#PennedPossibilities 305 — Are there any characters of yours that you wound up HATING once you were finished with a story or WIP?
Credit: @aperfectsong
I have to say, that hasn't been the case for me. I'll count myself as lucky here. I would have killed them off the very moment I started to hate them. I still wanted to ask this question, though. I'm dying to see everyone else's responses. I'm sure they'll be fantastic.
#PennedPossibilities 306 — Are there any characters that you WISH you killed off in a series or standalone story?
(My follow-up to last night's prompt!)
I don't particularly have any characters that I wish I had killed off in a WIP or finished story. The answer is no. I'll take that as a win. It means I did it the right way. You don't want to look back on a story of yours and wish that you had changed it somehow, or even killed off a character that ended up living. It would change everything.
#PennedPossibilities 307 — Does your MC have next-door neighbors? Who are they?
Since moving to London, Randall has lived in a hotel suite. For the time period, in the 50s, this was a commonplace practice. He never meant to the stay in London for The Hour. Think of hotels like apartment or flat buildings. Rooms or suites could be rented. He doesn't really know his neighbors, aside from waving to them or mumbling a quick greeting as they pass each other by the lifts.
#PennedPossibilities 308 — What is one place your characters want to visit?
They all want to see the world, or already have but only for the sake of work and journalism. Something comes to mind, though. Lix wants to visit Scotland with Randall. It's mentioned in one of the chapters. They have a conversation about it, and Randall says that he'll take her home one day to see his house and to meet the family. She's looking forward to that more than words could ever say.
#PennedPossibilities 309 — How is your MC or SC with animals?
I've mentioned this before but Lix loves animals. She used to feed the feral cats and dogs while they were in Spain. These days, she would love another cat. Things aren't exactly "safe" at home for the time being, which is why she has been staying with Randall. One day, though. She would love another cat. Randall and Lix are both huge animal lovers. They're both so compassionate. Animals make the best of friends.
#PennedPossibilities 310 — MC or SC POV: What was your favorite day or holiday when you were a child?
Randall: Hogmanay. The last day of the old year. I come from an incredibly large Scottish family. It's ridiculous how many of us there are, to be honest. We would always get together to celebrate the New Year. I miss those days.
#PennedPossibilities 311 — What is a memory that makes your SC swell with pride?
Quite a few moments come to mind for Bel, and all of them revolve around the workplace and news stories that she's followed for the sake of sharing it all. In particular, though, it was landing the job as Producer for The Hour in the first place. The first television news program, the very first of its kind, and with a woman as producer! She was so proud. Everything clicked into place for her.
#PennedPossibilities 312 — Is your MC or SC a leader, a follower, or something in between?
None of my characters are one or the other. They're all a bit of both. They'll jump to action and take charge, but they will also gladly take advice and guidance from others when it might be needed as well. To be fair, though, they all lean more towards the "leader" side of things, which is why they make such an incredible journalism team and tell the best news stories on television.
#PennedPossibilities 313 — Is your MC or SC one to confess romantic feelings early on, or to conceal them for long periods of time? (1/2)
Both Lix and Randall are the type to conceal their feelings for as long as possible, right up until they're crippled by them and have to confess it all. Although Lix is the type to occasionally pursue one-night-stands, there aren't any feelings involved. She's only looking for sex. There's never any comfort, protection, and love. ~ (cont.)
#PennedPossibilities 313 — Is your MC or SC one to confess romantic feelings early on, or to conceal them for long periods of time? (2/2)
Randall, on the other hand, is the type to stay away. He's only ever been with a few women (and men). People loathe his idiosyncrasies. He thinks that he's hard to love so he stays away. Life isn't easy when you have terrible anxiety, awful OCD, and are on the spectrum. Mind you, it's only the 50s. Barely any of this was named or known.
#PennedPossibilities 314 — Has your MC ever felt as though they were reborn in the mental / emotional sense?
