Character Occupations

[Colleen Thomas]

I can see your point, Colly, though I was a little leery when you mentioned stereotypes. I am afraid of using an occupation as a descriptor precisely because of the stereotypes attached to it. Then again... it might be a challenge to portray a character with a stereotypical career, but write his or her personality in direct contrast to the stereotype. Hmmm... that could be fun.

If I say CPA, I don't have to give you a laundry list that includes, good with mnumbers, meticulous, exacting, or highly educated. You can infer from her occupation she is all of these things. Stereotype was a bad word choice on my part, it's become quite unpallatable and has a lot of connotation I didn't intend.

Pre conceptions would probably have been a better fit. Certain occupations come with preconceptions that are generally accepted. I don't have to tell you my theoretical astrophisicist is socially awkward. He dosen't have to be, but if I write him that way, the reader dosen't get pulled form the story and do a doubletake. By his occupation, they are preconsitioned to be comfortable with him being certain things. I can write him against type of course, but in doing so, his occupation still has weight as a counter reference. I've cast him as singular, without having to spend paragraphs of telling to do so.

 

[McKenna]

If I say CPA, I don't have to give you a laundry list that includes, good with mnumbers, meticulous, exacting, or highly educated. You can infer from her occupation she is all of these things. Stereotype was a bad word choice on my part, it's become quite unpallatable and has a lot of connotation I didn't intend.

Pre conceptions would probably have been a better fit. Certain occupations come with preconceptions that are generally accepted. I don't have to tell you my theoretical astrophisicist is socially awkward. He dosen't have to be, but if I write him that way, the reader dosen't get pulled form the story and do a doubletake. By his occupation, they are preconsitioned to be comfortable with him being certain things. I can write him against type of course, but in doing so, his occupation still has weight as a counter reference. I've cast him as singular, without having to spend paragraphs of telling to do so.

Thanks for the clarification, Sweets. You're one smart cookie.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Thanks for the clarification, Sweets. You're one smart cookie.

I have ulteriotr motives, every time you post I get another look at your bottom

 

[china-doll]

Almost all of my major characters have some kind of profession. As others have said, I tend to use the profession to give a general idea of the character without resorting to 'Blue eyes, blond hair, 38-24-36'... etc. I doens't really give a physical description but it does portray a certain image in the readers mind. Is it stereotypical? Maybe but if it works for the reader than what's the problem?

My list of major character professions:

(all female )

Civil Engineer
College Professor
Delivery Person
Marketing
Sales Girl (x2)
Student (x9)
Office Worker (x2) (cubicle type)
Science Officer (sf) (wip)
Marine (sf) (wip)
Starship Captain (sf) (wip)
Unspecified (several)

 

[Weird Harold]

I can see your point, Colly, though I was a little leery when you mentioned stereotypes. I am afraid of using an occupation as a descriptor precisely because of the stereotypes attached to it. Then again... it might be a challenge to portray a character with a stereotypical career, but write his or her personality in direct contrast to the stereotype. Hmmm... that could be fun.

Stereotypes are useful tools both as shorthand to describe a character that embodies a stereotype and for one who struggles against stereotyping.

I've only completed one story that paid much attention to the characters' occupations but it just happens to be my highest rated story and the one that was selected for inclusionin the first Literotica anthology.

The main characters are a (blue collar) Tennis Instructor at a ritzy club, a Bartender (who happens to be a doctor of psychology and filthy rich), and a Socialite who fills her time managing Charity Functions. There is a major secondary character who is also a Tennis instructor at the same club.

The occupations and stereotypes are integral parts of the stories and the characters are aware of the stereotypes involved:

Abigail thanked me for a very good lesson as she pulled a sports bottle from her bag. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when she soaked her chest and stomach with the contents instead of drinking it. Where the sweat from her workout had made the white cotton translucent, the cold water made it transparent. It also made her nipples stand up to attention.

“Looks like there’s only one thing you’ve got left to do, Gordi.”

“What’s that, Abigail?”

“Why, seduce me, of course. Isn’t that what Tennis Pros at posh country clubs do to single rich girls?”

