LESSON CHARACTERS WRITING Luck of the Irish

[MaryGold]

Luck of the Irish

Happy belated Saint Patrick's Day to you! I hope you had an awesome time knocking back Baileys or if you're like me and don't drink then it's amazing how you've survived this long. At this point, you've probably seen several March-themed threads. And of course, I'm here to introduce one more late in the game. You can never have enough (well you can, but who is counting? Not me). March is often associated with new beginnings, flowers, and all things spring-themed. And all for obvious reasons. March is the month that marks the start of Spring. Yet, what it also represents is luck.

This is because of one of Ireland's holidays, Saint Patrick's Day, and all the Irish luck associated with it. I could go into more detail about it, but why take it from me when you can learn about it from someone who is actually Irish and wrote an excellent guide. @Absinthe has written an excellent and fun guide: St. Patrick's Day: Your Authentically Irish Guide.

Delving a little bit more into that though, I am once again calling on @Absinthe to explain one thing this new exercise will include: the saying "Luck of the Irish". Take it away @Absinthe

Luck of The Irish

Anyone familiar with Irish history will tell you that traditionally, we're not a terribly lucky people. We spent over 700 years under British control, during which the Irish sought assistance from the Spanish and French... neither of which ended well. Even our own most famous uprising against the British ended in disaster. The Great Hunger - an Gorta Mór - or the Irish Potato Famine, affected our population so much that 170 years later, we still haven't reached pre-famine population levels. The famine, while resulting in up to 1.5 million deaths, had a far greater impact thanks to mass immigration. Many ships crossing the Atlantic becoming known as coffin ships, owing to the overcrowded conditions, poor access to food and water, and the rampant spread of disease that resulted in regular mortality rates of 30% aboard the ships.

It turns out that immigrants have never been terribly popular, especially when they are poor, speak a different language and follow a different religious belief. Even in the United States. When Irish and Irish American settlers found success in the gold and silver rush in the American west - an Irish-American was the first millionaire west of the Mississippi - it couldn't have been because of hard work, intelligence or charm. The only way an Irish person could be successful, was if they simply lucked out. Combined with the history of our people, the phrase 'luck of the Irish' was not meant as something cute or positive.

That, however, is very much ancient history.

Irish Americans have retaken the phrase and spun it into a positive. It's a phrase that powers Irish pride in the US and around the world, and brings millions of visitors to our shores every year to visit. Modern Ireland offers some of the best quality of life in the world, and with landscapes like this and people like this, it's pretty hard to not think yourself pretty lucky to be born Irish.

The Excercise

Last month we had many participants in the Saying "I Love You" thread, and so I am here to introduce a new one. Regularly, it is a theme amongst many roleplayers I know, including myself, to write the angstier or painful moments in a character's life. But how often do we write the more positive sides?

In 500 words, write a scene where luck changed or affected your character's life or mood using the saying "Luck of the Irish". Be creative with it, you can use it in dialogue or outside of it. It simply has to make a relevant appearance in your blurb. If you are a little under or over the word count that's okay too.

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