October Character Studies ~ Costumes

First: OH MY GOSH!!! She liked my idea. Is the world collapsing on you or is it just me?!?!?!
Wait a minute … why would the world be collapsing if I actually thought up something good that someone liked for once instead of a bunch of mindless blither-blather? Well … I don’t know. Maybe because everything’s been kind of going wrong with me lately.
I was reading over reviews of The Dressmaker’s Secret, and I started going all like, “AAAH IT’S SUCH AN AWFUL BOOK, HOW COULD I HAVE WRITTEN THIS STUPIDITY, EVERYTHING’S WRONG WITH IT, etc.” (Although I have gotten some amazing reviews … but others were honest …) Then I read over old blog posts and they are so full of typos that they are impossible to understand! So, yep. Things like that keep happening …
I’m sorry guys. I’m such an awful person. 🙁 😉

Seriously, though, here’s a quick explanation of the way Character Studies (a monthly character interview for writers hosted by Morgan Dusky @Studies in Character) is a bit different this month, although you could probably read it on Morgan’s blog.

So Kellyn suggested we have a Character Studies where one character answers questions about another. (source)

Those are her exact words. Why I couldn’t use my own words (I’m an author, for crying out loud!) is beyond me. But I just quoted her. It was easier. Just required some copying and pasting. I am so incredibly lazy …
I pondered long and hard about which character (from At Her Fingertips) would dress up as and answer questions about another as if he/she was the other character … and finally decided to go with

The Questions

(quick note: most if not all of these images were stolen from Pinterest)

• First off, who are you and who are you pretending to be?  What’s your relationship to the person you’re pretending to be, and why would you pick them?

First, let’s just establish the fact that I do not want to be doing thing. At all. It’s humiliating to say the least; to say the most, it’s torture. Or worse.
What could be worse than torture?
Being one of your characters.
Ha! You got me there, Gib.
That’s not my name.
Gibby? Gibs? Giblet? Ooh, I like that one …
It’s Gibson.
Very well. Now, you’d better introduce yourself before everyone gets bored and leaves.
Very well. I am Mr. Gibson Ashfield, son of Jeremy Ashfield. I’m dressed up as a friend of mine, Peter Strauss. He’s American. My shame is complete.
You really need to tell more about Peter. No one’s heard much about him here.
Oh, right. Peter Strauss is, apparently, a cousin to the Farjons of Virginia.
Okay, so …….. they don’t live in your world, either.
I’m sorry; I forgot. The Farjons are a very prestigious family. Of Virginia. Peter Strauss is a cousin to them, and based on that connection, he was able to gain an invitation to stay with me and my family for the London Season. He’s an aspiring author who works for the Pennsylvania Gazette. He’s doing a series of articles of the ‘English upper crust,’ as he calls us.
Great! Now, before you move on to the next question, I think you ought to know what you look like in my brain:

I look like a valet to you?
First, he’s a footman (then, anyway). Second … just change the dress, the hairstyle, and take a way a little of the grease, and yes!
*facepalm*

• What’s your fashion sense?  (Or, if you want, what do you/your “costume” look like?)

*glances in nearest mirror* Am I wearing glasses? Why can I see, then? And he only wears these when he’s reading. I’m not reading.
The lens are clear glass, and he’s almost always reading, so …
I suppose that makes sense. I’m wearing … you know what? I’ll have Kellyn get some of her fancy pictures that sum up his stylistic choices. I don’t care to describe them to you.

Those are … all out-of-era. But whatever. Something like that. XD

• Trick or treat?

Treats are easier. Easy is good.
You’re answering this for Peter, remember?
Then: *high-pitched voice* Treats are good. I am good. Let’s get a treat.
Seriously?
Yes. Seriously.

• What’s your opinion of yourself? (Interpret this question how you will.)

I’m going to interpret is my opinion of Peter. And … he’s feminine.
Okay, Peter is not feminine!
He doesn’t hunt! *horrified look*
He’s just afraid of embarrassing himself. Don’t tell anyone I told you, but he’s a bad aim.
Real men aren’t afraid of anything.
*sighs* And some “real men” aren’t a good shot, either, despite their bragging.
Shhhhhhhh!

• Best thing about you? Worst thing about you?

Peter’s best thing is probably that he’s a very talented writer who doesn’t get in the way of … certain people who don’t want them in their way. The worse thing is probably that he’s actually pretty smart, thereby occasionally making those certain people look like an idiot.

• You look in the mirror, and it’s mocking you.  What is it saying?

Probably, “Why are you dressed like a farmer?”

• Kittens or puppies?

I think Peter’s a puppy kind of fellow. Even I wouldn’t say he likes kittens best …

This kitten scorns you.

• Coffee or tea?

You’re not going to believe this, but coffee! It must be an American thing …
Or a German thing …

• If you had to pretend to be this person for a whole week, what would you do?

Horror of horrors! How should I know? Maybe I’d try to see if people would really believe I was him. I could walk around drinking the dread black stuff, quoting Shakespeare, and randomly scribbling in a notebook.

• Bonus: Best cake flavor?

I feel like it would be something German, but I have no idea …

What do you think of Peter? I need him to be REALLY likable. Just … incredibly likable. So what do you think of what you learned of him?
~Kellyn Roth