NaNoWriMo Characters

My novel for NaNoWriMo is entitled "What Would Elizabeth Bennet Do?", and you can find out more about it here. After reading a character interview on Rachel's blog and Maria Elisabeth's blog, I decided it would be a great way to get better acquainted with the main characters of my novel. I'm going to post it here, but I thought it might be a good idea to give you a little background on each person first. I also chose a picture for each character, depicting them as they appear in my mind.

My protagonist (aka Female Main Character or FMC): Elizabeth Blank Markette. No, her middle name isn't Blank (are you trying to be funny?)--it's just that I can't think of a good middle name for her. Suggestions? I need something that sounds Victorian, since the story is set in that era--no Madisons or Natalies or Kendalls, please.

Elizabeth is sensible, thoughtful, romantic and self-conscious. She's a little bit clumsy (well, at least not as graceful as she'd like to be) and acutely aware of her social ineptitude. (She's working on it.) However, she prides herself on handling sticky situations in the way Elizabeth Bennet would. Whether she actually does or not is for the reader to decide. Elizabeth's family lost their money when the Vienna Stock Exchange collapsed in 1873--it's now 1881, and Elizabeth is working as a governess for the Crimp family to earn her living. She's determined to rise above her less-than-desirable situation, however. (Does this picture explain why I chose the header that's on my blog right now? This is also currently the background on my computer. It keeps NaNoWriMo in the forefront of my brain.)

Rodney Eugene Burke is the gardener slash cab driver slash stable boy for the Crimp family. He's funny, tenderhearted, good with animals, good with children, a terrible tease, well-read and a lover of books, and the worst singer in the world. He's the sole guardian of his little sister Mercy, although in his own words, "I don't take care of Mercy, she takes care of me. I'm the breadwinner, but she's the bread baker. That is, she attempts to be the bread baker. I wouldn’t quite call what she does 'baking'. 'Grilling' might be a more appropriate word. When she finally learns not to make charcoal out of our daily fare, we shall get on capitally. In the meantime, I suffer in silence."

Lavinia Solange Vivian Bancroft is a wealthy young socialite, living in the snootiest section of London and being pointedly rude to foppish young gentlemen at balls. Lavinia is sweet and loving, passionate and tenderhearted--she's also stuck-up, rather narrow-minded, a bit conceited and inclined to gush over clothes. Yeah, she's kind of complex.

Mercy Frances Burke is Rodney's thirteen-year-old sister, and their relationship rather resembles that of Mr. Darcy and Georgiana--only with much less formality. Plus Rodney doesn't have the money to buy Mercy a piano (though he would if he had the money, and if she knew how to play). Mercy is a little bossy, but very sweet.

Mortimer Jefferson Pendleton is the most annoying, self-centered character I've ever created. He's the younger brother of Elizabeth's employer (Mrs. Crimp) and spends most of his time sponging off his sister and brother-in-law. When he isn't having meals at their house and riding their horses, he's off playing poker and smoking foul-smelling cigars.

I don't like Mortimer, in case you couldn't tell.

Okay, so without further ado: my character interview. (I've made some remarks here and there--all the lines labeled "Me", obviously.)

Do you want a hug?

Elizabeth: Well, if you happen to be offering one. Yes, thank you.
Lavinia: My gracious, no!
Mercy: I suppose so.
Rodney: Depends. How hard do you hug? I do like my ribs, you know.
Mortimer: Absolutely not.

Do you have any kids?
Elizabeth: None at all, but I do take care of three, ah, sweet children.
Lavinia: Naturally I do not. What an impertinent question.
Mercy: No, I’m not married.
Rodney: Unless you count my little sister Mercy, nope.
Mortimer: I should say not.

Have you killed anyone?
Elizabeth: How horrid! Of course not.
Lavinia: I hardly think so.
Mercy: I wouldn’t!
Rodney: Well, I stepped on a caterpillar yesterday—poor little thing, may it rest in peace. Take your hat off, please, and show some respect for the dead.
Mortimer: No.

Love anyone?
Elizabeth: I would like to. But I’m not sure if I do… yet.
Lavinia: Not in the least. Though there are several ridiculous young men who fancy themselves in love with me.
Elizabeth: Lavinia, everyone will think you’re a horrible flirt!
Me: Don’t worry, Lavinia only says things like that to shock people.
Mercy: My brother Rodney, who is the best person in the world, no matter what he may tell you to the contrary.
Rodney: My sister Mercy, of course. And… uh, yes, Mercy. And my uncle Zachariah.
Mortimer: Love, what rot.

What is your job?
Elizabeth: I am a governess in the Crimp household.
Lavinia: I occupy no paid position—society is my pastime!
Mercy: I take in sewing, but I don't have many customers.
Rodney: Cab driver for the Crimps—I take care of the horses a bit as well—especially Virgil, the one with rheumatism in his left hind hoof. Horses suffer just as much as people do, you know.
Mortimer: Work? Bore.

