, outright confused.  This is a little difficult for him, as he is a university Science professor who is socially awkward.

     “We’re adventurous. We’ll try almost anything once. But if we don’t like it (or we aren’t that good at it) the first time around, we probably won’t want to do it again.”

Of course, Tabitha is adventurous!  She agrees to join Milt (Dr. Milt Braddock, that is) on more than one time travel journey.  Though she may not be as open-minded as he is, (where he is more perceiving, she is more judging), she is curious enough to get in that vehicle and take the leap!      

     “We’re big-picture people. Small details don’t interest us. We think broadly about projects, ideas, and goals and what it will take to get the job done. Minor details are less interesting to us. We’ll take care of ’em if we have to — after all, we value accountability — but we’ll probably do so begrudgingly.”

I liked this description, because it does seem to describe some dreamers and artistic types, and Tabitha is definitely one of those.  She paints some interesting images in Detours in Time, images which seem to come to her mind fully formed, and she discovers a new artistic medium in Undercurrents in Time to express her emotional state.  Milt, on the other hand, seems like the small details guy.

     “We’re aggressive. At getting what we want, when we want, and how we want it. Please step aside and get out of our way. Best not to compete with us because you’ll probably lose.”  Like I implied, don’t get Tabitha angry, but if you are on her good side, she’ll defend you to the death.  You can witness that in book 1 and 2 of the Detours in Time series.    

     “We’re assertive. That’s just a nice way of saying that we say almost anything we want to, especially around people who know us extremely well. We might lock it up around your parents or your boss because apparently “restraint” is a societal norm (who knew?) but understand that it’s so freaking difficult for us to not say how we feel.”

I have to chuckle here, because this character trait definitely comes into play in Detours in Time Book 1, when they first get to the future.  In face, Milt is so beside himself over her reactions to their surroundings that he tricks her into being silent for a good part of one or two chapters, much to his later regret. 🙂

    Thank you to Andrea at yourtango.com for the inspiration.  I thank you all for joining the fun!  I thought this was a good strategy that someone else could use, or, perhaps I just entertained and distracted you for a few minutes.  Writing this series has been a journey, a journey of the mind, and while I had many distractions like fender benders, family issues, and full-time work, the world of the Detours in Time characters has been such a fun escape for me.

You can preview or start reading the Detours in Time series today by clicking here: Detours in Time.  It’s available in Kindle, paperback, or read free with Kindle Unlimited.

Detours in Time has earned a Literary Titan Award for sci-fi and the title of Official Selection in Young Adult Sci-fi/or Horror in the New Apple Literary Summer E-book Awards.  Read the book reviewed as “a great way to spend a few hours in both another world and another time!” –Tome Tender Book Blog

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Character Inspiration #Nanowrimo #amwriting

*Image courtesy of pixabay.com. Herein lies inspiration for my character, Tabatha Hansen, a.k.a, Pinky, born on 3/28/1967, who in my book inhabits the world of 1997 to 2000, with occasional visits to the year 2047.  I’ll admit it, I am up to 17,238 words in this novel and I need inspiration.  I need to be in the shoes of my character for at least 33,000 more words.  I may or may not get it all done in November.  That’s okay; it will get done!

This is a source idea I read about online somewhere, for my NANOWRIMO inspiration for Tabatha, a character in two of my time travel books.  Tabatha, a.k.a Pinky, is in her early thirties.  Wait, now I’m writing book two, and she no longer likes to be called Pinky.  She says it’s too childish.  Her hair: not exactly blonde, not exactly dark.  Some call it dirty blonde, while others call it “touched with honey.”  Her body stature: small. She is a picky eater.  Height: 5’6.  She is built like a dancer.  Eyes:  hazel, sometimes brownish.  Maybe amber.  I don’t know; I’m going on the word of her best friend and partner, Milt.  Let’s be glad he remembered her birthday (3/28/1967).  Skin: beautiful.  Tans easily, with dark eyebrows.  Reminds me a little of Ashley Judd.  Just lovely.  Long, skinny fingers on her hands, and toes to match.  Long, thin arms.  Loves to dance.  She actually went to dance school for a while, but also loves art.  She draws, paints, dreams.  In her early thirties, she works in an art gallery because it brings more money than trying to sell her own art.  Prone to moodiness and flights of fancy, yet, set in her ways.  Parents are deceased.  Has one brother, two years younger, who is a little, let’s just say, wayward.  Has his own issues and struggles.  Family is so important to her, and she is also a loyal friend.  Just don’t get on her bad side.   While she loved the Flashdance fashions from the eighties, her go-to wardrobe in the nineties consists of jeans, Doc Martens or Chucks, and rock-n-roll or progressive band t-shirts.  But watch out, she can also rock a little black dress and will dress up for the art gallery when it is called for.