Randall has. Finding out about Lix's feelings, knowing that she cared as deeply as she did, and all along as well, felt like a rebirth in a very emotional sense. She loves him, despite it all. All throughout the years, it never faded. That love endured, same as it had for him as well. Love is pain, it aches, it isn't easy, and /true love/ never wavers. He felt reborn.
#PennedPossibilities 315 — What smells remind your MC of their childhood?
Pipe tobacco, for one, because Randall's father smoked. His uncles did as well. Baked goods would have to be another answer, if only because his mother could always be found pottering away in the kitchen as she baked. It seemed to relieve her of any stress and anxiety that she might have had. The smell of a fire in the hearth always reminds him of home and his childhood as well. It makes his heart ache.
#PennedPossibilities 316 — Does your MC or SC have a hard time connecting with others?
Randall has such a tough time forming connections. Not only does he have OCD but he's on the spectrum. He's neurodivergent, which means that he's different from everyone else around him. The only one who's ever truly understood him has been Lix. Bel and Freddie do now as well. They all love him, care for him, and consider him someone worth knowing, protecting, and admiring. That matters.
#PennedPossibilities 317 — What clothing materials or outfits feel the most comfortable to your villain?
Once upon a time, he would have said his military uniform. These days, he doesn't care. Why would he? He's only seeking revenge. The rest is completely unnecessary, so he'll wear whatever he can afford or find.
#PennedPossibilities 318 — What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?
Music. Other than that, of course, I require complete and utter silence in every other aspect. My cat begs to differ. She thinks I need her continuous and incredibly loud meowing and ear-piercing squeaky toys. I also have a few comfy pillows on my gaming chair and things like that. It makes being at my desk a better experience overall, especially for long periods of time as I write.
#PennedPossibilities 319 — MC POV: Where did you grow up? What was your childhood like there?
Randall: Glasgow. It was... interesting. Not a fun time, either. I never had very many friends, which was fine by me. No one understood me, anyway. I have such a large family. My cousins and I are rather close. That was all I needed. I never had any sweethearts growing up, only studied well and left the first moment that I was able to in order to pursue photography and journalism.
#PennedPossibilities 320 — What was the worst event of your MC's childhood?
For Randall, it would definitely have to be his parents sitting him down to ask him to stop "being the way that he is" and to stop fiddling with things. They thought that it was made up, that he was seeking attention and was lying about feeling "different" from everyone else. They soon learned the truth. (Randall has OCD and ASD and is neurodivergent.)
#PennedPossibilities 321 — Did your SC once admire their parents? Who else did they admire growing up? What about today?
Bel admired her father more than anything. She misses him. Her mother is a bit... much. She loves her, but she doesn't admire her or look up to her in any way, shape, or form. She admired strong, powerful women as she grew older. These days, she thinks rather highly of both Lix and Randall. They would help her with anything. She need only ask for it.
#PennedPossibilities 322 — What piece of advice, as an author, did you once receive but hadn’t followed? Looking back on it now, you might wish that you had.
Credit: @aperfectsong
Some people aren't there to offer helpful advice. Don't bother entertaining haters' opinions. They're only looking to tear you down and make you feel like rubbish. Ignore them and live your life. Forge ahead and continue on with your writing. Advice like that would have saved me so much time and heartache years ago.
#PennedPossibilities 323 — What's a piece of advice for writers that you listened to and are glad for?
To surround myself with other writers. The majority of my close friends are writers. My girlfriend is one, and it's how we met. My friends on here are. It was the best decision I've ever made, joining Mastodon. I will always be an advocate for joining a "community" of any kind where your hobbies are more than just that. They're your passion. It's love. It's so helpful, and you aren't alone.
#PennedPossibilities 324 — SC POV: If you could relive one day of your life without changing anything that happened, which day would you choose?
