Feb 15, 2021
Did you ever get picked last in gym or some other class? Have you used that in your writing?
I was never one of the popular girls in school. Too introverted, too nerdy, too weird, I guess. I had my nose in a book most of the time.
But I had the advantage of being from a large family with older brothers. Along with the neighborhood boys who were the same age as them, I joined in playing backyard sports with them. Baseball, touch football, basketball, or whatever else was the flavor of the day. So, I wasn’t afraid to be aggressive when we played sports in gym class. Even if I didn’t have finesse, I wasn’t scared to get in the way of opposing players, and that earned me a defensive spot on a team every time. Still, I wasn’t the top choice either, leaving me with a sense of insecurity until my name was called. (Why were the popular girls always chosen to be the team leaders by the teachers?)
Have I used this in my writing? Not directly, but the experience may have flavored the backgrounds of a few of my characters. Take Tasha from Wolves’ Knight, for example. She’s always trying to prove herself and drive herself to become better. No one asks her do it, it stems from an internal need.
Her lungs screamed from the lack of oxygen, her eyes burned from the sweat streaming into them, and she could no longer feel her legs. She was past pain and moving from sheer force of will. But she wanted to go farther. Her goal was the meeting of the southern and western borders. And past that if she could hold on that long. From Wolves’ Knight
Was Tasha chosen last in gym class? I doubt it. But the strong males of the pack would have been chosen first, if they were in coed classes. And Tasha wasn’t the type to have been one of the popular kids. She was too serious for that to happen.
Lori from Wolves’ Gambit had it worse. She was the runt of the litter, and was left out of everything. As a result, she operates with a chip on her shoulder, but has learned to use her small size as a tool, rather than it being a disadvantage.
“So, what kind of shifter are you?” Turtle asked.
“Wolf.”
“No, really.”
“Wolf.” Lori shrugged. “Even in wolf form, I’m small, but that’s the way it is.”
“Then why can’t we smell or hear you?’
She moved away the mental blocks that kept her secure. “Try now.” From Wolves’ Gambit
I’ve always had a thing for the underdog, having been one, and that’s reflected in my stories. How about the other authors on this hop? We can find out by following the links below.
Until next time, please stay safe.
Feb 15, 2021
Did you ever get picked last in gym or some other class? Have you used that in your writing?
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