What are you going to do when this tag is over?
Elizabeth: Reread Persuasion. I’m almost finished.
Lavinia: Try on one of my new hats. Perhaps I’ll write to Elizabeth.
Mercy: Finish trimming a bonnet for a client.
Rodney: Brush and curry Virgil and Opus.
Mortimer: Smoke a cigar.
Me: Eww!
Mortimer: Every young gentleman does it, miss, don’t be so easily offended.
Me: Rodney doesn't!

Mortimer: And who cares whether that idiot carriage driver smokes or not?

What is your greatest fear?
Elizabeth: Losing my position, perhaps—or falling from a great height. Oh, and I'm terrified of Mr. Crimp's French parrot.
Lavinia: Not being able to go to Lord and Lady Fagles’ ball on Saturday.
Mercy: I'm not afraid of anything.

Me: No, you aren't, are you?
Rodney: Being bitten by the ferocious toad in the back garden. He continues to refuse my offers of friendship--or at least a truce.

Mortimer: Losing at poker.
Me: You know, Mortimer, I’m liking you less and less. Not that I liked you to begin with.
Mortimer: Why should I care for your opinion, miss? [yawns]

What do you think of your parents?
Elizabeth: I hardly remember them. I wish I did.
Lavinia: They’re dear. I couldn’t imagine life without them.
Me: You’re being serious for once!
Lavinia: I can be, when the mood strikes me.
Mercy: Unfortunately I don't remember them.
Rodney: I loved them very much.
Mortimer: What a dull question. I’m bored to death with this rot. Are we finished?

Any siblings?
Elizabeth: I had a brother who died as a baby.
Lavinia: An elder sister, who is already married.
Mercy: Rodney, my older brother.
Rodney: Just one sister, Mercy.
Mortimer: Juliet. She’s all right. Her boneheaded husband has quite a fortune, which is highly convenient.

Eye color?
Elizabeth: Brown.
Lavinia: Dark brown.
Mercy: Light brown.
Rodney: Brown. I like to fit in with those around me, and everyone else seems to be wearing brown eyes this season.

Mortimer: Dark brown.

Are you good or bad?
Elizabeth: Not as good as I'd like to be. Only God is perfectly good.
Lavinia: I am a perfect angel.

Elizabeth: Lavinia!!

Lavinia: I have to tease you sometimes, you know, Lizzie.

Elizabeth: Don't call me Lizzie.
Mercy: I try to be good, but Rodney will tell you I'm far from perfect.
Rodney: I'm a sinner. But by God's grace, I'm slowly becoming more like Him. I'm far from perfect.

Me: So you CAN be serious.

Rodney: If I wasn't serious sometimes, I wouldn't be the hero of your story. And if I wasn't funny sometimes, I'd be the dullest hero anyone ever met.

Mortimer: I'm not as bad as some fellows I know.

Favorite season?
Elizabeth: Late spring, early summer.
Lavinia: Spring, of course, when the London Season begins!
Mercy: Summer.
Rodney: Mud.

Me: There's no such season as mud.

Rodney: Mademoiselle, you obviously have never been out of doors in the country.

Mortimer: Who cares?

Who's your best friend?
Elizabeth: Lavinia. She's really not half as shallow as she would lead you to believe.

Lavinia: Me? Shallow? How sweet of you to say that. Lizzie is my best friend, though she does persist in working as a servant.
Mercy: Maggie, the downstairs maid at the Crimps'.
Rodney: That toad in the back garden. I'm taming him and teaching him to read. Tomorrow he'll be studying his lesson on "Why It Is Rude to Bite People Who Are Only Trying To Get a Closer Look at You".

Mortimer: Whoever just "gave" me all his money at poker last night.

Me: I'm considering banning you from this interview.

Mortimer: Charmed, I'm sure.

Hobbies:
Elizabeth: Reading.
Lavinia: Talking. Driving. Attending balls. Making myself beautiful.

Mercy: I love tending flowers when I get the chance.

Me: Really? Hmm, I could stick that in somewhere.
Rodney: Teaching dumb animals their ABC's. Spending time with the horses. Talking to interesting people. Reading.

Mortimer: Smoking, playing cards, putting my feet on my sister's sofa.

Do you care what others think of you?

Elizabeth: Very much.

Lavinia: Not in the least. As long as I have behaved myself with perfect decorum and ladylike behavior, what should it matter?

Mercy: Not particularly.

Rodney: Nope.

Mortimer: Blah.

Was this interview fun?

Elizabeth: It was indeed!

Lavinia: Excessively diverting. Be proud of me, Lizzie, I'm quoting your favorite book.

Elizabeth: Yes, I noticed.

Mercy: Yes, I enjoyed it.

Rodney: It was very interesting, though if I had written the questions they would have been much more amusing.

Mortimer: Whatever.

What's your species?
Elizabeth: Human; specifically, American young lady.
Lavinia: Human. Are you suggesting I'm something else? How dare you?

Elizabeth: Lavinia, stop it.
Mercy: Human.
Rodney: Carriage driver. Human, if you want to be technical.

Mortimer: A bored-to-death Homo sapien. I do hope this thing is finished, I have a poker game in twenty minutes.

That was way too much fun--hope you enjoyed reading it half as much as I enjoyed writing it!