Hi! Lou Sylvre, here with my April 2017 monthly blog post on Love Bytes. I’ve been serious-minded about an awful lot of things lately, and given US and world events, publishing industry fiascos, and economic realities, it’s no wonder that I have. But today, I’m (an old) girl, and having fun is all I wanna do. Since I’m nowhere near Santa Monica Boulevard (thanks to Sheryl Crow for a great song, though it’s a not so perfect segue), I’m going to have it right here on Love Bytes.
I love giving my characters unexpected hobbies. For instance, Luki Vasquez, ultimate badass, loves to cook, whereas his sweetheart Sonny James, the textile artist who says he “plays with yarn… and string” for a living, wrenches on cars and drives like the road is his personal Nascar track (but safely). Scotland Yard police inspector and Dom Brian Harrison likes to knit and crochet—that does relate, I suppose, to his rope kink. His romantic counterpart and sub, Jackie Vasquez, likes to roam town and country geocaching.
The thing is, I know I also like to read other people’s characters with interesting, surprising, or whacky hobbies, but I can’t think of a single one as I’m writing this! I’m putting it down to a busy brain, but how about helping me out?
If you’re so inclined, tell me about your favorite character hobbies—let’s give them and their authors some love! And while you’re at it, tell me about a pasttime you’d like to see a character have. Make it exciting or funny or cool, but don’t say “sex.” I’ll choose one, and I’ll do my darndest to write it into an upcoming book.
In other matters, stay tuned on Love Bytes this month, as April is anniversary month—four years! Celebrations are bound to include shenanigans, among other good things.
Thanks for reading (and playing my character hobby game)!
Woodturning/carving, making stained glass windows, glass blower, restoring old books, model trains, building with Lego blocks but huge structures like Washington Monument or Statue of Liberty, gardening.
Rock climbing, mountain biking, paragliding/sailing, waterskiing, wild water rafting.
Tanja, your comment is like the motherlode of potential character hobbies. Thank you! <3
I can’t think of any hobbies that characters have outside the ones you’ve already mentioned but I do like the idea of unusual hobbies for characters like stamp collecting for an all action bad boy or jewellery making for a really macho one.
A couple of very good ideas! Thanks1
I read an article this week about a goalie whose parents moved to Sweden from Lithuania to pursue careers in orienteering, and it sounds like a sport that would lend itself to story plots (and be totally terrifying to someone like me, who enjoys familiarity during relaxation times)!
Hah! Good idea for a character, Trix. If it was me, I could see it going all wrong! Thank you. 🙂
Bowling, canoeing, camping, fishing, wine tasting, horseback riding, photography, skateboarding.
Quite a diverse bunch of ideas, Lisa! Several of which I can see being perfect for a character, even as a main part of the story line. Thank you! 🙂
I go through a lot of phases of wanting to learn new crafts. I picked up crocheting a couple of years ago.
I used to do a lot of crochet, H.B., not so much recently. Still lots of yarn waiting for the hook, though. 🙂 Thanks.
Anything artistic, cooking and baking, playing musical instruments or singing, going to museums, reading, photography, hiking.
You know, I’m not sure why I’ve never written a character who plays music as a hobby. I’ve got a couple professional musicians in my holiday novella (Falling Snow on Snow), but no one who does it only for the love. Good idea! (The others are good, too.) Thanks.
I can’t think of hobbies of current characters, off hand; but mine are tennis, biking, and visiting historical places. But that wouldn’t be too exciting for one of your characters, I don’t think. So for some possibilities I turn to my mom and relatives – bird watching (mom’s), baseball fan, crafting stained glass window ornaments, model trains, amateur acting/musicals, and writing poetry.
I think biking and visiting historical places have loads of story potential! The rest sound promising too. Thanks. 🙂
So I’ve a question, are there any “dream” hobbies you have that you might enjoy vicariously through your characters?
Ah, yes! Good question. I’ll answer in my May blog post. Thanks for asking.
Zentangle (www.zentangle.com); crossword, jigsaw or suduko puzzles
Zentangle looks very interesting! First time I’ve ever heard of it.Thanks, Karen! 🙂