Characterization

This is a small characterization of a fictitious villain in a larger piece using the technique of interior monologue mixed with narrative to explain his reactions to the heroine and also his family situation.

Chas watched Tresha walk away and whistled. She was beautiful, smart and…innocent. There was no way around that. She wasn’t the type of girl you partied with, but the kind you brought home to Mom as the girl you were hoping to marry.

He looked at the shortboard and checked the price. Too much. That was his life. Everything was too expensive and sucked. He had finally met a nice girl, but he couldn’t bring her home to his parents.

His old man would be boozing and probably offer her a beer, tequila or whatever his poison of the moment was. Or maybe not, the old man wasn’t exactly known for sharing anything, especially his alcohol.

Maybe the bodyboards would be better. His was all beat up. Sort of like his mother. After years of living with his father she was beaten, worn into the ground. All the physical and mental abuse had taken its toll. Now when she wasn’t working, she was sleeping. That cycle started as soon as he had gotten big enough to hit back.

After that one time, his father hadn’t touched anyone again. Chas felt sick, remembering the feel of his fist connecting with his dad’s jaw and it shattering.

Yeah, his father hadn’t touched anyone again. But that’s when she gave up. Short of the house falling in around her she, the old lady made it clear to her children not to wake her. Especially for something she didn’t consider a good reason. He didn’t blame her, sleeping was better than being awake in their house.

Blog 1

The site I chose to do my blog posting on is DaxMusic. The targeted audience of this site is people needing audio services done in studio, from demo projects to radio jingles, and his fan base leftover from Dax’s days as the keyboardist for the group ‘N Sync. In the about page it lists not only the type of services offered but also the ‘N Sync connection and his professional affiliations from Grammy voters to being endorsed by Peavey Electronics since 1990. There are also demos, endorsements from clients and samples of past projects, including one that was nominated for a Grammy.

The site appeals to reason with the impressive affiliation and past projects list, to the emotions with audio clips of his various work and the ethical sensibilities with the professional affiliations and endorsements. It only takes listening to Dax’s work once to make a lifelong fan and supporter of this multi-talented producer and musician.

Extra

Retelling an old fable and putting your own spin on it was one of the ancient Rhetorical Exercises. In this Exercise I attempt to retell a famous fable.

The Ants and the Grasshopper
by Aesop
Original version: THE ANTS were spending a fine winter’s day drying grain collected in the summertime. A grasshopper, perishing with famine, passed by and earnestly begged for a little food. The ants inquired of him, “Why did you not treasure up food during the summer?” He replied, “I had not leisure enough. I passed the days in singing.” They then said in derision: “If you were foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must dance supperless to bed in the winter.”
The hard working and possessive ants were spending one cold winter day drying their grains they have collected. The ants worked so hard that summer they collected enough grains for two summers. Weary and famished a grasshopper stopped and asked if he could have some grains. Overcome with sympathy for the old helpless grasshopper the ants reluctantly gave her some grains but not without the following advise “next time if you wish to eat our grains you will have to help collect them or next winter you will go to bed hungry"