“Well, if you believe romance novels I guess you might come to that conclusion. I actually prefer seducing their mothers.”

Abigail’s expression was priceless.

“Besides, I’m not sure who’s seducing whom here. Let me see if I have time to seduce a poor little rich girl right now.”

That particular bit of humor wouldn't be possible without the characters' occupations AND the stereotypes associated with them.

I tend to write characters with occupations that don't tie them down in a rut; I use students, self-employed artists/artisans, investors, photographers, potters, and bored filthy-rich socialites, so that they have the free time to engage in the interesting parts of the story.

Occupation is critical to some plot ideas -- one stalled story revolves around a trick of photography that won't work unless one of the characters is a photographer and the title "Hairy Sorcerers and the Stoneware Potter" simply isn't possible without an eccentric potter specializing in Stoneware.

 

[McKenna]

Stereotypes are useful tools both as shorthand to describe a character that embodies a stereotype and for one who struggles against stereotyping.

Harold, just wanted to thank you for taking the time to reply and provide an example. Using a stereotype sounds like a shortcut -a useful shortcut. Especially if you want to concentrate on something other than just their profession. I can see how it would be a useful tool to quickly get from point A to point B so that the sex can finally begin.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

If your story is going to cover more than 48 hours and not happen on vacation, you pretty much have to deal with your characters' occupations or lack of them. I mean, we spend like a third of our lives at our jobs, right? If it's Wedneday morning and your character hasn't been to work all week, then your readers are going to want an explanation. Not working is an occupation too, and there are different ways of being unemployed.

I freely admit to using cliches and stereotypes in my characters' jobs. Why not? Even if you play against type you're still dealing with stereotypes, and the cop who writes poetry is interesting because we all know cops are supposed to be tough and unsentimental. In one of my BDSM stories my male dom owns a beauty shop and does women's make-up and his sub is a grad student in mechanical engineering. I liked that because it plays against type. It's an easy and natural way to give depth to a character.

 

[kendo1]

Donald is a riever.
Mhari the heir to the MacGregor clan.

 

[rgraham666]

In my story The Gift I quite deliberately made the female character a lawyer. I envisioned her as a hard driving, obsessive, ambitious person. She was very close to anhedonic. Pleasure was something she had put aside in striving for the top.

And I think that made her believable. We all know enough lawyers like that. It was a stereotype, but it fit.

It also added a contrast as she feel under the man's control. This background made the emotions she felt more exquisite.

 

[BlackShanglan]

Thanks Shanglan, that bit above gave me a chuckle. Especially the reference to "desk monkey".

I guess my question would be, how would their professions have anything to do with their sex lives?

*laugh* Oh, dear, don't ask me! I always need a road-map to get to the sex scenes. I fall down the bottomless pit of characterization and eventually sex is had somewhere, quietly in a corner while I'm busily obsessing over my precious tensions. Sometimes I suspect that the characters are probably bonking left and right and then going into the hall for cigarettes while I'm still pondering their dinner party behavior. I don't really write for the sex scenes.

Let me think....

I suppose the Napolean-like character could secretly be hiding his propensity to be tied up, gagged, and spanked. His professional persona could be over-compensation to hide his real, inner self. But maybe this ties more into motivation rather than occupation?

Oooh, lovely! If you write it, they will come ...

Shanglan

 

[Stella_Omega]

If my characters have a job, it's because they themselves see it as paprt of their identity.

"Daddy" Gloria is a motorcycle mechanic, and it's important because she's a badass, a butch who will gladly encroach on any male territory. Her girl is something white collar, unspecified, and it would only be important if I brought a scene into her workspace- she dosn't care about her job, it's not her identity.

Tracy Bell is a musician, and it's important because his star status makes him desirable and fought over- a lot of what interests me in that character is what informs and constrains a celebrity.
Stella is a fashion model, because I can use my own experiences to fill out her back history, and because she's embarrassed by her job- she keeps rebelling against it. Also, it gives me a chance to dump her into places like Tokyo or the Bahamas, where, because she's such a perverse little bitch, she sees the underside of things- dunno where she got that from!

Mostly though, jobs don't inform my characters very much.