Podcast: Episode 1 - An Awkward Introduction, and Character Journals

I decided that it would be interesting to try to do a bit of a podcast, just to let you all get to know me a bit better. So here is the first episode. The topic of the day is, basically, telling you what this podcasting series is about, and also one of my favorite things, character journals. Don't know what that is? Listen to my rambling and find out! 

An Introduction, and Character Journals

Here's an example of one that I did with my character, Julia, which was actually turned into a scene in my novel: Beneath the Script. One of the things that it helped me with, developing Julia's voice - was her constant use of "Bless" in place of something else (i.e. "Gosh", "God", "Dammit", etc). I never would have discovered that without the character journal, and I'm glad I did.  

*****

September 8th, 2012

Julia Kingston

Character Journal

Prompt: Most embarrassing moment? 

Oh, bless - you're not going to make me answer that one, are you? I mean, it's an embarrassing moment. Things like that are better left unsaid. Like the time I accidentally knocked my best friend's favorite vase out of a- excuse me - her third story window. No, I understand that it's an important question, I just don't want to answer it. However, I would be happy to answer another question, at another time. So if you don't have any breakable, special pottery and you don't live on the third story, I'd be happy to chat about another subject. 

Well - I suppose I could throw you a bone - I guess. I mean, one of my embarrassing moments included quite a lot of tequila at 3 AM in some shady club I honestly don't remember very much about. It also involved my costar - but I'm telling you, she snogged me first! And don't get any ideas, there's been enough fanfiction written already! Speaking of fanfiction - God, have you heard that the fans actually put Max and I together? I mean, Max! He's lovely - and I'd be lying if I  said that I don't find the prospect of that quite... appealing... but he's twelve years younger than me, and, quite honestly, I don't know what they're thinking. He's got a girlfriend, for goodness sake - and I- well- I'm me. I'm forty-one and divorced twice, and let's be quite honest here... I have nothing to offer him. I'm not getting any younger, or shall we say, I could stand to lose a few pounds and be very happy about it. My bum's getting closer to the ground every year and honestly, now, there's a reason I didn't get picked for that part in Armandy. What a bloody fool I was, trying out! Really, I shouldn't have been so devastated. I was just flattering myself. They had younger girls, younger, prettier, thinner girls that were much better for the part than I was. And, bless, the way I flirted with the main actor on that set... I didn't realize, stupid me, how uncomfortable I made him. Everyone knew what an idiot I was except for me. You know, there were the other auditioners I overheard talking and... yes, their comments hurt quite a lot, actually. But I suppose it was good for me, in a sense. They were right. Same as Taurus. It hurts to say that... but yes, Taurus was absolutely right that I was ruined. It was my fault, too. And I suppose-
Oh, but look at me. You didn't ask for all of that. Here I am, silly me, rambling on about things that you probably don't care about. Bless, I should just put down this pen before I dig myself into a deeper hole. Sorry about that.

- Julia