Celtic Engagement Rings

Irish Clad Ring

Irish Clad Ring

The Origins of Dawn Carlisle

I'd like to tell you that Dawn came fully clad out of the cleft head of Zeus...but that would be avoiding truth in favor of myth. To give you a fair answer, the character of Dawn contains a part of every woman I've ever known - from my own mother, to my former wife, down to the wildest tigress I ever dated. And it doesn't stop there.

Quite a confession...but not very satisfying. No mere floozy is Dawn Carlisle, this wild woman wanderer, who suicidally jumps out of Abner's truck at the Palm Coast I-95 exit in Florida, then turns into a principled young woman capable of nursing an injured bull terrier back to health. She then, in good time, falls for her rescuer, Abner Weaver, the truck driver who has interrupted her march to oblivion down the American road...all of it, quite a stretch. How can this woman have so many sides?

Where, but in America, does a woman have the right to cast herself adrift with no one concerned enough to come to her aid? Someone might help (as Abner Weaver most certainly does), but it would take an unusually kind person - sensitive to the pain in another - to step outside the callousness we generally display toward anyone wandering the berm. Head down, bindle under an arm, deep in anguished thought, a female vagabond exhibiting not the slightest desire of needing a lift... Health and legal ramifications aside - would you stop to pick up such a woman?

What if...you DID stop, accepting whatever it was that was coming to you for committing such a foolhardy act? Suppose you had no ulterior sexual or monetary motive in attempting to aid such a person? What Christian credits might be chalked to your slate? But...you never intended to stop, did you? Not in a million years...

That's the beauty of the novel. We can indulge ourselves...let it all hang out! The truth is, I have a lot of pent-up emotions regarding the women I've formed close bonds with over the course of my life...I've drawn freely on some of those feelings to shape Dawn. Fifteen years of married life packed plenty (the good and the bad) in my emotive memory bank. Then the nastiness of a divorce...the painful transition to a solitary life.

Does a man then insulate himself from the complexities of the female mind? I guess that's done easily enough...writing, as I do, in isolation. But living like a hermit, how do I feel the emotions I'm no longer privy to? How, as a writer, do I reconstruct situations I no longer experience? Numerous women novelists have accurately cranked out the thoughts and emotions of male characters...why not the reverse? After all, I do have a rich backlog of experience to draw from. My years before marriage weren't particularly cloistered.

Let me sidestep to another theory: that men and women are neither all masculine, nor all feminine; instead, a mixture, genetically, of inherited traits - some feminine, some masculine. You might describe the physical features and dress of a gorgeous female creature, yet gift her with the cold, calculating mind of an international banker, softened again with a mother's love for her child, bringing the reader a fascinating and convincing character. (This is partly what appeared when I first set Dawn Carlisle on the page.)

But you can't just woodenly toss a bunch of character traits into a big mixing bowl, stir them around and expect something believable to pop out. You must feel a genuine excitement in the character you've chosen to set down - sensing in them a budding star quality. (A few main characters will be allowed to steal the show; but you will need to suppress your secondary characters so they do not. Even so, those minor characters may toss off tiny sparks of stardom.)

I really believe that, within yourself, you've got to feel the same gut emotions each character is experiencing. If you don't, neither your description of their actions, their personae, or the words they utter will convey that indefinable "IT" quality - that stellar quality - which must emerge, or like empty sacks your characters will collapse.

Every writer has to kill his own snakes, getting "IT" onto the page. If you find my characters interesting, that may come from the magical education I received in the mid-1950s, when I studied "method" and character acting in New York with the great Stella Adler. When the people you are writing about are so deeply imbued in your psyche you can virtually touch and feel them as you write their scenes, that's a gift no one can ever take from you. (It's bound to produce riveting work.) It may take years of banging away at the keyboard, but one day you will be startled - you'll know when you see "IT" on the page. You'll sit back, scratching your head, "Did I just write that?..."

To get into the desperate, scrambled brain that is Dawn Carlisle's when she jumps out of Abner's truck, conceivably to her death, I started with the recordings of Janis Joplin; film clips from Bette Midler's portrayal in "The Rose;" then read a few biographies of Janis. (This was occasioned by a writing instructor at the Cape Cod Writers' Conference. She had given our class a reading assignment; a story so oddly violent that I refused to believe the young woman protagonist capable of such jumbled thinking.) By the time I'd finished my study of Janis Joplin, I was a believer. I felt my own nervous system twitching, jangling, rebelling ...forget the drugs. I was THERE...with Janis!

But Dawn's male side - that's the poker wizard. Cool, calculating, and exacting. The careful student of Doyle Brunson's Super System, her gifted mathematical mind plotting the way to clean out every poker player in Steelton and Reading, PA...revenge for the fortune her alcoholic father had lost at the game. (This is back-story, off the page.)