Bel: The day I married Freddie, my best friend. He drives me mad, never fails to make me laugh, occasionally pushes me to my limits, supports me completely, and loves and protects me. He gives me everything that he has. He hates that he has to walk with a limp now, but if our situations were reversed, he would love me through it.
#PennedPossibilities 325 — SC POV: If you could relive one day of your life and change its course of events, which day would you choose?
Bel: If I could change one day of my life, it would have been /that day/, the one where Freddie was nearly beaten to death. He survived, by some miracle. I would have never let him go alone, though. Those thugs wouldn't have bothered a group of people. The remaining course of events wouldn't have changed. /He/ would have been safe, though.
#PennedPossibilities 326 — Do any of your characters have a favorite place that they've ever visited?
Randall adored living in Greece. It was one of his favorite places that he had ever visited, worked, or lived. He would love to go back on a holiday someday. He saw the majority of the Greek Civil War there, covering the news as a war photographer and working on various articles as well. He even stayed to see the defeat of the Communist forces. He also loved living in France.
#PennedPossibilities 327 — How much does your MC value other people? Do they wish to have many friends, lovers, and / or associates? Are they an easy person to love?
Randall is anything but an easy person to love. Those who DO love him care a great deal and would do anything for him. Yes, he values people — /he's in the business of news/ — but he doesn't ever need many friends, only associates or contacts. He likes things just as they are. (Lix is the only lover he needs.)
#PennedPossibilities 328 — If you could meet your characters, what would you say to them? (1/2)
To Randall, I would say that he's not alone. There are so many other people out there like him, and in the future things begin to change for people like /us/. It's okay to be different and neurodivergent, to have OCD or be on the spectrum in any way. I would teach him about those things and show him just how far medical science has come since the 50s. We don't have to be alone.
#PennedPossibilities 328 — If you could meet your characters, what would you say to them? (2/2)
To the rest of the bunch, to all of my other characters, I would simply tell them this: everything is going to be okay. It's all going to work out. Hold onto your faith in humanity and the prevailing journalism, hold onto each other as tightly as you can, and support one another however, whenever, and wherever you can (and must). Life is going to work out for the best.
#PennedPossibilities 329 — How is your SC typically seen by others? Does it ring true to who they really are?
It's the late 1950s and Bel is a woman in a man's world. She's a journalist. Not only that, but she is the /producer/ of a television news program. No one thinks that she is worthy of her job. They think she's incapable. She proves them wrong time and time again. None of their opinions matter in the end. She's just as excellent and more than capable as any other man.
#PennedPossibilities 330 — How does your MC go about expressing or not expressing their sexuality?
Lix (while Randall was gone from her life for twenty years) would find men and women in smoke-filled pubs for drinks and dances before going home with them. She would later slip out of bed and sneakily make an exit, hobbling home. She expresses her sexuality very easily. Sex was never the problem, but love was. Now that Randall's back in her life again, everything has changed.
#PennedPossibilities 330 — How does your MC go about expressing or not expressing their sexuality?
Ludwig has /never/ had a problem with expressing his sexuality. He's been with so many women throughout his life. He's had some men as well, to be fair. Those trysts have always been and will always be well-kept secrets, though. He is a rather flirtatious man and has always been comfortable in his own body. It comes easily.
(This is a co-written & ongoing story with a friend.)
#PennedPossibilities 331 — Has your MC ever desired the feeling of a fresh start, or a better understanding of themselves and / or the world around them?
Randall tried to make a fresh start for himself so many times. It never worked. He always thought of his daughter and Lix. In the end, he came back. Maybe he was always meant to return to her. As far as a better understanding of himself and the world around him, he works in the news. He understands enough. People are cruel.
#PennedPossibilities 331 — Has your MC ever desired the feeling of a fresh start, or a better understanding of themselves and / or the world around them?
Ludwig has thought of a fresh start. He never pursued it. His desire to compose keeps him in Vienna. He can't leave. He's had friends move to London or New York, but he stayed. A better understanding of himself and the world around him, though? It will never happen.
