Community Week: A Dark and Twisted Tale Tag (Gothic Inspired Character Tag) — Jillane E. Purrazzi

It has been a long long time since I did a tag. I don’t know why. I actually love tags. It’s a great way to get to know people and to interact with the bookish community. I love the community aspect and I love hearing the different answers people bring.

So tomorrow starts the last week of the Month of Endings and we might as well send it off with a bang. I am creating an original tag centered around my favorite creepy genre as we barrel down on Halloween. So here it is, the Dark and Twisted Tale Character Tag. Inspired by Gothic novels and a long tradition of horror and suspense. You can answer as a writer by using your own characters from one or multiple stories, our you can pick characters from your favorite books to fill in the spots. And you can answer with a blog post, or with a video. Hey, you can even just answer in the comments! But be sure to tag me so I can see your answers!

Of course, I will be using the characters from my own horror series The Raventree Society.

SO. Here we go!

Frankenstein: Name a character who makes horrible choices, but really just needs to be loved.

A: Okay. This is an easy one. Kyle Hanson, the main character of The Raventree Society, is a well known trouble maker. When he was a kid he lit the carpet of his room on fire because he was scared of the monster under the bed. But Kyle really is loved, he just refuses to accept it or admit it. Maybe if he could, he would quit making such dumb choices and being so nasty to the people who love him best.

The Raven: Which character is haunted by loss and/or their past.

A. Sorin, in Season One of The Raventree Society, is a great guy. He doesn’t get much page time, but he has a lot more layers than you’d think. Sorin always got along well with Tyler, the “baby” of the group, because both had come from a violent background. Tyler, who had just returned from active duty and an injury on the field. And Sorin, who had worked previously as a police officer but had retired for reasons he never shares. We also see that Sorin is able to connect with Kyle much easier after a shared tragedy between them. Perhaps if Sorin had stuck around the two might have even become friends.

The Phantom of The Opera: Which character wears a mask?

A. Josh can come across as a bit of a jerk in many episodes of The Raventree Society. In fact, if you weren’t able to take in the account the deep POV and Kyle’s pretty clear dislike of his half-brother, you might miss how cool Josh really is. He’s a dedicated father, will do whatever it takes to be there for his family, and the moments he gets most irritated are usually because he is being shut out. But if you somehow catch what Kyle misses again and again, you will see that Josh often wears a mask of frustration and disgust to hide the hurt of Kyle’s continual rejection. All he’s ever wanted was to be part of a family, and Kyle likes to continually remind him that he’s not welcome in the only one he’s found. It might come across as irritation, but Josh really is a great guy. I can imagine being Kyle’s brother is a rough job, though.

Dracula: A character who might be a little bit dense about the things happening right in front of his or her face until it’s too late.

A. Leonard was one of my favorite characters to make fun of. He’s an airy-fairy California transplant who’s love for yoga, essential oils and weed has made him the butt of many jokes. It’s perfect for adding a bit of mysticism to one of the Paranormal Investigation shows that are foundational to the series, but when faced with the real thing, Leonard is a bit slow on the uptake. And when he finally does see what’s going on right in front of him, his reaction is a bit ridiculous

Hound of the Baskervilles: A character who’s figured out the answer well before anyone else.

A. Everyone could have done a lot better if they had paid more attention to Carl from the get go. Sure, he didn’t have 100% the right answer, but he has a lot of wisdom and could probably have figured things out pretty quickly if he’d just had some cooperation. Thankfully Hannah, at least, was willing to listen to him. Josh and Kyle were too busy arguing.

Rebecca: A character who sticks around even if they could have, by all rights, left a long time ago.

A: Hannah is one of my favorite characters because of her loyalty. She’s the one who has to deal with most of Kyle’s messes, but she also knows him best. When everyone else sees his anger, lack of responsibility, and general lack of respect for anything and anyone, they see it as childish fit-throwing at best. Hannah is able to look past that and get to know him well enough to see what Kyle really needs. Kyle is bad at communicating, but Hannah is willing to go the extra mile, even when she didn’t owe him anything.

The Picture of Dorian Gray: Character who endures an extreme change for the negative or positive.

A. I’m gonna start reusing characters. Cause I’m making up the rules, right? My hope is that this is Kyle. I guess you will have to read to the end to find out, though.

The Haunting of Hill House: A character who lives in a dream world.

A. I have a character named Rebecca, and she doesn’t fit under the Rebecca question. But I feel like Rebecca doesn’t entirely have both feet on the ground. Kyle’s youngest sibling might have a bit of maturing to do, but she uses her innocent joy well. It does, at times, lead her into trouble.

The Legend of Sleep Hollow: A character who likes to play tricks.

A: Tyler is a shoe in for this. Some of my favorite moments of The Raventree Society are the bits where he and Kyle get to interact. The two brothers share a quick wit, and trade snarky comments like boxers. Kyle’s humor is usually dark, dry and depreciating, but Tyler not only knows how to take a joke, but how to dish them out. Kyle remembers at one point how Tyler proudly wore a pink unicorn hat his little sister had given him as a gag gift. And while we don’t get to see much of it in the books, you can rest assured that Tyler has a fair share of tricks up his sleeve. He’s resourceful and when he’s not having to save his brother’s butt, he uses that trait to get a good laugh.

And Then There Were None: A character with a secret.

A: Philip only shows up in a few episodes. He is quiet, reserved, and likes to view the world through the lens of a camera. While Philip doesn’t seem to have much fear about walking into a haunted place, he confides in Kyle that he has experienced hauntings in the past. Sleep paralysis episodes with foreboding messages. I am sure there are several other things he’s not ready to share with his new friends.

Jane Eyre: A character who stands up for what they feel is right, even if it’s at great personal cost.

A: I feel like several characters can fit this spot but when I think of a character who stands up, it’s going to have to be Rory. She’s got a quick temper, a firm grasp on what she believes, and she won’t be swayed once she decides what she wants. In fact, the only person I’ve seen who was able to make Rory step down once she decided something was Hannah. Rory doesn’t just stand up for herself, though. She stubbornly sticks by Kyle’s side even when he makes it clear he doesn’t want her there. She has a sense of loyalty to Tyler that doesn’t sway no matter how bleak things look. And she and Hannah will have each other’s backs no matter what.

I could probably go on, picking amazing stories and exploring my characters through some of my favorite Gothic stories and their tropes. But, I now have 11 questions, one more than I wanted. I think it’s your turn now. I will be tagging a few people to try out this tag, but if you want to answer any of these questions, whether it be with characters of your own, or characters from books you love (don’t be afraid to mix and match either) feel free to tag yourself!

Originally published at http://www.jillanepurrazzi.com.