Standing 8 Count: 8 Unusual Jobs to Think About for Your Characters

While you’re just standing there (sitting there?), let me tell you about a piece of a list I found in the June 2013 edition of Harper’s. The clip was called “Naan to Five,” and it contained several of the 2,945 occupations listed in the current edition of India’s National Classification of Occupations. Here are a few that caught my eye:

• Rock Slicer
• Women Patroller
• Tea Gardens Pruner
• Elephant Keeper
• Hammer Man
• Wood Impregnator
• Stingy Cigarette Slitting Machine Operator
• Magmaman

First of all, I don’t even KNOW what some of these jobs are, which leads me to an interesting choice:

1. Do research to find out what they are. (LEFT BRAIN)

2. Create my own job description for them. (RIGHT BRAIN)

3. Eat Cheetos on the sofa. (NO BRAIN)

Then, think of the KIND of person who might do a job like that. Imagine questions at the job interview or possible reasons for getting fired…

Finally, think superheroes. Doesn’t MAGMAMAN sound like a superhero and ROCK SLICER like some super villain? There are plenty of places to go with these ideas, but I know one thing for sure:

You’ll never find ACE BAKER applying for a job as a wood impregnator. I mean, sheesh, talk about the worst possible spot ever for SPLINTERS!

Try this:

Note down some ideas for characters who have the jobs listed above. See if it sparks any new thought for creative work!

Coming tomorrow: Taiye Selasi, author of Ghana Must Go, gives us a KNOCKOUT IDEA for filling the well…