(This is a co-written & ongoing story with a friend.)
#PennedPossibilities 332 — What were your MC's childhood obsessions?
Randall was fond of reading, following the news, taking photographs, and doing all sorts of puzzles. Funnily enough, all of those things still hold true to this day.
#PennedPossibilities 332 — What were your MC's childhood obsessions?
For Ludwig: music, music, Freemasonry, and more music (which actually refers to both compositions AND furthering his musical learning to play better).
Keep in mind that he was born in December of 1770.
(This is a co-written & ongoing story with a friend.)
#PennedPossibilities 333 — Pride Month Edition: Do you write any characters who are a part of the #LGBTQIA+ community?
I do, and often. The list is far too long for me go into detail. I'm a part of the community as someone who is non-binary and pansexual. Representation matters, especially in fiction. I enjoy writing characters of every imaginable background. Different cultures, identities, orientations, etc. I enjoy writing all of it.
Happy Pride Month, guys, gals, and pals! 
#PennedPossibilities 334 — How does your MC handle sadness and depression?
Randall isn't very good at handling the negative emotions. As someone who suffers from a terrible case of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and is on the spectrum, he has a tough time with these emotions. In the past, he has had massive mental breakdowns where he'll tear everything to pieces. It shows how his world is crumbling as much on the outside as it is inwardly as well. It's heartbreakingly poetic.
#PennedPossibilities 334 — How does your MC handle sadness and depression?
Not very well. Ludwig struggled with emotions. He had a fiery temper, was well known for bouts of depression and rage, and it's now known (all these years on) that lead poisoning accounted for his memory lapses, temper, mood swings, clumsiness, and depressive episodes. It altered him in so many ways. Sadness and depression were not handled very well. He was a mess at times, inwardly and outwardly.
#PennedPossibilities 335 — Do you use metaphors in your writing? What are some examples?
Credit: @NaraMoore
I use all sorts of metaphors. I always have. I love adding in implied metaphors as well, so here's an example: "Her smile lit up the room." (Her smile was as bright as the sun.)
I found helpful articles for everyone. They're listed down below.
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/metaphor-examples-from-literature-and-everyday-speech
#PennedPossibilities 336 — Would you or have you ever used a mixed metaphor in your writing? We would love to hear some examples.
Credit: @NaraMoore
Yes, and to create a mixed metaphor, simply cut and paste sections of two incompatible metaphors.
Here's an example: "This is hardly rocket surgery."
I found some good articles for everyone to read. They're down below.
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-are-mixed-metaphors-1691770
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/mixed-metaphor
https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/ask-writer/what-is-a-mixed-metaphor
#PennedPossibilities 337 — What was the worst job that your MC or SC ever had?
Credit: @aperfectsong
For Lix, it would have been twenty-five years prior working as an assistant to photographers before she could "prove" herself in the field. The thing was, they fully expected her to quit, give up, and go back home to work a "regular desk job" and all that rot. For the time period, women didn't do those jobs. Journalism was and is a male-dominated field. FYI, it's now 1958.
#PennedPossibilities 338 — How would your MC or SC respond to someone betraying their trust?
Not very well. The characters in this story run a television news program, the first of its kind, for the BBC. Let's take Randall, for instance. As Head of News, as a lifelong journalist and war photographer, he knows /just how/ to ruin someone's life if he ever needs to. Never cross a man like him, or anyone else on the team. Betrayal in their field of work would be a career end.
#PennedPossibilities 339 — Does your MC learn from their past, or are they prone to repeating the same mistakes?
Both Lix and Randall have been through hell together. They don't want to repeat their shared past. They were together, a whirlwind relationship, in the middle of a warzone. Things were bound to end. And oh, they did. They went down in a blaze that wasn't so glorious. They've both learned from the past and they treat one another with care now, twenty years later.
