User blog comment:Vinnnn/Character Critiques, Tips, and Hints/@comment-11163511-20150604130535

Hi! I'm just asking if you could help me with the development of my new character Skipper Riley who's the daughter of Old Billy Riley from the sea shanty of the same name. I do have a few details planned, but I haven't been able to come up with a complete personality for her.


 * I named her Skipper as the song suggested that Billy was a captain ("master of a drougher"),the word "skipper" literally meant "sea captain" and was mentioned in one of the variations of the shanty ("Old Billy Riley wEd the skipper's daughter"). I used it as a way to honor her dad (and also her grandfather from her mother's side)


 * I think she should be able to dance, but I can't really tell what particular dance should be her specialty. At least I thought of a joke out of it, maybe her tag line:

"I'd care for any dance, except the hempen jig. Ay, for it's too chokingly fast."


 * As for another part of her interests, I'm thinking of giving her this obsession with sugar of all kinds. Not only does she like consuming them, but she's also interested in classifying and make goods with sugar. Speaking of sugar, maybe she could be hyped and bursting with excitement, probably from eating too much of it. This is a reference to the sugar trades that had been going on during the time this shanty was "written", around the 1850s. A hint was stated in one of the lines in the shanty ("Master of a drougher, bound for Antigua") as Antigua was an island known for this trade.


 * I may also add that she likes cotton fabric for its texture. I guess she'd like plush toys and clothes, idk. Another Antigua reference.

References:http://www.exmouthshantymen.com/songbook.php?id=92 https://mainlynorfolk.info/lloyd/songs/oldbillyriley.html

What I'd like you to do is help me expand upon this base I already have, give me suggestions on them. I'm also looking forward to creating a cousin for her coming from the song John Riley (see here https://mainlynorfolk.info/lloyd/songs/oldbillyriley.html) but I don't know which role to choose. Would you give me suggestions on which to select? I hope that's not too much.