NaNoWriMo-novel/character-sketches/harriet.md

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Character Questionnaire: Harriet

  1. Name: Harriet Anna Allen
  2. Age: 28
  3. Height: 5'6"
  4. Eye color: Blue
  5. Physical appearance: She has sharp features in her face -- very angular and pointed. Her eyes flash when she's in the middle of speaking about something she considers important, or that is passionate about. She has somewhat large feet compared to her height, and very large hair -- curly and dark brown, it waves around her unless tied back with a clip.
  6. Strange or unique physical attributes: She has an unusual birthmark on her left side, right in the middle of the line between her armpit and her hips
  7. Favorite clothing style/outfit: She likes skirts & tights with t-shirts and sneakers, $10 zippered hoodies, and blouses with collars like flower petals
  8. Where does he or she live? What is it like there: International House on W. 120th Street, with the other first and second year phD students.
  9. Defining gestures/movements (i.e., curling their lip when he or she speaks, always keeping their eyes on the ground, etc.): She bites on her pens and pencils when she is deep in thought, or nervous. While she's speaking to someone she is intimidated by, she often looks right into their eyes for inordinate amounts of time
  10. Things about their appearance he or she would most like to change: She feels like all stomaches are weird.
  11. Speaking style (fast, talkative, monotone, etc.): She speaks quietly and quickly
  12. Pet peeves: People who slurp tea
  13. Fondest memory: The first time a wild bird landed on her hand -- she was 8, and standing perfectly still. She reached out her finger, and the bird she'd been observing for the last 30min landed, looked at her, and flew away
  14. Hobbies/interests: Ecology, nature, conservation, space, knitting, crocheting, indoor gardening for her tea
  15. Special skills/abilities: She grows and blends amazing teas
  16. Insecurities: She has major imposter syndrome. She thinks people believe she is smarter than she really is, and she is undeserving of all her achievements.
  17. Quirks/eccentricities:
  18. Temperament (easygoing, easily angered, etc.): She is quiet, self-contained, extremely introspective, but not afraid of talking or voicing her opinions on what really matters to her.
  19. Negative traits: She is a harsh critic, to herself and others.
  20. Things that upset him or her: Animal cruelty, littering, people eating seafood, "alpha" male types, people who like to dominate others
  21. Things that embarrass him or her: Being called out in front of a large group
  22. This character is highly opinionated about: Ecology, conservation, animal rights
  23. Any phobias? Heights, but more accurately: the feeling of falling, of free-falling with no chance of being saved
  24. Things that make him or her happy: A nicely brewed cup of tea, nature walks, observing species interacting in the wild, her cat sitting next to her while she works into the night
  25. Family (describe): A father, a sister, a dead brother, and no idea who or where her mother is.
  26. Deepest, darkest secret: Once when she was 7 years old, she was in her backyard playing with a stick, waving it around like she was a witch. She saw a snake wiggling in the grass, and was entranced. She squished it's head under her stick, and when it stopped wiggling, and she realized what she'd done, she ran inside and didn't speak a word for three weeks, but cried every night to herself. Now her life is dedicated to ecology.
  27. Reason he or she kept this secret for so long: Guilt, pain of causing pain/death to another creature, shame.
  28. Other peoples opinions of this character (What do people like about this character? What do they dislike about this character?): she's soft spoken but opinionated, won't get in your face but won't back down. No one really invites her to parties -- they invite her to book signings, movies, picnics, and the like. She's good in a small group.
  29. Favorite bands/songs/type of music: She listens to too much Elliott Smith, Explosions in the Sky, and Portugal the Man
  30. Favorite movies: Blackfish (documentary)
  31. Favorite TV shows: River Monsters on Animal Planet
  32. Favorite books: "Why Big Fierce Animals Are Rare" by Paul A. Colinvaux
  33. Favorite foods: Mashed potatoes and Caesar salad
  34. Favorite sports/sports teams:
  35. Political views: Left
  36. Religion/philosophy of life: No religion, but her philosophy aligns much with deep ecology -- "an ecological and environmental philosophy promoting the inherent worth of living beings regardless of their instrumental utility to human needs, plus a radical restructuring of modern human societies in accordance with such ideas." (Wikipedia)
  37. Physical health: Not great -- not enough sleep, and too much caffeine (she is a phD student...)
  38. Dream vacation: An ecological tour of the Galapagos
  39. Description of their house: She lives in a studio apartment in NYC with her cat
  40. Description of their bedroom: Nothinng on her walls, except books and bookcases, and more books on floors. A small writing desk that holds her computer and her notebooks. A cat tree for her cat, and a small bed with no frame -- just a mattress on the floor
  41. Any pets? A black cat named Copernicus
  42. Best thing that has ever happened to this character: Being accepted into a phD program and moving the hell away from her mother
  43. Worst thing that has ever happened to this character: Death of her brother
  44. Superstitions: None -- she's a scientist.
  45. Three words to describe this character: Skeptical, curious, intelligent.
  46. If a song played every time this character walked into the room, what song would it be? Where is my mind? by The Pixies OR 2:45am by Elliott Smith