#PennedPossibilities 339 — Does your MC learn from their past, or are they prone to repeating the same mistakes?
Ludwig is constantly repeating his many blundering errors, despite knowing better from the start. He's so scathing of others who make the same mistakes. He's over-emotional, struggles with never-ending illness, and has a tendency to bicker back-and-forth with patrons (all whilst hoping for a different outcome that will never come). He should know better by now.
#PennedPossibilities 340 — How does your MC or SC feel about love as a concept?
It's real. Randall and Lix both WANT love, even if they don't think that they're deserving of it. Randall feels lucky to have found it once before in his life. Here it is and it's right in front of him like a second miracle. The proof is all there, and he needs only to accept it. Lix wants it again, is willing to wait for Randall like she did twenty years ago, and her heart aches for him.
#PennedPossibilities 340 — How does your MC or SC feel about love as a concept?
Ludwig always wanted love. He needed a wife, someone to care for him and to settle down with, but it never came his way. When he finally found a woman to fall head over heels for, it just so happened that said woman was already married to a terrible bastard. Nevertheless, they wound up having an affair. Love is real, it's precious and worth fighting for, and they're clinging so tightly to it.
#PennedPossibilities 341 — What are some of your SC's other (lesser) fears?
There's no need to make a long post about this one. Bel is terrified of balloons. Balloons mean clowns. Sometimes. Usually. Needless to say, she isn't a fan of them. They're too creepy.
#PennedPossibilities 342 — Does your MC actively seek romantic companionship, or cherish the liberties of being single?
Randall has never looked for romantic companionship. Instead, it found him. Lix pursued him. Claire pursued him while in France as well. Lix has, yet again, returned to him. She loves him, and he loves her. It's a story as old as time. They have loved one another for over twenty years, even though they were apart for about nineteen of them.
#PennedPossibilities 342 — Does your MC actively seek romantic companionship, or cherish the liberties of being single?
Ludwig wants to be married. Noble women of status said no to him every single time. Instead, he chose to seduce students and various other women. He craved intimacy and closeness, but he /wanted/ marriage. Seeing as it never seemed to be an option for him, he instead chose sex and satisfaction with women (and men). Now, however, he has a true partner.
#PennedPossibilities 343 — How does your MC feel about their appearance? Would they change anything about it? Would they change anything about their personality as well?
Randall would change a lot about himself, if he could. It takes some time for him to understand this, but Lix loves him EXACTLY as he is. She loves his quirks (OCD), cares for him through his breakdowns, adores his body, graying hair, the wrinkles that have come with age, and who he is as a person. Real love.
#PennedPossibilities 343 — How does your MC feel about their appearance? Would they change anything about it? Would they change anything about their personality as well? (1/2)
Sometimes, Ludwig wishes he was a different person. He can be abrasive and nasty. His personality is one that isn't quite for everyone. His appearance isn't the best (and that's for the time). As muscular as he is, he's shorter and has a pockmarked face. Some still deem him handsome, though. ~ (cont.)
#PennedPossibilities 343 — How does your MC feel about their appearance? Would they change anything about it? Would they change anything about their personality as well? (2/2)
(cont.) ~ He isn't an ugly man. Tall and skinny was the look for that time period. He would change so much about himself. His personality, his looks, his moods and clumsiness. (All these years on, we know this was all caused by lead poisoning. It wasn't enough to kill Beethoven, only change him.)
#PennedPossibilities 344 — Is your SC possessive over people or things that matter a lot to them? How do they express that possessiveness, or lack thereof?
Bel is possessive (or rather, PROTECTIVE) over the PEOPLE that matter to her. In the business of journalism, she has experienced loss and near-loss, and the ruination of careers as well. She's seen it all. She very nearly lost her husband, Freddie, to a beating. Bad things can happen. She protects them all closely now.
#PennedPossibilities 345 — How does your MC respond to silence? Do they take comfort in soundlessness, or seek to fill the void with noise?
