Mick’s Whump Dabblings

I’m gonna get up on my old person soap box here to extol to you the benefits of an older OC. Not geriatric. I’m unlikely to ever make a grandfather a whumpee, but your whumpees in their 30s and 40s. 

Pain hits different as you get older and it takes longer for it to feel better. That minor injury might just always be like that now. Sometimes it doesn’t take much People in this age group were also raised by the “walk it off” generation who thought that if you weren’t bleeding and the limb looked straight you were probably fine. They can be Stoic. As. Fuck.

The protagonist isn’t always right

The protagonist isn’t always good

The protagonist isn’t always written to be relatable or likeable

The narrator isn’t always right

The narrator isn’t always good

The narrator isn’t always telling the truth

The narrator isn’t always the author

The protagonist’s moral compass, the narrator’s moral compass and the author’s moral compass are three entirely different things that only occasionally overlap

Pay attention to what characters do and not just what they say

Pay special attention when what the characters do is at odds with what they say

HI THERE. :D

I would definitely recommend these as the first two:

Biggles Files East

Biggles & Co.

Those are chronologically the first two with EvS but are also two of the ones that showcase him at his best and most Honorable-Enemy-ish with Biggles.

So those are those are the two I'd start with and are also some of the best.

If you like those, I also recommend from much later on and with the characters having a somewhat friendlier vibe:

Biggles: Foreign Legionnaire (EvS is only in a small part of the book, but what he's in features a reluctant team-up with Biggles and it's great)

Biggles Buries a Hatchet

Biggles Looks Back (these latter two are basically the majority of the Becomes Friends part of their Enemies to Friends arc)

If I’m doing this exercise, I want 7-10 questions to get the character feeling real in my head. So I thought I’d share the ones that get me (and my students) good results: 

What is the character’s go-to drink order? (this one gets into how do they like to be publicly perceived, because there is always some level of theatricality to ordering drinks at a bar/resturant)

What is their grooming routine? (how do they treat themselves in private)

What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? (Gets you thinking about socio-economic class, values, and how they spend their leisure time)

Do they have any scars or tattoos? (good way to get into literal backstory) 

What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances? (Good way to get some *emotional* backstory in.) 

Are they an oldest, middle, youngest or only child? (This one might be a me thing, because I LOVE writing/reading about family dynamics, but knowing what kinds of things were ‘normal’ for them growing up is important.)

Describe the shoes they’re wearing. (This is a big catch all, gets into money, taste, practicality, level of wear, level of repair, literally what kind of shoes they require to live their life.)

Describe the place where they sleep. (ie what does their safe space look like. How much (or how little) care / decoration / personal touch goes into it.)

What is their favorite holiday? (How do they relate to their culture/outside world. Also fun is least favorite holiday.)