#wrtiter

Valeria Vegas

Gender: Transgender woman

Sexuality: N/A

DOB: 8 August 1985

Ethnicity: White - Spanish

On September 26th 1994 Jessie Kesson, the author of Another Time Another Place, died.

Born Jessie Grant Macdonald in an Inverness workhouse in 1916, Jessie Kesson was a novelist and playwright most famous for her first novel, the semi-autobiographical The White Bird Passes. 

Jessie was raised in an orphanage from the age of eight, finally leaving in 1932 to go into service. However, she suffered a nervous breakdown and was sent to recuperate near Loch Ness, where she met her future husband, Johnnie Kesson.

In the 1930s and ’40s Kesson contributed to The Scots Magazine, and wrote over 30 features and plays for the BBC. In 1947 she moved to London to further her writing, supporting herself with a variety of odd jobs. Her heart, however, remained in Morayshire and Aberdeenshire. 

 In the 1980s she was awarded honorary degrees from Dundee and Aberdeen Universities. 

Jessie Kesson died in London in 1994

Her legacy includes an annual award that was founded in 2009 by Moniack Mhor to honour her inspirational life and work.

The successful candidate receives time and space to develop their work, as well as opportunities to expand their practice. This includes delivering creative writing workshops based on or inspired by Jessie Kesson’s life and work in local schools, libraries, or community centres.

A poem by Jessie Kesson, written in March 1973 when she lived in East Linton, East Lothia,  list D. Girl, or boy for that, got the name from where social workers placed a child who was seen to be a problem, getting in trouble with the authorities or possibly fighting at school etc they  would have been causes for them to be placed in these schools, which were residential, another name for them would be Approved Schools, my own brother ended up spending time in one of these, St Josephs in East Lothian.

Moment of Communication with List D. Girl.

F - - - off! she said. Dismissing me and my persuasions with a contemptuous stare that crinkled to a smile of small surprise When I in anger roared F - - - off to Where??

Why do people read stories? What causes them to put everything in their day aside to stare at a paper with little black scribbles on it? Why do you read?

Because it’s interesting? Okay, sure enough. But usually, it’s because deep inside, an emotion has been triggered that causes you to keep going. This is why people spend hundreds of dollars to read fifteen book series and spend thousands of hours consuming movies and tv shows. It’s not just interesting. It’s emotionally engaging.

Think about your favorite characters. If something bad happens to them, do you feel it? If they finally reach their goals, do you rejoice with them? Do you ever put the book down because you just can’t deal with the emotions anymore? I do. So, how does one generate such a visceral reaction in your readers? Here are some tips and tricks to make your hero an interesting and sympathetic person.

Have Them Rescue the Puppy

Why do we like Katniss Everdeen? What was our first encounter with this sixteen-year-old that made us fall in love? Was it not when she volunteered as tribute for her little sister?

What about Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz? Was it not when she saved her dog Todo from the evil neighbor?

Often, your reader needs a reason to fall in love with your character. They need to be worthy of the next several hours of their attention. A common troupe is to give the character someone or something to rescue. Katniss sacrifices everything to save Prim. Dorothy runs away to save Todo. How does your character earn the love and respect of your audience?

Have Someone Love Your Character

Another way to make your character sympathetic is to have someone else love them. Even your villains and anti-heroes can benefit from this troupe. Have your villain come home to a happy golden retriever that he pets and grooms and feeds before taking off his coat and shoes. Give your young protagonist a family that she can embrace and show love for in return. If you have a team of people rooting for your protagonist, it will encourage your readers to root for them too.

Don’t Make Them Perfect

How annoying is a perfect person? Their hair is always just right. They know the perfect thing to say. Everybody loves them. Blah, how boring. Give your character flaws—and lots of them. Now, don’t make them unloveable or unforgivable (see my previous posts), but give them something they have to struggle for.

Katniss doesn’t realize how likeable she is. She doesn’t naturally love Peeta. She’s ornery and harsh to those around her. Now, all of this is due to the fact that she’s had to fight and claw in order to survive her whole life. They are the flip side to the characteristics that helps her survive. But they don’t always make life easy, and they are things she has to overcome.

Bonus points if their flaws are fatal. Think Hercules’ strength—well—then again. Maybe not. Read my previous post for more information regarding how that went!

do your thoughts talk to you at night?

no matter how many times you stop yourself,

no matter how many times you count sheep -

'will tomorrow be okay?'

do your thoughts mock you at night?

eyelids beg for closure,

but pupils riveted on the ceiling -

'you always yearn for attention.'

do your thoughts belittle you at night?

tears make sight blurry,

a feeling of hatred in the heart that was meant to love -

'you don't deserve happiness.'

do your thoughts haunt you at night?

~calypso

I wish I could tell myself to just stop looking at the negatives for once, but it usually never works out. Maybe I’m just a person who keeps them in mind so that I don’t mess up anymore. I don’t want to turn this into a rant. Peace out.

“Our Fatima has always loved to cook,” she heard her father say in his most honeyed, eager-to-please voice ever. He-he-he-he-he. She could see only the back of his white prayer cap from between the folds of the curtain, but she imagined the sharp, pointy ends of his moustache bouncing up and down like they always did when he laughed. They also caused a bristling itch on her nose and made her sneeze each time he planted a kiss on her cheeks as a child, she suddenly remembered. That made his laughter sound more annoying now.

“Oh, here she is! Come on in, dear, don’t be shy,” her father turned around and gestured for her to sit, vigorously patting the empty seat next to his. He-he-he-he-he. “She is very shy, this one” he said, pressing on the word “very” like her mother pressed garlic and cloves under a pestle to make chutneys. “She never does anything without our permission.” Really, Dad? I thought lying was a sin. You know what, forget it. I’ll let the smoothie speak for itself.

Deep breaths, Fatty. She took a full look at the row of them. For a brief few seconds Fatima imagined slamming the tray into the guests’ faces, roaring with laughter at the sight of their shocked expressions and the smoothie dripping down their decked-up clothes, then walking away with the flourish of Ariana Grande at the end of Dangerous.

You couldn’t blame her. She was 19. What is a 19-year-old meme-maker supposed to do when asked to “behave like a dutiful prospective wife?” Make memes. And so she did. Her page ‘Fatty’s Daily Meme Juice – That sweet taste when you create a good meme’ had over 5000 followers on Tumblr. And she didn’t even follow most of them back.  

Lover, we have built a home.

Gaze upon it, revel at our creation.

Its grandiose visage, and alluring tapestries.

Look.

Impeccable walls, gardens that bloom to the tune of a monsoon.

Look.

Look no further, look within.