Writing Quiz.

I couldn't think of a good topic for "What we Know Wednesday" so I decided to write about writing instead.

I ran across this character development quiz over at “It’s all about the writing” and I decided to apply it to the characters from my three novels.
It’s really a good way to see how well you’ve developed your character.

Would your character ever have a phobia?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: He is a walking bag of OCD Phobias, his touch phobia what keeps him safe from the alien virus.
Hudson: Her nudity phobia is why she hates Yar.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: If he did he would make a mathematical model of his attraction and repulsion to the phobia
Carly: She would force herself to confront her phobia.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Would be afraid of whatever he was brainwashed into thinking, but his intellectual curiosity would make him try and find out the truth behind it, against his will.
Anita: Never

Would your character ever go on a blind date?

Invasive Thoughts:
Never! For any of them.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Would rather hire a prostitute.
Carly: Has and they were all disasters.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: If it was approved by the State
Anita: Yes.

Would your character ever kidnap someone?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Forced his partner to be examined by a sex fiend then kidnapped her later to turn her over to the same sex fiend (she got her revenge).
Hudson: If it helped her career.

Project Spare-Rib:
They kidnapped the Governor of Texas.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Would if the State told him to.
Anita: Wouldn’t need to, she would be 2 steps ahead of her victim.

Would your character ever volunteer at a hospital/orphanage/whatever?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Fear of Germs, No.
Hudson: Too busy.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: I pity the hospital
Carly: Probably

The Setting Earth:
Sam: No, Charity work is Socialism
Anita: Would prefer to do Charity work but wouldn’t want to disappoint her father.

Would your character ever start a food fight with a priest?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Horrified at getting dirty
Hudson: It would mean she would have to change after, so no.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Would calculate all the trajectories of the food and make some amazing bank shots.
Carly: Not a food fight. Real fight maybe.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Never!
Anita: Hell yeah.

Would your character ever work in a Fast Food Restaurant?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Never, afraid of getting dirty
Hudson: Doubtful. Too career minded.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: I pity the fast food restaurant.
Carly: I pity the fast food restaurant.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Yes
Anita: Yes

Would your character ever eat ketchup from the packet?

Invasive Thoughts:

Yar: No
Hudson: No, afraid of getting it on her clothes.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: How else do you eat ketchup?
Carly: No

The Setting Earth:
Sam: No
Anita: Sure why not.

Would your character ever go vegetarian?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: The hours it would take to wash every last speck of dirt off the vegetables would make it impossible.
Hudson: If it was a diet craze.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Nope.
Carly: Nope.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Limiting consumption is Socialism.
Anita: Yes. If it helps out.

Would your character ever harm an animal?
No. Not intentionally.

Would your character ever scream fire at the movies just to see how people would react?

No for all except Tom (Project Spare-Rib) he would have the stats as to how quickly what percentage of people would make it out in what time.

Would your character ever throw a penny from the top of the Empire State building?
No, for any of them.

Would your character ever live in New York, or your world’s equivalent “Big City?”
Yes for all but Anita in The Setting Earth, she can’t stand Earth’s gravity.

Would your character ever work in a factory?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Too Dirty
Hudson: Couldn’t stand the locker room

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: I pity the factory.
Carly: For about two seconds before she got bored.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: If the state told him too.
Anita: Would find a way to automate her job.

Would your character ever have an affair with someone outside their normal sexual orientation?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Never, only had sex once (with Hudson)
Hudson: Not if it meant taking her clothes off. And she doesn’t go that way either.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Only if he was the one being pleasured, but would find it easier to hire a prostitute.
Carly: Not one on one, might be talked into a FMF threeway.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: No, it’s a sin.
Anita: If a guy isn’t around, or the guy wanted to watch.

Would your character ever pretend to be a hippie?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: If it helped him solve a case.
Hudson: Maybe, but she would plot out ways to avoid revealing any flesh.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Could never pull it off.
Carly: Yes.

The Setting Earth:
Hippies don’t exist on either world.

Would your character ever work at an ice cream parlor given the opportunity?

Invasive Thoughts:
No.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: I pity the Ice cream parlor.
Carly: For a while.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: If the State told him too.
Anita: Sure, it’d be fun for awhile.

Would your character ever become a killer?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: One attempted, one he was an accidental accomplice.
Hudson: Yes.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: No.
Carly: In the line of Duty

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Tries and fails.
Anita: Would, but would consider it a personal failure if she couldn’t think of a way around it.

