Connecting to Characters

My friend posted this on my Facebook the other day and I thought I'd share it with everyone because I loved this quote.

Recently, I've been doing a lot of tests (Myers-Briggs and Strengths Quest). These are used for job searching. Basically you figure out what kind of person you are, what skills you possess based on how you answer questions. Some of my results weren't surprising. For instance, I was Futuristic. Other things did surprise me, though like being a Maximizer and a Strategic.

Maximizer means I am a leader, and Strategic says that I have a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. It says I see beyond complexity and always ask “What if this happened?” to navigate my way through things (A lot like writing works!). 

 One part of me is also called "The Giver" -- a person who looks out for everyone, but really has to work at setting aside time for themselves.

I started to think about which characters were like different parts of me. As writers, parts of us break off and form other characters. The other day I found myself wanting to be more like Cove than Barren. 


Barren is very caring, but he's also always worried about something. He doesn't really think the worst, but he always tries to predict as many scenarios as possible so he's not disappointed. 

Cove is always optimistic and always  seems to know where he's going and what's going to happen. He's a leader. 


At this point in my college career, I really want to be like Cove because I'm not sure what's going to happen. It was easy when I graduated from High School--I was going to go to college, everything would be okay for four years. That four years went by so quickly, I hardly remember most of it. Now I'm going through all sorts of scenarios trying to figure out how my decisions will impact my future...Graduate School? Library Science? Job Search? Career Field?...and I just want one decision (which I will end up making) that I'm optimistic and confident about. 


Then I realized, after contemplating what pieces of me make up both Barren and Cove, that I would be okay...because though I worry and come up with all these scenarios, I'm going to pick one. One that I'm going to be the most confident in...and in the end, I'm not going to know how all those other scenarios play out...maybe they would all lead me to the same place. 

So, Barren and Cove are only two of many characters trying to come together and be...me. 

At the moment, I'm applying to Graduate School for Library Science and Information Technology, looking to enter the job market, and editing my books. I'm excited. These past few months have been so confusing...but I think I finally figured out some things!

<3