NaNoPrep2023#03 Character: Protag

Name: Dumpy, also known as, JANE, probably one of the most boring names ever which I not only can abide but which I also still rather like. Jane Mitchel. That’s about as average as it comes.

Age: Mid 40’s, which I will take to be exactly 45, because that makes it pretty simple.

physical attributes: dishwater blonde hair, thin from age and motherhood and stress. 65 pounds overweight, so her body is pretty rounded and you can’t just say she’s “pleasantly plump” and hey this isn’t fat shaming because I’m basing this character on myself and I’m actually 100 pounds overweight, and not because of any legitimate health reasons, either. I eat way too much junk food and I do not exercise. I could blame my depression but I’m trying to be honest here… I’m also just super lazy. This obviously doesn’t apply to anyone else, but it def. applies to me, and thus it certainly does to Jane as well.

Occupation: Let’s go with what I almost know… librarian. I was a bookseller for like a hundred years, and I actually want to get a masters degree in library science, and I have the paperwork to prove it. I’m just too poor for college so since I love that book life I will upgrade le moi in the career department and live through Jane vicariously. Yay!

Education: Oh! Ha, Jane has a master’s degree from her local state college. But her branch just closed and most of the staff has been laid off. Banning books is bad juju, people. Don’t do it! Poor Jane. She was offered a transfer to the next nearest branch but it’s over an hour away. Oh, and the position would be a demotion, so… PASS. Sucks to suck.

Culture: Middle America. Cornfield USA. Small town Ohio. It’s gorgeous. But she is a spot of Blue in a bleeding sea of Red. It’s not good. Jane has a love-hate relationship with her area. She’s progressive in a town that’s… not. She can’t put up Pride flags or boast BLM bumper-stickers or anything like that, because Ohio loves guns and shit can get scary here. Dang, did I just get autobiographical? Maaaybeeee...

religion: Absolutely not, and it’s a real problem, ya’ll. It’s not a good time to be atheist.

family background: Jane's dad is a small business owner in a rural community. He is a retired veteran who worked in communications, and Jane's mom run a wannabe radio shack. Their shop is a mess of radios, microphones, and other old tech that was outdated back in 1999, but somehow they stay in business. Jane's dad is a regular contributor at the local ham radio convention where he specializes in teaching Morse Code.

Jane is an only child but she grew up surrounded by voices from around the world, and has never felt alone. Her relationship with her parents used to be simple, but it's gotten more complicated over the years as they became more involved in their church. Now they are hardcore Christians and it's definition a sticking point in Jane's ability to get along with them.

relationship status: Jane is happily married to her husband of twenty years. They have a 19-year-old trans child who still lives at home while attending the local community college. The family has an easy balance and there have never been issues they can't handle together. Jane's husband is a peach and their kid is a fun personality. Husband runs a grocery store, and while he technically makes more money than Jane, he pays for their medical insurance, so Jane actually brings home more cash from her job, which lends them a feeling of equality that bridges any gender gap and disallows either from feeling as though the other doesn't contribute enough. They split the household chores and outsource where they can; they pay a service to mow, trim, and do light gardening. A cleaning service comes in once a week to dust, vacuum, wash dishes, wipe down their two restrooms, and pick up a bit around the house. They order groceries and have them delivered to save time on shopping, and they take turns cooking dinner from regularly scheduled meal kits. Every Sunday they sit down to go over their budget and pay outstanding bills.

It's a solid, easy, satisfactory life. What more could Jane want? Good grief. This is the life to which I aspire, and yet in print it reads as super boring. Mostly I just wanted to present a stable home life because Jane's family is absolutely NOT the source of her problems. She's a mess in spite of her marriage, not because of it.

Personality: Jane is creative and quirky, with a twisted sense of humor that doesn’t always hit. She likes to think outside the box, but she isn’t always sure exactly what the box is, so sometimes she strikes people as weird. She is a better assistant than leader, as she isn’t always able to face the blank page, but rather can quickly assess someone else’s ideas and improve upon them.

Jane's strong-willed personality, while admirable, can sometimes manifest as an overbearing attitude.

She is a bit of a perfectionist, except when she’s lazy – pretty much one extreme or the other, with very little in-between. This trait defines her entire personality: she sees things as black and white with very little room for middle ground, which leads others to view her as opinionated. She suffers from anxiety because she has such a difficult time expressing herself and is always worried about how she will be perceived, and being a perfectionist just adds to her stress.

Jane likes to volunteer and she usually says YES to new projects without fully thinking through the demands. She wants to be liked and respected. Unfortunately, this means she takes on more than she can handle, which leads to her having frequent breakdowns and and quitting. She doesn’t mind staying late to get work done, which often leads to issues with her family, who would obviously like her to be home more.

Jane is usually the one to initiate conversations and plan activities. She always offers support and advice to her friends and loved ones. However, she is also critical of others and, although she is an open book, she has difficulty expressing her emotions in an easily digestible way.

likes and dislikes:

strengths and weaknesses:

motivations and desires: