Rituals and customs
In fact, I bet that if I went up to most people reading this and started, “They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old …” they could probably finish the verse off for me.
This kind of thing is perfectly normal, to us; and quite possibly baffling to an outsider.
Let’s look at some customs that aren’t on a national scale, thus pushing up the number of outsiders who might just wonder what on earth is going on.
My hometown of Abingdon tends to mark major events and national celebrations with bun throwing: the Mayor, Councillors and other dignitaries go up onto the roof of the town hall, bedecked in their robes, and chuck buns down to the people in the packed market square.
I have a friend living in a small Wiltshire town where there is an annual celebration with its origins in the people’s right, enshrined in law, to collect firewood from the local woods. It is – frankly – borderline pagan, but so what; it’s also fun and I very much doubt God begrudges them that right. And you will take the right to celebrate away from them out of their cold, dead hands.
These things even go down to the family level. Our family, and quite possibly yours too, has its own little rituals and customs and sayings that are simply based on X number of years growing up and living together. Outsiders need not apply.
When you invent your characters, you no doubt (I mean, you do, don’t you … right?) work out lives and physical descriptions and characteristics for them. Do you go deeper? Did they grow up in a town where elected officials occasionally chucked baked goods at the electorate? Or something else? Maybe something [cue ominous music] … deeper and darker? Or something that can be used for a bit of light relief? It can be vital to the plot or it can just be detail. It can bind characters together with invisible strings, making them that little bit more likely to get on – or not. It can be a little something to surprise the reader with, and make them realise they don’t actually know everything there is to know about this person, and make them want to keep reading to learn more.
Enjoyed this. Don't suppose anyone else would question whether gin and jaguar people put slime on their toast, take a flub to bed, or have their insect friends over for the evening...
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this, Ben. Abingdon makes an appearance in a little parody I wrote a while ago (completely randomly chosen) and I was fascinated to hear about the baked goods. Loved it!
ReplyDeleteParody, eh? I would love to see that!
DeleteThat's an interesting idea. I guess we could interrogate our characters' own private rituals and ceremonies - those little obsessions that most of us have but few admit to. Stewing the tea for exactly 5 minutes. Insisting on only one type of toothpaste, and nothing else. Checking and re-checking that doors are locked before leaving the house. Opening letters with a certain paper knife.
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting post. I wonder how consciously we need to do this for our characters or whether, the more we write, the more those things will just come out naturally anyway. I once spent ages writing out character profiles for a book I was writing and then changed most of the them as they emerged on the page. I love your point about rituals and how they make up our lives. Your post has made me think. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI loved the idea of the bun throwing, I bet they don't throw rock cakes? In case of injury. ;) The firewood collecting reminds me of a verse in the Bible that until recently I'd always struggled with, that poor chap who got struck down for gathering wood on the wrong day. Collecting firewood, that's not pagan, that's common sense thought I. Then I clicked on the link! Oh my word! Be fun to go and see though, at least once. Grovely ! Grovely! And all Grovely, indeed!
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