Oh, and What Sign Is Your Sister?

THE FOUR FOUNDING sisters of TSP lunched right before New Year’s to talk of this and that and, of course, of our new astrological sister, Sheilaa Hite. Paige cooked, which made everything perfect, that is, until Margaret looked up from her soup to ask, “What sign are you?” and Paige and I—both redheads—just stared at her. I mean, c’mon, it’s obvious. Isn’t it?

It’s just the eensiest bit possible that all Aries think that everyone who has ever met us has carefully listened to—and memorized—every single little thing about us, but certainly we expect this of a sister.

Mind you, I couldn’t come up with Margaret’s astrological sign if you paid me in crocodile sling backs, but being the younger sister, as well as an Aries, I’m not responsible for knowing it, right? I mean, let’s do keep to our types, sisters, even in this new year of change.

This idea of type is crucial to those of us writing about family. While you know your sister almost too well to write about her objectively, we know her not at all; identifiable types will bridge that gap of understanding. For readers to understand what she wants, as well as what she needs, we must witness her both going through events and reacting to those events in certain identifiable ways.

But here’s the catch: most of her motivation and background should remain unsaid. It’s her reactions we’re after. Much like my earlier post on characterization, we want to watch what she does, not see what she looks like. What did my sister send me in the ice storm? What did I do when she Christmas-re-gifted me her Blackberry?

When dealing with my sister, I zip right back into my ram suit and butt my stubborn head against all her opposition.

Some would argue that these Roach-sister responses were true to our astrological types, and whether or not you believe in astrology, trust me when I tell you that to writers, archetypal behavior is a gift in helping develop our characters. And we’re giving it to you here at TSP, via Sheilaa Hite’s new column, regularly.

Me, I leap away from Aries type when writing, taking all the help that is offered. When dealing with my sister, I zip right back into my ram suit and butt my stubborn head against all her opposition.

You? See if reading Sheilaa’s predictions for 2009 for both you and your sisterhood help you illustrate a “She Said, She Said” dynamic in your life. Start now, get it down on paper, and you could make the deadline for a radio essay or newspaper op-ed for that high emotional red-letter day honoring St. Valentine.

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