Being Quiet Isn't the Same As Being Timid
Writing Roundup
Back in sixth grade, my daughter Em decided to become a cheerleader, which she only signed up to do because our school offered two winter sports -- cheering and basketball. She seems to have inherited my bad genes, which cover an overall lack of height and inability to shoot a basket. So, she did cheering. Mostly because of gymnastics. She wanted to show off her back tucks, or at least get to do them somewhere that wasn’t not our kitchen.
Because she was so small, she was a flyer. That's the person who goes way up high, held up by other tiny children and then twists around or cradles down into their arms.
When she did that at the first basketball game, I tried not to gasp and to remember to breathe. But ... she was really, really good.
Her coach came up to me and said, "I never imagined your daughter would be such a daredevil."
I thought of all her tree leaping, rock climbing stunts, and said, "Yeah, well she is."
The coach shook her head and said, "She's such a quiet, little thing. Who would of thought it?"
I shrugged. "She's just not showy."
"She's a little daredevil though, but such a good girl," the coach said, shoving popcorn into her mouth, which if I digress, is totally unfair since the cheerleaders aren't allowed to eat it because it's not a healthy enough snack! AGGH!!!
But, it made me wonder why people always think the quiet, polite kids are cowards?
Maybe there’s a strength in being quiet and listening, a bravery? Maybe there’s a strength in being polite, a bravery there to go into life without having to shout down others’ opinions or ideas? Maybe there is strength in more than one way of being?
I’m currently working on a story right now where the main character is quiet but a daredevil, and I’m wondering if people will understand her and if I, as a writer, can make people understand her when we have such a hard time understanding people like this in real life.
EXERCISE
Over at NOFILMSCHOOL, there’s a pretty cool post on how to write character development.
One of those aspects they talk about is what happens if the character fails.
So, do that. Think about your main characters. What happens if they fail? Write it down. It’s part of what motivates them.
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