Welcome back to our Cast Away series! This week, we’re talking about casting off the things that don’t serve us.
Oftentimes it’s difficult to cast away toxic habits, even for fictional characters. Wickeds, have your protagonists changed any of their bad habits? If so, name one. Was it a challenge? Why or why not?
Sherry: If being overly curious is wrong my protagonists don’t want to be right. Chloe does love to eat but she compensates by running and doing water sports.
Barb: Jane Darrowfield, the protagonist in my Jane Darrowfield Mysteries, has a new man in her life after decades without one. He doesn’t live with her, but they frequently cook dinner together at her house. He’s been moving things around in her kitchen, making it more “logical and efficient.” Jane is trying very hard not to be reactive, controlling, or negative about things just because they’re new. She’s trying to fairly assess the value of each change. She is occasionally succeeding.
Edith/Maddie: Mac Almeida is trying to lessen her obsession with everything being neat and tidy. So far she’s not too successful, although getting involved with solving homicides can be messy to the extreme. Robbie doesn’t have too much toxic going on, unless it’s her fondness for Four Roses bourbon. Stay tuned for news on that!
Jessie: My sleuth Edwina is trying to be more flexible and enthusiastic about trying new things. And she is working on her backseat driving! Beryl, on the other hand, is not a fan of even the notion of a habit being bad!
Julie: Lilly Jayne is trying to open up to new experiences. In Wreathing Havoc she doesn’t love the idea of the plant sculpture competition in Alden Park, but she supports her friends. In The Plot Thickets (out this fall) she’s trying to let go of her need to know and control all. Though solving the mystery depends on just that.
Liz: I love these! Maddie’s bad habit is drinking too much coffee, clearly. And she has no desire to change that. Also, she can’t say no to any animal in need, which is definitely not a bad habit, but one that sometimes puts her in precarious positions! Violet, meanwhile, is trying not to doubt herself as much.
Readers, what about you? Any bad habits you’d like to cast off?
For my chief protagonist, she wants to cast off her fear and doubt as she gravitates toward newfound confidence and boldness.
I’m working on my patience. I’m occasionally succeeding.
I’m working on what I call the empty calories. You know taking that snack and sitting down to the computer. Before you know it you look up and the bowl is empty but you don’t remember eating but the first bite. So trying not to have snacks unless I’m fully aware and not sidetracked. It’s hard because usually when I have time to sit down and have a snack, I’m either at the computer or reading. As I’ve gotten older and move slower seems like there isn’t any idle time. This all means that I snack less period which is turning out to be a very good thing. Now if I can just stick to it because you know how that bag of chips or package of cookies sings out your name from time to time.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Bad habits? Moi? LOL – Let’s see, there is that empty calorie thing Kay mentioned, and I do tend to spend too much time at the computer. I’d like to strike a better work/life balance.
I snack WAY too much, but my tortilla chips taste so good!
I first thought, too, was eating too much. I do great all day long, but then evening comes… It’s too easy to eat anything while reading and that’s what I do at night. Not going to quit the reading part, so the eating part is going to be a toughie.
I’d love to stop procrastinating, but I’ll work on that tomorrow.
And I’d love to consistently eat better so I could lose some weight. But foods that are bad for you taste so good! Now, pass the ice cream.
For me, its too much coffee! Fun post!