Listens to: Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Elvis Costello, U2, Sting, The Police, The Who, The Cowboy Junkies, Smashing Pumpkins, and a lot of music from that alternative/progressive station.

Particularly true for my character are numbers 1, 3, 6,7, 10, 12, 13, some of which almost made me consider making her a Gemini, but that didn’t set well with her. 🙂

Excerpt from http://www.yourtango.com/2015261912/13-brutal-truths-about-loving-aries-as-written-by-aries   (This is the zodiac description of my main character.)

     “The good, the bad, and the Aries.

     1. We’re fiery. We are a fire sign, so this should come as no surprise. I’ve been described as “fiery” my whole life, which after many years of introspection, I’ve come to realize is both a compliment and an insult. (I choose the former.) On the pro side, this means when we walk into a room, we bring a LOT of energy. Mostly good energy. Some bad, depending on our mood. We are the people you want to invite to your party if you want that party to be way more fun. On the con side, we have a lightning-quick temper.

     2. We have an ego. The intro of this piece should’ve alerted you to this fact but I will restate it for your convenience: Aries women need people who both stroke our egos when we need them to (which, admittedly, is a lot) but also can keep us humble. Have fun with that balancing act!

     3. We’re adventurous. We’ll try almost anything once. But if we don’t like it (or we aren’t that good at it) the first time around, we probably won’t want to do it again.

     4. We get bored easily. If you’re not engaging us or keeping up with us or having great sex with us or having a conversation that we think is interesting, NEXT. We’ll be polite about it (we do have manners, mostly), but we’re quick to move on if you can’t hold our attention.

     5. We’re big-picture people. Small details don’t interest us. We think broadly about projects, ideas, and goals and what it will take to get the job done. Minor details are less interesting to us. We’ll take care of ’em if we have to — after all, we value accountability — but we’ll probably do so begrudgingly.

     6. We’re aggressive. At getting what we want, when we want, and how we want it. Please step aside and get out of our way. Best not to compete with us because you’ll probably lose.

     7. We love hard. We fall quickly and enthusiastically and we love with a deep passion. We love love. When we’re in love with you, you will know it and feel it in the depths of your soul.

     8. We’re excited about life. Honestly, we’re excited about everything: travel, literature, theatre, interesting people, the world, you. Most everything excites us and we want to jump-in full-force. That’s why we’re big-picture people (#5) – if we concern ourselves with trivialities, we won’t have time to experience life at its fullest.

     9. We’re loyal – to a fault….. We can hold grudges for YEARS, people. YEARS. And what we lack in physical strength, we make up for in words — we will slay you with our tongue. The enemies of my friends are also my enemies; be forewarned.

     10. We’re assertive. That’s just a nice way of saying that we say almost anything we want to, especially around people who know us extremely well. We might lock it up around your parents or your boss because apparently “restraint” is a societal norm (who knew?) but understand that it’s so freaking difficult for us to not say how we feel. Best to step in and save us when we’re about to explode from polite-ness.

     11. We work really… hard. Hire an Aries, give them something they’re passionate about, and they will work harder for you than anyone else in the room. Caveat: This only works if an Aries is doing work that fulfills and stimulates him/her. Otherwise, all bets are off.

     12. We have no patience. Literally none. We want everything done yesterday and if we can bother to show up to a restaurant/movie/meeting on time (probably early) why can’t you? Do not even get us started on the rage we feel sitting in traffic or in a grocery store line. It’s a physical ailment that has no treatment except cowbell and NOT MAKING US WAIT.

     13. We need our space. We’re fiercely independent, which means you must, must, MUST have your own life. If we feel like a caged animal, we will flee the moment you crack open the door even a smidge. …

Thanks to yourtango.com for these brutal truths about our Aries friends.”

Thank you all for reading!  I thought this was a good strategy that someone else could use, or, perhaps I just entertained and distracted you for a few minutes.  I am on a journey, a journey of the mind, and while I have many distractions like fender benders, my son’s transportation problem, and world/national events (not to mention working full-time), I may not be able to define this journey in numbers per day.  I can only define it by reaching the finish line.  I still have NANOWRIMO to thank for pushing me to go further in my writing life.