– Main Characters
Margaret Murray aka Maisie “Don’t call me Maggie” – Nice, caring, sympathetic, and proper, she has a good sense of humor and isn’t above self-depreciation. She wants to help people, including dead ones. Ever since childhood she’s had the ability to see/hear the spirits of the dearly departed, particularly the recently departed and/or those with pressing matters left unfinished. Usually these spirits realize she can see them, and they seek out her help. She’s passionate about stuff she cares about, so she can have temper flares, but never the kind that makes anyone break out the riot gear. She’s nosy, an eavesdropper, can get all up in other people’s business, and often gets pushy about it, but that’s what makes her a good journalist, and she uses her career to help people as often as possible.
Born October 31, 1909: “You are kind and loving, sympathetic and quite sensitive, are very popular and a comfortable person to have around. Although you are retiring and unassuming, you have good judgment, once you make up your mind. You have many friends.”
Joseph Murray aka Joey or sometimes Joe – A funny guy, always cracking jokes, always optimistic. He’s a bit of a drifter/adventurer, so he never stays in the same job or town for long. Honestly, no job can hold a candle to all the characters and adventures going on in his head, but a guy’s gotta eat. He wants to publish his own crime/comedy “graphic novel” series. He’s also a devoted family man; sister Maisie is one of his best friends, he loves wife Cleo with all of his very big heart, and he adores his children and is their favorite playmate.
Born December 11, 1906: “You speak and act hastily, but mean no harm. You are a great reader and a good and entertaining talker. Bright, witty, and vivacious, you are generally “the life of the party.” You love luxuries and pleasant surroundings and are sensitive to your surroundings. Your love is constant and demonstrative.”
Cleopatra “Cleo” Murray nee Howard – Joey’s wife. She’s black, plunged into a white world that isn’t ready for her to be there, all because she couldn’t resist the charms of an open-minded white man. As a character, she needs to walk the precarious line of breaking stereotypes of the time while not being so perfect that she’s unrelatable, but also not being flawed in an insulting or insensitive way.
Born May 6, 1914: “You are proud, persevering, conscientious and sometimes stubborn. You are constantly striving to elevate yourself socially and intellectually. You have a tendency toward pessimism, that with continued unhappiness or failure, may cause you to become bitter and caustic. You are usually kind and tender.”
Silas Murray – The cold, distant, authoritative father who’s still trying to pull Maisie’s strings, even when he’s dead. He’s cold, distant, and authoritative. Yes. Also a shrewd businessman who can defeat things like historic economic depressions. Oh, and he thinks “colored” people are and should remain one step below white people. SO LOOK WHAT HIS EX-SON DID. HE DID IT ON PURPOSE DIDN’T HE. (Not to be confused with Brett Bracken’s father, who is like 100 times worse. Silas did employ and pay colored people, and he never beat them or went out of his way to berate them. He just didn’t pay them as much as his white employees.)
Born June 29, 1874: “You have an alert mind and think deeply. You are forceful, determined, and have good, sound judgment. You are uncommunicative but have a quick and violent temper and love with the same impulsiveness and intensity. You need someone on whom you can lavish your affections to be completely happy.”
William Dalton – Sensitive to other people’s feelings, quiet and shy, and has to spend a lot of time psyching himself up to do anything. He’s a talented and dedicated musician, never happier than when he’s blowing his horn. For most of his adult life, he has felt like a cad for the way he fell for glamour girl Violet and dumped high school sweetheart Maisie, and he’s afraid that Maisie has never married because of it. He does love Violet, but she’s extremely high maintenance. Still, he can’t imagine his life without her, because she basically runs it for him. That’s easier than having to argue with her over every little thing, although sometimes he simply can’t stay silent. Such an occasion quickly evolves into a terrible scene that any peaceful person would richly desire to avoid. He tries to remember her as the girl he fell in love with, the girl she was before the Depression.
Born September 19, 1909: “Ambitious, energetic, and a hard conscientious worker, you help those dear to you even at the cost of your physical well being. You are careful, accurate, discreet and somewhat fastidious. You love music and literature and make an interesting conversationalist. You are loving and kind, and will be contented.”
Violet Dalton nee Adair – One of those pillar-of-the-community types, and has her hand in several committees. She works hard to make sure everyone relies on her and thinks she’s important and influential. She probably started out nice enough (to everyone but Maisie), but power and influence corrupt, and now she runs everything and everyone, and they had better not let her down, make her look bad, or forget that she’s the one who got them where they are. And all of this because she had to give up her dream of becoming a concert pianist. It’s possible that only Maisie brings out the worst in her.
Born January 8, 1907: “You are self-reliant, cautious, shrewd, dependable, and being intuitive, can easily detect deception in others. You love music, art, and outdoor sports. You will always enjoy excellent health and should live to a ripe old age.”
Theodore Tierney aka Ted aka Teddy – Pleasant and charismatic, everyone likes him. In turn, he likes people and finds them very interesting. He’s a heart-on-his-sleeve type of person, so his responses to everything are never halfway. His father and Maisie’s father should get together and go bowling. (Once in a while I throw in a quote from The Breakfast Club.) He also has a lot of latent “psionic” ability that he tries very hard to control and hide, so he’s forced to keep most of his acquaintances superficial. He longs to make a deep connection with someone who can handle, and maybe even help him with, who he truly is. He has decided Maisie is that person, no two ways about it!
Born December 9, 1908: “You are slightly inclined towards pessimism and should strive to curb this tendency. You have keen intuitive powers and quite frequently save yourself and friends from disaster through it. You are kind, somewhat sensitive, versatile, discreet and eager to learn. You are loving and considerate in your home.”
Anna Banwell – She needs to be the cool and likeable character, who is funny and says things that the audience would probably want to say. She should stretch the boundaries of the time period, so modern-day women can relate to her. She’ll need to be self-sufficient, and fulfilled in her work. Her attitude should be like if the right man happens to come along, okay. But if not, she’ll be just fine. And, of course, she must like Cleo and dislike Violet, lol!
Born August 7, 1911: “You have a nice sense of humor and can appreciate a joke even at your own expense. Although proud and somewhat positive, you have a strong, winning personality. You are energetic, original, and are most happy when solving some problem. You are not demonstrative, but are capable of a deep and true love.”
– Moar Characters