And let's not forget that Dawn is the mother of a five-year old daughter, Lisa. You'd better know, from your observation of life on this planet, that the female of the species - animal or human - is not to be separated from her offspring. A good mother will do anything to protect and nurture her child. Anything imaginable...no holds barred!

Somewhere I read that women are gatherers and men the hunters who "risk death to bring back meat." Women bring back the immediately useful stuff, like "honey, fruit, water...and the hunters." Women mostly live longer than men; programmed by nature to do so. They are (generally) more conservative in their actions. A woman's wiles can translate to the cadgey; to downright unscrupulous behavior when it's necessary for survival or the protection of a child. Once sobered up by Abner's ministrations and the care she administers to an injured dog, Dawn begins to redirect her energies toward regaining possession of her daughter.

Dawn Carlisle originates from good stock, part of it Sioux Indian. So we must know something about what it is and was like to be an Oglala Sioux, transported east to attend the Carlisle Indian School in the late 1800s. That was her great grandfather - the Sioux character very much a part of Dawn's every decision, as is the white, Irish industrial heritage on her mother's side.

She loves Abner with a barely concealed Sioux fierceness, and here we are back to my longing for a character who is not afraid to shower love on someone worth loving. When Dawn knows love, she shows love. I gave Dawn objectives at every turn. Within each scene she has an objective.

Whether Dawn gains that objective or is frustrated in her efforts to achieve it, we watch how she acts and reacts. As writers, we judge her behavior. Should it ring false to the persona discovered in Dawn, should it deface that "IT" star quality she has exhibited before, we'll do that scene over - NOT her character. Dawn's traits, speech and actions are now ingrained - her character walking, thinking, talking in one distinctive way. Instinctively, we know that way when we see it. And we will cast out the crap, whenever and wherever we see it, as not representing the true and honest origins of Dawn Carlisle.

About the Author

Richard Ide is a writer of realistic, action-adventure and romantic-suspense fiction. On May 26th, 2008, Button Top Books released 3 ACES, his first published work. Now available on Amazon.com or by special order (ISBN: 978-0-615-15821-1) in bookstores. For more information on Richard and 3 Aces, visit:
3 Aces
.

Sterling Irish Faith Ring $42.99 This ring has a beautiful and unique design showing both your faith and your heritage. Whole sizes 5 ? 11.

Lucky Irish Lotto Scratcher And Key Ring $10.99 No fumbling for a coin...always be ready with your Lucky Irish Penny, perfect for those lottery cards. 4 1/2 long. USA.

Irish Pride Shadow Box Stretch Ring $23.99 A truly unique, one of a kind ring, that will surely attract attention and compliments. Inside are the words Irish Pride, a shamrock, Trinity knot and Austrian crystals. Circling the outside of the 1 1/2 square frame are over 40 more crystals. One size fits most. Imported.

Wildly Irish Charm Watch Bracelet $22.99 An enchanting roundup of all things Irish! Strung with metal and glass charms and beads, the silverplated watch has a stainless steel back. Two-ring toggle for length adjustment. Imported. 8 1/2 long.

Sterling Trinity Knot Toe Ring $13.99 You?re Irish right down to your toes! A pretty Celtic toe ring with adjustable band.

Clover and Claddagh Key Ring $9.99 Bring yourself a wee bit of Irish luck with this 4 leaf clover and lovely claddagh key ring. Metal. Shamrock Gift Co., Dublin.

Diamond And Topaz Men's Ring $299 This handsome men's ring celebrates Irish pride, featuring an impressive 5 carat Irish green Topaz set in an intricate knotwork bezel. Both sides of ring has a Celtic design centered with a genuine diamond. Sterling silver with 24kt gold plated accents. Inside band engraved with the first line of the Irish Blessing. Boxed. Imported. Sizes 8-14 including 1/2 sizes.

Shamrock Napkin Ring Set $18.99 Set a really pretty Irish table with these sturdy shamrock napkin rings. Set of 6 boxed rings. Imported.

Green Shamrock Stretch Ring $9.99 Flower stretch rings are popular and this ring is ?Irish fashion in full bloom?. ?just in time for spring. Made of formica and genuine European crystals. Stretch band, one size fits most. 1 ??W shamrock.

Pearl Ring $58 Pearl Ring

Women's Unforgettable Claddagh Style - Ring $84.99 Dainty and unmistakably Irish, these enchanting sterling silver claddaghs are accented with polished 10 kt. gold hearts. From Ireland. Boxed. Pendant on 18 chain. Bracelet 7 1/2. Ring 3/8 at center.