Randall loves the peace and tranquility that comes with the sound of silence. It allows him to breathe, relax, and to finally hear his own thoughts. That being said, because of how he is, being on the spectrum and also having OCD, silence can sometimes be his undoing or downfall, and he'll NEED distractions. It goes both ways for him.
#PennedPossibilities 346 — Which of the four seasons suits your villain best, and why?
In a very poetic sense, if he WAS a season, it would be winter. Everything is cold, desolate, and dead. It suits him best.
Now, on the subject of which season he actually /likes/ the most, it would have to be springtime. Spain has incredibly hot weather. He hates when it's humid and scalding hot outside.
#PennedPossibilities 347 — Are there any special talents or skills that your MC or SC might have?
Fun fact: Lix Storm was and still very much is incredibly skilled when it comes to the art of espionage. She's talented at obtaining whatever information is needed, either pertaining to the military or political figures. I talk about it in my stories every so often.
#PennedPossibilities 348 — Where does your SC draw inspiration in life? What motivates them?
Bel wants to change the world. She draws inspiration from the strong, independent women around her. They're changing the world one (news) story at a time. Journalism, television, and the views in the world are ever-changing. Women are finding themselves and becoming bolder. Life itself is changing. This is exactly what motivates her as well.
(FYI, it's only 1958 in this story.)
#PennedPossibilities 349 — What is your MC’s relationship with their gender? How do they express or not express this relationship?
Randall hates most men because of how idiotic and bigoted they seem to be. Most of the ones in his field of work, which happens to be journalism, are racist, sexist arseholes. He hates it. The only thing he can do is treat others (i.e. women, people of different cultures or skin colors, and disabled individuals) better. He believes in equality.
#PennedPossibilities 350 — If you were to ever meet your MC, would you two get along?
Randall and I both suffer from OCD, are on the spectrum, write stories and poetry, and are quirky book, film, and music lovers. Heck yeah, we would. Lix and I would as well. She's a strong, independent woman with a clever and witty personality, someone who can also be ridiculous and silly at times, and I just KNOW we would get along really well. I love that thought.
#PennedPossibilities 351 — What smells remind your SC of their childhood?
Freshly baked goods would have to be the answer to this one. Whenever Bel steps into a bakery, she's instantly transported back to her childhood. Her best friend growing up, someone that she's still rather close with, loved baking with her mum. Bel adored helping as well. It was always fun. She owned a bakery, and her daughter (Bel's friend) continued things along and has the business now.
#PennedPossibilities 352 — What advice would you give to help others create plotlines?
This is such a good question, and I wanted to see everyone's good advice to be offered.
For my answer, I actually found a few fantastic articles, only because there's far too much to say in a single post on here. They're down below.
Plotlines can be the trickiest thing for fiction authors. We all struggle with them if we're just starting out with an idea.
Create tense narratives with exciting premises Plotting a narrative can be one of the most rewarding tasks for writers…but where do you begin? A good plot is well-structured, and bursting with conflict and character. In this article, we'll...
#PennedPossibilities 353 — What is your SC's biggest fear?
Losing her team at The Hour, these people in her life, her true friends. This has become the biggest nightmare that she hopes will never happen. Losing anyone on her team has become a near constant fear. Bel almost lost her sweetheart, but thankfully he pulled through and was alright after the beating that nearly took his life. She's so protective over everyone now. They've become a family, and she can't lose them.
#PennedPossibilities 354 — Describe your SC or MC’s relationship with their birthplace or homeland.
Randall is Scottish. There's no denying it, not with THAT accent. He goes home whenever he can. He grew up with so many cousins that it felt like they were all his siblings, even though he had none to speak of. His relationship with home can be described with one word: connection. It's his home, and it always will be. He has traveled the world, but he always misses Scotland.
Spooky Panda 🏳️🌈
Cat West