In-Class Writing Prompt: Character Introduction

This is just a simple, short, untitled piece that I wrote for an exercise in Creative Writing. We were practicing writing character profiles as a way of combating writer’s block. First we brainstormed a list of traits based on the five senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell), then we wrote a character introduction with the intent of creating a vivid character that you would be able to pick out of a crowd.

~ Effy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She awoke to the soothing sound of Brian’s voice at her ear, whispering sweet words. His was a velvety voice, a murmur that reminded her of a late night radio deejay, and it welcomed her to consciousness with a smile on her face. “Good morning, sweet girl,” he said as she stirred. The words coaxed her into his waiting arms. For many moments, she buried her face in his shirt and snuggled deeper into his arms, not wanting to leave the warm bed. He smelled of shampoo and shaving cream, and she knew he had been up long before her.

It was Saturday. She always slept in on Saturday.

Reading her thoughts, Brian apologized, “I couldn’t help crawling back into bed with you. You looked so peaceful and beautiful.” He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead, causing the edges of his goatee to tickle her where they touched. His soft hands brushed across her face and made her purr in contentment.

Finally, she opened her eyes. Brian’s smiling face looked down on her. His bright eyes crinkled at the edges, though those blue orbs were nearly obscured by the reflection on his glasses. They sat slightly askew on the bridge of his wide nose, as they often did. His hair fell over his head in a short, wispy tumble of locks the color of dark straw, covering his forehead in the middle but less so closer to the temples.

His seated pose on the edge of the bed masked his shorter stature of merely five and six but not the curve of his belly, which she was curled tightly against.

“I still do not want to get up,” she yawned.

He chuckled softly at that, his eyes crinkling and his smile-lines deepening. “You do not have to. I will leave you to sleep.” He stirred and made as to get up.

She shook her head into his chest. “No. Stay.”

And in his agreeable way, he compiled. Brian got himself better situated on the bed, taking her in one arm and his cell phone in the other so he could browse as she dozed. As he clicked away, he absently stroked the small of her back, and squeezed her protectively whenever she stirred. She foresaw a generally lazy Saturday ahead of them as she tightened her grip around his midsection and drifted back to sleep in the comfort of his arms.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This story and all related material are the original works of Awaiting the Muse and Jamie Roman AKA Effraeti. All rights reserved.

Awaiting the Muse by Jamie Roman AKA Effraeti is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.