xlx - Day 21 - Do any of your characters have children? How well do you write them?

I'm starting to think, as I make my way through this meme, that you could probably estimate the type of week I'm going to have based on the Sass Quotient (SQ) of my answer to each week's topic.

This week is a perfect example. I'm very much inclined (approx. 80%) to just say, "yes, because everyone is someone else's kid," and, "hopefully, because if everyone's a 'child' to someone else, an inability to write them would be problematic given my desire to write books and stuff." Though it might be funny it's not that helpful - not that my straight answer will be once I get around to actually giving it to you, either.

I'm sure someone, given the urge and the necessary tools to measure the tone of my language, could predict to a relative degree of accuracy when I will tire of having to politely try to disembark from my train and decide to allow the laws of physics to do their thing. To wit: "An object in motion tends to stay in motion," and perhaps more importantly, "I'm a lot bigger than you are." Or, if you prefer: "I'm getting off now. You can get out of my way or you can come with me."

A strong understanding of the physical sciences is essential in writing believable speculative fiction!

Please forgive the tangent.

At any rate, if my answers don't seem that useful on the surface, upon reflection there is a kernel of truth. I tend to see characters as existing along a continuum. I don't know if this is due to the years of playing (C)RPGs, but I have a very mathematical way of visualizing traits. Kids are just characters with terrible strength and wisdom scores. They're shorter, sure, but anyone who's been around kids knows they have their own personalities and interests, and are really like adults with (occasionally) less refined vocabularies and social skills.

The kernel of truth, then, is that to think of characters solely as kids doesn't focus the lens enough. Much like my answer about culture, a character's age can serve as a starting point but needs to be refined with a much finer view lest one's characterization remain stiff and uninspired.

As for a "serious" response, my answers would have to be, "Yes, a handful," and "Hopefully my second year Childhood Psychological Development courses paid off, we'll have to see."
 
Hmm, maybe that was the smart alec response after all. Interesting.