Character Sketch: Tracy Bingham

My Dear Reader,

I take great care in naming my characters, something that I share with J. K. Rowling (I believe that she said on her website that she "collects" names, which explains a lot). I know all of the best baby name sites, because I always need to know the meaning of the name before I brand a character, sometimes picking a meaning and working backward.* Sometimes, when I come up with a really good name, a character just springs out of it, which is the case with the following character. I don't know where I'm going to put her yet, though.

Tracy Bingham

• White, primarily of English origin.
  
• Has dark hair that goes to her shoulder blades, which she wears in a ponytail.
  
• Early twenties, on the thin side.
  
• A little on the geeky side. Dabbles in games that involve logic and strategy. Has an above average sense of curiosity, which can get annoying at times.
  
• Well-read for her age. Loves epics.
  
• Switches off between glasses and contacts depending on her mood and the weather.
  
• Occasionally wears turtlenecks. Would probably wear one of those awful Christmas sweaters without realizing how tacky it is. Wears jeans, but never t-shirts unless it comes from some academic club. Even then, she only wears t-shirts on Saturday.
  
• More of a listener than a talker, mostly because she is more interested in learning about others than she is about talking about herself.
  
• Not very picky, and sometimes has a hard time deciding trivial things like what to eat or which movie to watch. Tends to let others make these decisions for her, making others think that she is a push-over. As a result, she finds herself drawn to people who are laid back and not egotistical.
  
• Is respected by many of her peers, but she doesn't exactly have any friends to do things with.
  
• Her mother was a beauty-queen type when she was Tracy's age. Tracy has to constantly deal with her mother's disappointment because Tracy is not the same.
  
• Has read The Holy Bible cover-to-cover and considers herself religious, though she doesn't belong to (or attend) any specific church.
  
• Absolutely loves the history of the British monarchy, and is somewhat sad that the topic doesn't come up often in regular conversation.
  
• One of those people who waits for others to come to them, and as a result, spends a lot of time waiting.
  
• Nervous tick: blinks a lot when she's nervous, and the more nervous she gets, the more she blinks.
  
• Gets almost giddy about the most obscure facts, such as Judy Garland's birthday or where Winston Churchill is buried. Gets these facts from her extensive study of Wikipedia.
  
• While she has a strong sense of morals, she will have no real desire to see change in the world until some kind of cause presents itself to her. After this happens, Tracy will shed her shy shell and become a fiery advocate for what she believes is right. This transformation scares Tracy, but it also makes other people like her. Which is the real Tracy?

-Cecily Jane

*I wonder if I care so much because my own name means "blind son of Harry." I think this also might be why I like to include my middle name, because "blind God is gracious son of Harry" sounds slightly better.