Would your character ever read War and Peace?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: No, his trick memory would force him to memorize the entire thing.
Hudson: If assigned.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Prefers quantum mechanics for light reading.
Carly: Too Impatient.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Would like to have it banned.
Anita: She already has.

Would your character ever sing in the shower?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Showtunes.
Hudson: In and out of the shower as fast as possible.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: It would never occur to him.
Carly: No

The Setting Earth:
Sam: No
Anita: Would invite all her friends for a chorus.

Would your character ever go several days without bathing, out of their own free will/laziness?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Never, Showers Twice or Four times a day, never once or three times. (Doesn’t like odd numbers)
Hudson: If she couldn’t find a time when the dorm was absolutely silent and was worried about another female walking into the bathroom while she was showering she would skip a shower.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: If he found an interested problem he wouldn’t even think about showering.
Carly: If working on a case, she might forget.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: No
Anita: No

Would your character get in a prank war with someone?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: No, it would give away his OCD
Hudson: No

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: An overly elaborate one.
Carly: Too much of a chance she would take it too far.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: No, wouldn’t be proper.
Anita: Hell yeah.

Would your character ever sleep 30 hours straight?
My characters can’t find the time for a full nights sleep.

Would your character ever sell themselves or their friends as a way of making money for something they really wanted?
None of my characters would except in The Setting Earth.
Sam has sex with a co-worker in order to find out about a secret project.
Anita learns that Earth has Prostitutes and wonders how to apply.

Would your character be a good parent?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yes, it turns out even with all their mental problems focusing on a family life is just what they needed.

Project Spare-Rib:
I pity the child.

The Setting Earth:
They would make Excellent Parents, need to put that into the sequel.

Would your character ever live on a farm?
No.

Would your character ever listen to Country music?
No.

Would your character win a fight with a bear?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: The gun helps.
Hudson: The gun helps.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: If he had time to set up an elaborate trap.
Carly: The gun helps.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Not a chance.
Anita: Depends on which Planet the fight takes place on.

Would your character ever pose for nude photographs, if they were really hard up for money?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Never, would trigger “Bad” Thoughts.
Hudson: It would be her personal version of Hell.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: “People get paid for that?” Sure.
Carly: No.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Never. It’s a sin.
Anita: “Hell yeah, how much do I need to pay the photographer?”

Would your character ever hitchhike?

Invasive Thoughts:
No.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Would hop into someone’s car in a parking lot and tell them where he was going.
Carly: Never.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Never.
Anita: Sure.

Would your character ever pick up a hitchhiker?

Invasive Thoughts:
No.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Doesn’t Drive.
Carly: No.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: No, helping people reduces their desire to work.
Anita: Yes, especially if he/she is cute.

Would your character go hungry to be able to buy a book?

Invasive Thoughts:
No.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Yes
Carly: No.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: No.
Anita: Yes.

Would your character ever go to group therapy for something? (addiction groups and grief counseling count)

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: He did until he found it could be used against him.
Hudson: Too ashamed of her weakness.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Has driven many therapists insane.
Carly: No.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: No it is a sign of weakness.
Anita: Sure, it might be fun.

Would your character ever eat healthy food?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Will eat anything as long as the cook hasn’t actually touched it.
Hudson: Only healthy food.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: If it could make it so he didn’t have to shop for clothes.
Carly: Mostly healthy food to take care of her body.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Only trust large corporations to feed you.
Anita: Only healthy food.

Would your character ever binge on oreo cookies or equivalent?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: He would need to count the cookies he ate to make sure he didn’t eat an odd number.
Hudson: Never.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Has better (in his mind) things to do.
Carly: Never.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Yes and feel guilty about it.
Anita: Maybe, but would need to work it off immediately.

Would your character ever fight for a cause?
All of them.

Would your character ever want to be the ceo of a big company?
None of my characters want to be CEO of a big company, except Sam in “The Setting Earth” It is what everyone on Earth aspires to be, but if he thought about it he would see that he would hate that job.

Would your character ever espouse an unpopular belief or opinion (ie, most people would think of them as the villain)

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Would never say it out loud for fear of revealing his OCD.
Hudson: Not if it kept her from advancing.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Constantly, he doesn’t think before he speaks.
Carly: In a calculated way, yes.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Only in the service of the State.
Anita: Just to watch other peoples reaction.

Would your character ever dress up as a cookie for Halloween?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Never.
Hudson: If it concealed her body.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Doesn’t even like wearing clothes.
Carly: Yes.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Halloween is a Pagan Ritual.
Anita: Yes and she would ask if anyone wanted to eat her.

Would your character ever streak across the football field at the SuperBowl?

