My next book, Catch You Later, Traitor, will be published early next year. It is, as they say, in production. I get the first copy-edited pass this week.
The story is told by Pete, in the first person. Today, I received this note from my editor’s assistant:
“One more thing: Our art director has asked me for a physical description of Pete, to give to the jacket illustrator. I’m looking through the manuscript and not finding anything too specific. Would you mind letting me know how you picture Pete?”
In other words, though this book has been in my head for something like eight years, actively working on it for four years, only now am I required to think (consciously) what my lead character looks like.
I write back (note: the story is set in 1951):
“He’s 12 years old, just about to go into his growth spurt. (His best friend, Kat, the girl in the story, is taller than he is.) But at the moment, his is youthful looking, not particularly adolescent. Rather innocent, in fact, though on the edge of growing older. Stands tall. Wants to be tall. No slouch. Wishes his voice was lower. I’d bet his hands seem a little big, likewise feet, but not his ears. Nose, blunt, round. One or two freckles on his still round cheeks. His eyes are dark and that is the most intense aspect about him. He looks at things, people. Curious. He will be tall, (taller than his father) and on the slim side, long faced. (He would like to look like a lean, hard faced movie detective…but won’t, ever.) Black hair. Curly. Not particularly neat in dress or hair. Wears Converse sneakers. Lumpy vest sweaters his grandmother knits. Collared shirts. No t‑shirts to school. Might have a denim Eisenhower jacket. There is nothing athletic about him—but he enjoys playing sports, punch ball, dodge ball, stoop ball—city sports. He’s a reader, but does not wear eyeglasses. Kat does. There are not many laughs in the book, but I bet he has a good grin, and he likes jokes. When he is worried, it is obvious.
Will this work?”
1 thought on “Describing my main character”
This is an excellent description of this boy. I could almost see my nephew. He was 12 and at that lanky cusp of almost being a teenager. Such an awkward time in a boy’s life.