Men's Sterling Silver Celtic Ring $84.99 An expression of Irish pride designed with a Celtic knot pattern and centered with a green stone. 1/2 at widest. Sizes 9, 10, 11, 12 (whole sizes only).

Love Now And Forever Ring - 14 Kt. Gold $899 Tradition says that words which touch the skin have a particular strength. Inscribed in Irish Gaelic on the outside, and translated into Love Now and Forever on the inside. USA. Whole sizes only. 14 kt. gold ring is shipped separately; please allow 3-4 weeks. Whole sizes only.

Love Now And Forever Ring - Sterling Silver $49.99 Tradition says that words which touch the skin have a particular strength. Inscribed in Irish Gaelic on the outside, and translated into Love Now and Forever on the inside. USA. Whole sizes only. 14 kt. gold ring is shipped separately; please allow 3-4 weeks. Whole sizes only.

Double Snail Ring $9.99 Double Snail Ring

Shamrock Enamel Ring $63 Shamrock Enamel Ring

Personalized Coat Of Arms Jewelry - Silver Ring $179 A wonderful gift for those who are so proud of their Irish heritage. The rings, whether in 10kt gold or sterling silver with antiquing around the design, will become keepsakes. Sizes 5 - 16 including 1/2 sizes. The mouse pad is 7 3/4 x 9 and the pendant is lead free pewter, 1 1/4 on a 28 cord. Please state name and check our website for Irish names available. Please note that the personalized name will be in Gaelic. Shipped from Canada. allow 3-4 weeks.

Personalized Coat Of Arms Jewelry - Gold Ring $799 A wonderful gift for those who are so proud of their Irish heritage. The rings, whether in 10kt gold or sterling silver with antiquing aroung the design, will become keepsakes. Sizes 5 - 16 including 1/2 sizes. The mouse pad is 7 3/4 x 9 and the pendant is lead free pewter, 1 1/4 on a 28 cord. Please state name and check our website for Irish names available. Please note that the personalized name will be in Gaelic. Shipped from Canada. allow 3-4 weeks.

14Kt Yellow Gold Claddagh Ring $350 14Kt Yellow Gold Claddagh Ring

Green Heart CZ Stacking Ring $58 Green Heart CZ Stacking Ring

Spiral Shamrock Trinity Stacking Ring $54 Spiral Shamrock Trinity Stacking Ring

Trinity Scroll Green Enamel Ring $66 Trinity Scroll Green Enamel Ring

Trinity Scroll White Enamel Ring $66 Trinity Scroll White Enamel Ring

Contemporary Spiral Ring - Silver Plated $29.99 Contemporary Spiral Ring - Silver Plated

Contemporary Spiral Ring - Gold Plated $29.99 Contemporary Spiral Ring - Gold Plated

Charm Bracelet $24.99 Spring is the perfect time to wear this roundup of all things Irish! Strung with metal and glass charms and beads. Two ring toggle closure for desired length.

Love Now And Forever Bangle And Ring - Ring $27.99 A meaningful message in Gaelic on the outside and English on the inside. Stainless steel. Imported. Bangle Ring Sizes 5-13 (no half sizes)

14Kt Celtic Wedding Ring - Women's Ring with Diamonds $590 A stunning openwork Celtic design encircles each ring. Boxed. Shipped from Ireland, please allow 3-4 weeks. All rings come in 1/2 sizes.

Claddagh Green Stone Ring $36.99 A beautiful rendition of the traditional claddagh ring. The hands of the claddagh are lovingly holding an emerald green CZ stone. Ireland. Sizes 6,7,8,9

Claddagh Toe Ring And Ankle Bracelet $11.99 Dangling claddaghs and green glass beads. A claddagh swings from the matching toe ring. Anklet is 11 long and adjusts smaller, toe ring is adjustable. Imported.

14 Kt. Gold Diamond And Emerald Ring - $2099 14 Kt. Gold Diamond And Emerald Ring -

Womens 10Kt Yg Wedding Ring 5 $279 Womens 10Kt Yg Wedding Ring 5

Mens 10Kt Yg Wedding Ring 10.5 $329 Mens 10Kt Yg Wedding Ring 10.5

14Kt Yg Ring W/Prl & Trn Knt65 $329 14Kt Yg Ring W/Prl & Trn Knt65

14K Wg 3 Dmd Womns Ring 5 $1299 14K Wg 3 Dmd Womns Ring 5

14K 3 Dmd Yg Womns Ring 5 $1299 14K 3 Dmd Yg Womns Ring 5

Men's Sterling Silver Comfort Claddagh Ring $124.99 Men's Sterling Silver Comfort Claddagh Ring

Women's Sterling Silver Comfort Claddagh Ring $84.99 Women's Sterling Silver Comfort Claddagh Ring

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 at 6:38 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.