The Day of - NaNoPrep Assignments

Protagonist Profile

Who is my protagonist? Solomon Carl Plain is 25 years old. He has yet to get his first job in his degree area (B.A. in Education.) He is of average build (5', 8".) He is 150 pounds of with upper-body strength from lugging a briefcase around campus from class to class, taking copious notes in class, and completing all of the assignments for class, including major papers, and research projects. He is far from a body-builder, but he does work out at the gym three times a week, and he enjoys his 3-mile runs about 3-4 times every week.

As I said, he is currently unemployed as the story begins, during his first post-graduation summer. He lives with his parents, while applying for education jobs, but there are nagging questions in the back of his mind. "Can I be a good teacher? Do I want to teach? Did I choose this degree program because Mom is a teacher or because I feel like the Lord called me into the teaching profession?"

Culturally, Solomon is a Southerner from the Deep South of the USA. He was reared by a strong mother, who always knew what everybody should do with their lives. This was especially so for her "pride and joy," Solomon. His dad was a bi-vocational, Baptist pastor, who did most of his speaking in the pulpit, "the sacred desk," since Mom did most of the speaking at home. Dad worked a secular job Monday through Friday and took care of his pastoral responsibilities on Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesday evenings. Solomon didn't have much time with his dad, growing up, and as a result, he still doesn't really feel like his dad was proud of him.

Solomon is still a single man, which makes him wonder if he will be accepted as a teacher. However, he has been dating a young lady for two years, who has become "the love of his life." He's thinking about "popping the question," trying to get married, before he starts teaching somewhere.

Personality-wise, Solomon is reserved, owing to the fact, that he still is unsure of himself, and what he really wants to do with his life. He spent all of his childhood, trying to please others, especially his mom and dad. However, he shocks people when his foul mouth comes to the surface, since (in their words) "We didn't think you were like that."

He likes chocolate and a lot of it.
He is particularly partial to Southern Sweet Tea.
He loves pizza, fried chicken, chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, and peppermint sticks.
He loves Christmas, and summer vacation.

He does NOT like vegetables, especially the crunchy kind, that feel like "wooden sticks in my mouth."
He really doesn't like to be "the butt of somebody else's joke."
He doesn't like the first week of every college semester "when the teachers pass out the syllabus, and I go, 'How am I going to get all of that done?'"

He has a strong love of people, but his mouth pushes them away.
He has a strong desire to be an excellent Christian, but he falls on his face so often.
He has exceptional skills in Math, but he forgets people's names, if he doesn't talk to them every week.
He has a strong mind, but he does foolish things.

"Is there any hope for me to be a success in life," he wonders, "when my strengths and weaknesses so often cancel each other out!" (Philippians 4:13, KJV)

by Jay O'Toole
on October 3rd, 2022