L is for Lauren Reed

This is my last post about The Goddess of Vengeance for a few days, I promise. But... it's an L day and I can't resist! I want to write about Lauren, the main character for the WIP.

Did you know I already picked an actress I'd like to play her in the film version?  Freema Agyeman (who played Martha Jones on Doctor Who) has just the right look for Lauren -- sweet but resilient and strong at the same time, I think:

No comments yet from Freema, who would probably appreciate it if I a) finished the book, b) found an agent, c) got it published and d) had a film contract, before deciding that she's the perfect Lauren Reed.

Anyway, Lauren Reed is the ultimate nice girl. Her parents are both professors at the fictional Beckingham College (at least I hope it's fictional), which is set in the lovely rural town where she grew up. Her mom, Jessica Reed, has her doctorate in Classical Studies from Bryn Mawr, knows Greek, Latin and Spanish, and designed the sprawling farmhouse Lauren grew up in -- she's quite brilliant. Her father, Trevvor, is a psychology professor, and also is fantastic at flipping omelettes. Lauren is an only child, but even though she was lonely at times with just her parents, she had a wonderful childhood, full of reading, long walks and conversation, and summer vacations at the shore. She played volleyball and ran track in high school, got a 1400 on her SATs, and fell in love with her best friend, Danny, but they broke up when they went to separate colleges.

Lauren wanted to go to school in a city, and she was accepted at Dalton University in Dalton, VA, which is a fictional mid-sized city (500k citizens) only an hour and a half drive from her parents' home. As a sophomore, she lives in an off-campus apartment with her best friend, Kam, and sometimes sleeps over at her boyfriend Jake's house.  She relies on Kam's Hyundai Accent in hail storms, but mostly rides her bike or walks -- and Lauren still loves to run, especially at night. She's a double major in English and Chem, because she just can't make up her mind.  She works part-time at the Burnt Sugar Cafe, a small coffeehouse just off-campus.

Her boyfriend, Jake, worries her parents, because they don't want her to marry a blue-collar boy that prevents her from continuing her education.  Jake is a 21-year-old local cop. He owns a small, two-bedroom brick rambler and drives an ancient Lincoln town car, which Lauren always tells him is an old man car.  Jake comes from Irish roots, and has the curly dirty-blond locks to prove it. Lauren loves his hazel eyes, rugged good looks, and his betrayingly pouty lower lip -- as well as his common sense, kindness and quick wit. They met one night freshman year when she and Kam had a breakdown in a snowstorm, and he let them sit in the back of the squad car while they waited for a tow truck to come.

Lauren sees the good in everyone and even though she's light-hearted, she takes life rather seriously, always working hard and trying to be responsible. She's got quite the sense of humor, but since she doesn't like to tease other people or be snarky, it tends to be understated. She has a secret love of Cheetos, Dr. Pepper, YA novels, and the nature channel. She's level-headed, but she gets a little bossy when the people around her don't make sense. She also always leaves her wet towels on the floor.

That's my girl. Except for what I still have to discover as I write her story, of course.

Have you ever thought about who'd play your MC in a film adaptation of YOUR novel?