Birthday party!

Gedaechtnis · Feb 8, 2010

So, I glanced at the calendar today and noticed that Wednesday is my MC's birthday! (I only know this because at one point there's discussion of IDs and birthdays and suchlike, and apparently I wrote his birthday on my calendar.) I'm not sure why this even matters. But...a few bits and pieces:

1. Do any of you actually give your characters birthdays? Not necessarily mentioned in the story (Imagine--"Susan had golden blonde hair that cascaded over her slim shoulders and sapphire-blue eyes; her birthday was March sixteeenth." Sounds like bad fanfiction to me), but is it in your file of random facts about the MC that nobody will ever know?

2. If it is somehow included in the story, why? That is, why does it matter to your story? (Just curious.)

3. If you feel like eating cake on February 10, please go ahead and sing "Happy Birthday" to Peter. He's turning 19.

Oh my god, I think I might throw a party...I need an excuse for one. :partyguy:

eyeblink · Feb 8, 2010

In Partings and Greetings, there are two scenes which take place at 18th birthday parties. Another (adult) character says at one point that she was born at Woodstock - not the actual festival, but on the other side of the Atlantic at the same time. She came into the world partway through Jefferson Airplane's set.

Sage · Feb 8, 2010

Mailee's is June 16.

Eric's is August 30.

Neither of them are mentioned in the book, but the general time of their birthdays is in there (Mai has an early summer birthday, so she's young in her class, Eric's is late, so he's the oldest in his)

We know Trouble's and Bex's birthdays are probably early April-ish, because they fall on and after Easter in the year of the story and the flowers are coming out for spring. We know they're a week apart.

Fiona's is in May. It's a week before Troy got hurt, which is toward the end of the school year.

bclement412 · Feb 8, 2010

Haha February 10th is my best friend's birthday

My MC Holly's birthday is September 2nd

The LI, Brady, is January 10th. Oops. I forgot his.

PoppysInARow · Feb 8, 2010

I almost always write my own worlds with their own calenders, o it usually slips my mind. But I usually will give my characters birthdays when I write urban fantasy.

Though apparently one of the characters in my newest series is having a birthday gala. She's turning fifteen. I don't know where it would sit on the normal calendar though. :Huh:

Gedaechtnis · Feb 8, 2010

PoppysInARow said:
I almost always write my own worlds with their own calenders

Wow. I commend you.

Yeah, I was just curious...I mean, I have random tidbits about all my characters squirreled away that will probably never leave their squirrel-hole, but hey, it makes me feel like they're real people.

Shady Lane · Feb 8, 2010

No idea when Jonah and Jesse's are. Probably close to each other, since they're about exactly a year apart. Will's is December, which I only know because he's 10 months old in an October.

Chase, my MC in Invincible Summer, has an early August birthday--it happens every summer. His youngest sister is born on the same day.

My other manuscripts, I generally have no idea. Noel is a Christmas baby...

Sage · Feb 8, 2010

Birthday Cake, Shades?

Gedaechtnis · Feb 8, 2010

Shady Lane said:
Chase, my MC in Invincible Summer, has an early August birthday

Me too. I must meet this man.

Shady Lane · Feb 8, 2010

Sage said:
Birthday Cake, Shades?

oh right. Charlie is June 21st, Kyle is early July, Josiah is July 17th, Trey is early August sometime, Sawyer is August 28th.

bobcat22 · Feb 8, 2010

My character has birthday in the story, but it's to move the plot along...it places her boyfriend, her father and brother all in the same room which equals tension. The birthday isn't that important, I just needed to get them together without someone back out!

eyeblink · Feb 9, 2010

Sage said:
Mailee's is June 16.

Eric's is August 30.

Neither of them are mentioned in the book, but the general time of their birthdays is in there (Mai has an early summer birthday, so she's young in her class, Eric's is late, so he's the oldest in his)

In Partings and Greetings, Natalie is mid-August so she's among the youngest in her class. Agnieszka is 24 September so she's one of the oldest in hers - so they're of a very similar age but in different school years. In the UK the divide is 1 September. This also means that Agnieszka has a younger sister (Marta) born the following August who is in the same year as her.

I did once know a pair of sisters like that, not twins but in the same school year.

Ugawa · Feb 9, 2010

Aw, my poor characters. I've never given them a birthday.

Gedaechtnis · Feb 9, 2010

Ugawa said:
Aw, my poor characters. I've never given them a birthday.

You terrible, terrible person.
I say we create an international holiday for all birthday-less characters.

DrummerGirl · Feb 9, 2010

Love this funky little thread!

Shame on you, Ugawa!

Two of my characters get official b'day dates when I write the birth and death dates on their tombstones

and my MC turns 18 during the first month of university - early march. (I haven't written it on my calendar yet...

) Before then, she is illegal, but manages to sneak in a few places anyway...

Gedaechtnis · Feb 9, 2010

Illegal sneaking? Tsk, tsk!
Well, Peter's not actually 18, but he thinks he is. He's turning 19-really-18 tomorrow (in the real world, not my WIP). So if you think about it, he's an 18 year old turning 18....
WOOO time warp!

Ugawa · Feb 10, 2010

Gedaechtnis said:
You terrible, terrible person.
I say we create an international holiday for all birthday-less characters.

Lol. I agree. I'll let all my characters know that they'll finally be allowed to eat cake.

DrummerGirl said:
Shame on you, Ugawa!

Birthday party!

Gedaechtnis

likes toast and peppermint

eyeblink

Barbara says hi

Sage

Our Lady of Parentheticals

bclement412

PoppysInARow

Gedaechtnis

likes toast and peppermint

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

Sage

Our Lady of Parentheticals

Gedaechtnis

likes toast and peppermint

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

bobcat22

eyeblink

Barbara says hi

Ugawa

It's a catastrophic success!

Gedaechtnis

likes toast and peppermint

DrummerGirl

Capturing the Castle

Gedaechtnis

likes toast and peppermint

Ugawa

It's a catastrophic success!