character inspiration: grace

So, I have already introduced you to my character Jed, but I have yet to introduce you to Grace.
Grace was always the main character of my novel, until she wasn't. (For a shy person, Jed can be awfully pushy about being included.) Anyway, as my story has 2 protagonists, I figured it was only fair to include Grace's side of the story.

Meet Graceface.

1. What first inspired this character? Is there a person/actor you based them off?

Since I started writing my novel around the age of 16, I initially based Grace's character off of myself. I know, I know, that's cheating. A writer's way out. A lack of creativity. But how can real life not inform the fictional world? It's always merged, at least in my mind. But now, Grace is more like the person I wish I could be, not who I actually am.

2. Describe their daily routine.

Grace is an early morning adventurer. In the summer, she frequently wakes up before the sun, taking her great grandmother's camera along with her into the fields to photograph the sunrise, light, and nature. Then she'll sit quietly at the window of her favorite coffee shop, sipping a cup of tea and simultaneously drinking in the sun through the window panes. She's a very contemplative soul who makes the most of each moment.

3. If they joined your local high school, what clique would they fit into?

Grace isn't the clique sort. She's everybody's friend, primarily because she's a great listener. Sometimes people take advantage of that fact, but most people appreciate her. In a stereotype, she's the shy, sweet wholesome girl that takes photos for the school yearbook.

4. Write a list of things they merely tolerate. 
Anyone who has hurt her friends or family.

5. How do they react in awkward silences?
With great patience. Especially if the silence comes from someone she knows has more to say.
She's very good at waiting, discerning the rhythms of the person she's speaking with, and makes an effort to ensure that the company she keeps always feels at ease. Even in the silences.

6. Can they swim? If so, how did they learn?
Oh, yes! Grace learned quite naturally at a young age thanks to her brother, Ben.
She first swam at age five or six in the creek that her friends hang out at in the summertime.

7. What is one major event that helped shape who they are?
The death of her great grandmother, for whom she is named. She was eight at the time. Grace inherited her vintage camera, and it inspired her to become a photographer. Ever since, she has had a deep love of the past, and is often nostalgic for a time she never lived in. This makes her frequently melancholic.

8. What things do they value most in life?
God, nature, art, family, friends, sincerity, loyalty, the beauty of life,
books, tea, photography, sunlight.

9. Do they believe in giving other people second chances? Do they have any trust issues?

Yes, wholeheartedly. Grace believes in forgiveness, though sometimes it is hard for her to extend it to those that have personally wronged her closest friends. But, like her name, Grace is inherently forgiving and patient. She does not have trust issues. She trusts and loves almost too deeply.

10. Your character is having a rough day. 
What things do they do to make them happy again? Is there anyone they talk with to get in a better mood?
Grace will drink a cup of tea by her favorite morning window; develop photos in the dark room; spend a quiet moment with a pet; talk to her older brother Ben; pray; take a nature walk in the fields and hug her mother.



+ Well, there you go, a glimpse at Grace. 
Sometimes she is harder to write about than Jed, because I feel like there are still some things I haven't discovered about her yet. But I'm excited to keep learning!