Why yes I do have action figures for my characters. (Melissa Robbins)

I have been looking forward to this post.  As a quirky person, I have an assortment of quirky things in my writing area.  You’ll have to forgive me.  I can’t share just one.  

First, I have Connor’s plane complete with noseart and markings.  I assembled and painted the Spitfire myself.  Yes, Connor’s kite is missing a wheel, courtesy of my six year old son who played with it.  The boy loves planes as much as his mummy.  I didn’t glue the wheel back because there is a scene in my second story (written before the damage) where Connor has to land his plane on one wheel.  And yes, here are my characters as action figures (sort of).  I assembled and painted my little Connor, Jack, and Wren, too.  I love how Jack has his coat slung over his shoulder all cheeky like.   I’ve resisted playing with them to act out scenes.  Are you wondering why Jack, who is U.S. Army Air Force, is wearing Royal Air Force blue?  Yeah, Wren was wondering the same thing.  ;0)  Looking at this Wren makes me laugh.  This figurine is a lot calmer than Wren was in the scene.  She wanted to strangle and hug her brother at the same time.    
            Near the plane, I display pilot wings, like Jack would have worn, in an antique printers’ tray.  






    Here are 1940 editions of Murder on the Orient Express and Biggles – Secret Agent.  In my first story, Wren carries around the Christie paperback in her gas mask bag and it helps her solve an important code.  Wren uses the Biggles book to communicate code messages with a certain pilot.  Biggles inspired my flyboys and is probably the reason I have a fascination with pilots.  That and watching Top Gun at a tender age. 
  
     What we were talking about?  Pilots.  Right.  Here is my bulletin board for inspiration and distractions.  On top, we have Jack’s Bacon and Connor’s Raven noseart.  Between them, I have my own propaganda posters.  The British government created a ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ one.  ‘Keep Calm and Write On’ was something Fran told me and it’s become my mantra ever since.  The blue ones are real signs from WW2.  I also have some sketches of my favorite boys (Jack, Connor, and my YA brothers, Dermot and Carrick.)  Oh look!  Who is that devilishly handsome man in the RAF uniform?  That would be Rupert Penry-Jones from Charlotte Gray.  If you want to know what Jack looks like in RAF blue, there you go.  Except you need to muss up his hair a bit.  Those pictures are SO distracting!  Sigh.  Where was I?  The black and white photo is of a real WAAF who reminds me of Wren and below that is a wireless patch she would have worn.  Underneath that is a fortune from a cookie I received recently that reads, “Bide your time, success is near.”  The image of the RAF ranks and insignias helps a lot determining which rank to use. 
  
          Adjacent to the bulletin board, is a nifty WW2 calendar a writer friend gave me for Christmas. Each day has a significant event that happened during the war.  Funny thing though, I was SO busy drooling over the bomber squadron for January that my friend had to point out the events.  I hadn’t noticed! 

            So there you have it, my collection of quirky items.  I also have a shelf full of WW2 books. 

9 comments:

Frances Fowlkes said...

Love your collection, Mel! Especially the action figures! I only wish I had some of a certain duke and his American distraction to use to play--err, act out scenes. :)

Reese Mobley said...

Too cool! What a great blog! I'll let you play with my armadillo if you let me play with your toys.

Anonymous said...

‘Keep Calm and Write On’ I like that. Very interesting collection you have and I can see how that could be very inspiring. Fun characters too!

Melissa Robbins said...

Thanks, guys! Fran, you could get a couple of Barbie and Ken dolls and make your own Regency clothes for them. Ooo, that's an idea. That hobby shop did have those WW2 G.I. Joes.

I don't know, Reese. My kids may get jealous since I don't let them play with my toys.

Penny Rader said...

Great post, Melissa! And I love your title. :D What fun!

Penny Rader said...

Oops. Forgot to add that I think it's awesome you made Spitfire yourself. Very kewl. I haven't read Biggles, but the name makes me giggle. :D

Melissa Robbins said...

Thanks Penny. My next plane will be Jack's P-40. Biggles is short for Bigglesworth. His adventures started as a WW1 RAF pilot and into WW2. The first books appeared in the early thirties. Biggles is always getting into mischief and drags his mates, Ginger and Algy with him.

Joan Vincent said...

A cool collection, Melissa! I went through high school watching WWII movies every night--John Payne, Van Johnson, Gregory Peck, etc etc. Inspirational to say the least.

Joan Vincent said...

Melissa--I just received an email from abebooks about Biggles which in part said-- "Biggles has been fighting off bandits at 2 o’clock since 1932. He’s legend of children’s literature and one of the great adventure heroes. James Bigglesworth, created by W.E. Johns, starred in almost 100 novels beginning with The Camels are Coming. Johns died while writing Biggles Does Some Homework in 1968 but his hero continues to fascinate readers and collectors more than 40 years after his creator’s death."
This was an article Big on Biggles by Richard Davies