Meet Rocky.
He’s a little over a year old and obviously has very good taste *LOL*
Recently I switched back to this Coach bag – it’s the size of this bag that I love the most. Large pocket in the front and a zippered one on the back, it just manages to hold all my "must-haves" perfectly. One zippered compartment runs down the middle of the bag, great for keeping my wallet a little more secure. My new smartphone fits a little too snug in the pocket, but I’m learning to adjust!
What do you look for in a pocketbook? I’m all about the right amount of pockets and the way it feels on my shoulder (even though I don’t often carry the bag on my shoulder, I want to know I can 
)
This week I’m in the middle of a great workshop on plotting using the "W" method by Author Karen Doctor – and one of the first things we needed to complete was a character worksheet. As I stared at my worksheet on my heroine, I realized that one of the most important things I NEED to know about all my heroines is always what type of pocketbook would she carry.
Such a simple question, but so telling. Is she the tiny purse girl who only needs the essentials like her wallet, phone and keys? Or, is she the "kitchen sink" girl – like me! Maybe somewhere in between. In any case, I think knowing what my heroine’s got in the bag is an important part of her personality and it deserves some thought. Is she the type of girl who’s got three different shades of lipstick, just in case? Does this girl carry pepper spray? Maybe her pocketbook is filled with things like tissues and hand sanitizers. Any of these things gives the readers an impression of your character.
My current heroine is a bit of a challenge. When she stumbles her way from present day to an 18th century pirate ship, it’s not like this is a trip she’s planned for or packed for – she doesn’t come with her pocketbook! But that doesn’t mean I don’t need to know what type of bag she’s left behind and what she’s used to carrying around – it’s those little tidbits that she’s going to be missing!
And now while I continue to plot and complete my character worksheet – it’s time to remove Rocky from his Coach bed before he gets too comfortable.
What’s your favorite type of bag – big or small?
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Intriguing, isn’t it, how much a purse will tell about its owner? I must have a split personality, because I alternate between huge roomy purses with no pockets to thin, relatively small crossbody bags that allow me to go about my day hands-free. (I typically use crossbody bags when I am walking in the City for the day, or on vacation). I think your pirate gal will steal a leather drawstring purse from past pirate’s booty to keep her necessaries in. I just decided my heroine will use a colorful, hobo style bag, reminiscent of the gypsy fashion roots she (says) she wants to forget.
Jenna! Great idea for my pirate girl to snag a drawstring purse! (going on a sticky note right now!) thanks
I haven’t found the perfect purse yet. I like big purses but if they’re too big then I can never find my keys. I need something with lots of compartments on the outside I think. I like everything very organized–which says a lot about my analness.
My bag is just like me – disorganized! (We love you even with your evil analness…haha)
I’m actually a backpack woman. I just bought a new purse to bring to conferences with me. Its weird to have a strap only on one shoulder and I keep scrunching up so it doesn’t slid off. I’m looking a little awkward right now!
I don’t care too much because your purse isn’t supposed to be more than 2.2 lbs. LOL Like that always happens! But, I really try!
Well, you saw my purse, I believe.
It’s a big one, not huge, but it’s a handy one.
It has a wide shoulder strap with a zipper down the middle — and if you undo the zipper, it turns into a backpack. It’s soft (SOFT), but sturdy leather and I’ve had it for years.
Everyone who sees it, wants it. Easy to clean, roomy enough to get stuff in, not too big and not too small. Perfect.
You know how you always lose keys in a big purse? I round braided a little sling onto a ring in there, and that’s what I clip my keys onto. All I have to do is pull on the string — and there they are.
Silke Juppenlatz recently posted..The Great Valentine’s Day Panic
I’ve never tried carrying a backpack as a purse. I usually find myself eyeing the large purses because I carry around a LOT of stuff – but then they get heavy, can be awkward and like Jennifer, I have trouble finding my keys
Silke it sounds like you created your own solution to the key problem, I might need to pick you brain on exactly how you did that!