Everybody likes to go their own way
Name: Gwendolyn (Gwen)
Age: Seventeen
Location: The places we only dream of. Oh, and the mid-California coast.
What are some of your hobbies/interests?: Writing stands above all else for me; it's my greatest and most passionate ambition to become an author one day. I also enjoy counting my eyelashes, photography, candles, the occasional singing, drawing (or, to a more specific point, cartooning), and reading. Always, always reading.
What are some particular likes of yours?: Salt & pepper, down comforters, long & lazy summer days, thunderstorms, pasta, being barefoot, big thick sweaters, feeling "cozy," discovering new words, cats (especially kittens), e.e. cummings, Emily Dickinson, and the scent of old books.
What are some particular dislikes?: Talentless people who think they're extraordinarily good, mean senses of humor, yams, gore & horror, having my toes so cold that they hurt, things that don't work, people who make assumptions based on what others enjoy (or don't enjoy), that fishy smell of a cat's breath, seeing flowers die in vases, and being hungry.
Either describe your personality in five adjectives or write a short description, whichever you would rather do or think you are better at or think would give a better impression of who you are: Witty ;; giggly ;; imaginative ;; wordy ;; eccentric
What are your best attributes?: Mmm, probably my creativity and sense of humor.
What are ones that aren't necessarily flaws but might be seen as negative?: I have a bit of a malleable personality (I can change myself a bit to fit in with whoever I'm talking to) ;; I'm kind of a wiseacre ;; I'm constantly correcting people's grammar ;; my emotions can be very extreme - when I feel something, I feel every bit of it
Do you have any special talents? What are you "good" at? (Could be anything from making clothes to giving advice.): Probably writing. And I'm a fair baker, too. Oh, and I have an excellent memory, but only for things that aren't really useful, like movie quotes and random trivia.
Favorite book(s): The Great Gatsby is most certainly my favorite of all time; I read it every summer. I also really love the Harry Potter series (Prisoner of Azkaban onward). I'm a huge Neil Gaiman fan and adore every one of his books, most notably Stardust and Neverwhere. Other favorites are the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys nooks; also Sherlock Holmes and Poirot - I love a good mystery!
Favorite movie(s): Across the Universe, Into the Wild, Les Choristes, The Princess and the Frog, The Lovely Bones, Milk, every single bloody one of Hayao Miyazaki's movies, but mostly Castle in the Sky; Stardust, Becoming Jane, Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist, Capote, There Will Be Blood, Annie Hall, Rebel Without a Cause, La Vie En Rose, Seabiscuit, To Kill a Mockingbird and Revolutionary Road.
Favorite quote(s): "We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all." - The Breakfast Club
"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." - Rowena Ravenclaw
"It's called a sense of humor - you should get one - they're nice." - Pretty in Pink
"Practically perfect people never permit sentiment to muddle their thinking." - Mary Poppins
"You shouldn't trust the storyteller. Only trust the story." - Neil Gaiman
"Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living." - Dr. Seuss
What is your favorite Jane Austen novel, if you have one?: Ooh, probably a tie between Emma and Sense and Sensibility.
Do you have a favorite Austen heroine? Why her?: They're all bewitching and admirable and absolutely wonderful to me. I couldn't pick a favorite even if I tried.
What do you value more in a novel, social commentary or romance?: HAHA! Romance, of course; provided it is well-written.
What do you admire most in or about people?: I like people because they've all got a little magic inside of them bursting to get out, and even when they try to hide it, they indulge in believing in the impossible, and having the nerve to really wonder about things, and to immerse themselves in stories and dreams.
What is the characteristic you most value?: Loyalty and humility.
What do you think is the most important thing about you?: My ability to question reality without looking like I'm absolutely mad.
Arrange these qualities in order of their importance, from most to least: Wit, humility, intelligence, selflessness, idealism, unconventionality, dignity, caring, daring, pragmatism, and propriety.
What is your opinion of marriage?: It is something that must be approached with the utmost of caution but also the utmost of conviction; marriage is nothing unless it lasts forever, and unless you are happy.
What is your view of love and relationships?: I think we can truly, honestly love only one person, but there is nothing to prevent us from being attracted to others. One of the hardest choices in life is the decision of whether we must commit ourselves to a one true love or allow ourselves the experience of the kaleidoscope the world can offer us; to ask ourselves whether we should settle or explore even further has always been a conundrum.
What do you think is better, a life of love and poverty, or a life without love but with wealth (lack of love and plenty)?: Money is nothing. Love is everything.
Are you more impulsive or deliberate?: Impulsive.
Are you more emotional or level-headed?: Emotional.
Are you more humble or proud?: Humbly proud.
Are you more quiet or sociable?: Sociable.
More defiant or acquiescing?: Defiant and stubborn and fiery.
More spontaneous, easy, unconstrained, or inhibited, anxious?: Spontaneous!
Are you ambitious?: Not particularly. I know what I want to do and I'll do it.
What is your dream life like?: Love, happiness, art, authoring, and cats. Preferably in London.
What did you want to "do when you grew up"?: Hah, I cycled through many career aspirations as I was growing up. First I wanted to be a veterinarian (for several years, actually), but then I decided that I wouldn't be able to bear seeing animals die, and not being able to help them. Then I pondered being a jockey, before I realized I was too tall. Then I feinted over to the idea of designing carousel horses, which stuck with me for a very, very long time. Then I considered being a History or English teacher. Eventually, at the end of eighth grade, I settled on writing.
Are you doing it to any degree? Have you grown up?: I'm only seventeen, darling! I've got a long way to go.
Why do you enjoy the company of people?/Why are you friends with your friends?: I'm friends with my friends because they're all so extraordinarily different, but are still able to create this unbreakable harmony with each other. There are about ten of us and we're totally inseparable, despite the fact that we're all different people. Yet we support one another regardless of what may come, and we enjoy each other's company even when we can't think of a thing to talk about.
Are you close to your family?: Mmm, parts of it - mostly my mother's side. I've sort of disconnected with my father and his side of the family, so I barely know them at all, really, except for my aunt (Dad's stepsister), her husband, and their four daughters. On my mom's side, I'm much more tightly bound to them, and I love them all much more.
Who's someone you admire? Why?: Heehee. Jane Austen. Her absolutely enchanting writing enthralled an entire century and set the stage for droves of literature to follow; her uncontested ability to epitomize love into prose is a talent that none dare attempt to outdo. To me, she's even greater than Shakespeare.
What's your dream career?: Writer, writer, writer.
What do you think of Jane Austen's writing in general?: It's the pinnacle of literature; the embodiment of eloquence, and not a soul - today or a thousand years from now - can ever hope to come close to its brilliance.
What's your favorite article of clothing (pants, corset, etc.)? Any reason?: Dresses! I can't leave them alone.
Votes: un deux trois