Invasive Thoughts:
No.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Not on purpose, but could find himself wandering out onto the field naked while thinking of something else.
Carly: No.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Never.
Anita: Hell Yeah.

Would your character ever admit to being wrong?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Only to himself and Hudson.
Hudson: Never, until the end when she admits she was wrong about Yar.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: He is a mathematician so he is never right, just less wrong than the rest of the world.
Carly: Yes.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Only after having the truth pushed into his face for 45 days, even then it takes careful programming by Anita to break down his stubbornness.
Anita: If she ever was, I’m sure she’d admit it.

Would your character ever have an animal part grafted somewhere on their person? If so, where?
NO!

Would your character ever own a really big dog?
No, Tom from “Project Spare-Rib” prefers cats.

Would your character ever do a voice-over for a cartoon?
Yes.

Would your character ever let another person talk them into something very much against their inclination and better judgement?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Sacrifices the entire world too save the people he loves.
Hudson: Abandons her career at Yar’s insistence that the world is doomed.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Can’t be talked into anything.
Carly: Never.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: His whole life.
Anita: Never.

Would your character ever commit matricide?
No.

Would your character ever wear a large, feathery, pink hat all day, just because they felt like it?
Only Anita from “The Setting Earth”

Would your character ever eat live squid?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Never.
Hudson: If it was good for her figure.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Sure.
Carly: Eck.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Only to stay undercover.
Anita: Hell Yeah.

Would Your Character Ever…wear rubber gloves?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Would prefer to always wear them.
Hudson: Yes, it’s part of her job.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Prefers to be naked, but what the hell.
Carly: Part of her job.

The Setting Earth:
They use gloves made out of indestructible Buckypaper for work on the surface of Ceres.

Would your character ever… trash a hotel room?
No.

Would your character ever do the Electric Slide?

Invasive Thoughts:
Both: If they were sure no one was watching, yes.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Yes.
Carly: No.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Never.
Anita: Hell Yeah.

Would your character be willing to sacrifice an innocent child for his/her ideals? (or their just cause)

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Children are where draws the line. He sacrificed his partner to a sex fiend, but wouldn’t pick up a suspect while the suspect was with his daughter.
Hudson: No.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: No
Carly: Never.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: For the good of the State.
Anita: Never.

Would your character ever…go to a Star Wars movie marathon?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Never.
Hudson: Dressed as Darth Vader so no one could see her body.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Would think it was a comedy and get tossed out.
Carly: On a blind date.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Never.
Anita: Dressed as Leigh in her sex slave costume.

Would your character ever turn in their best friend for a bad crime?

Invasive Thoughts:
Both Yar and Hudson would.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: No
Carly: Yes.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Betray your friends for the State, win fabulous prizes.
Anita: Yes, if it were part of her plan.

Would your character ever plant a garden?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Never, can’t get his hands dirty.
Hudson: Yes.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: If it amused his cat.
Carly: Too impatient.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: The corporations can do it better.
Anita: Yes, and on a scale that is unbelievable.

Would Your Character Ever…read tea leaves?
No.

Would your character ever physically attack a family member for any reason, and if so, why?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: Would be torn, but might to save the Earth.
Hudson: No.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Only fights in self-defense.
Carly: No, loves her step-dad, the rest of her family is dead.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Yes for the good of the State.
Anita: Never.

Would your character ever memorize the periodic table?

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: His trick memory forced him to.
Hudson: Needed to for training.

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: Has memorized it and found the properties of the next 200 elements.
Carly: No.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Yes.
Anita: If she had to.

Would your character ever leave someone he/she loves to make them safe.

Invasive Thoughts:
Yar: He did.
Hudson: Yes

Project Spare-Rib:
Tom: He wouldn’t think of that, it would never cross his mind.
Carly: Yes.

The Setting Earth:
Sam: Yes.
Anita: In a heartbeat, until she could figure out how to save them.

Would your character ever just look up into the stars on an especially clear night.
Yes, In The Setting Earth it is a major plot point.

Would Your Character Ever…row a boat?
Yes.

Would your character ever buy catfood and/or toys and donate them to an animal shelter?
Probably.

Would your character ever live on the street?
No.

Would your characters ever consider changing religions?
Only Sam and Anita in “The Setting Earth” are religious, Anita takes what she likes about the Catholic Religion and discards the rest, so no.
Sam learns that State is using his religion to control the masses. (I welcome your hate mail) So he does abandon the formal religion.

Would your character ever find a spider in their room and decide to keep it for a pet?
Only Tom from “Project Spare-Rib”

Would your character ever enter American Idol?
No.