• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • About WHW
    • Press Kit
    • Resident Writing Coaches
    • Contact Us
    • Podcasts & Interviews
    • Master Storytelling Newsletter
    • Guest Post Guidelines
    • Privacy Policy
    • Charities & Support
  • Bookstore
    • Bookstore
    • Foreign Editions
    • Book Reviews
    • Free Thesaurus Sampler
  • Blog
  • Software
  • Workshops
  • Resources
    • List of Resources
    • Recommended Writing Books
    • WHW Descriptive Thesaurus Collection
    • Free Tools & Worksheets
    • Grab A Free Show-Dont-Tell Pro Pack
  • WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

Realistic Character Occupations: My Experience as a Motel Chambermaid

To win readers over we need to write characters so authentic they feel like real people. How do we do this? By brainstorming a character’s backstory, personality, needs, desires, and their day-to-day world. Lucky for us, one aspect of their daily life is a goldmine of characterization: the type of work they do. 

Think about it: a job can reveal personality, skills, beliefs, fears, desires, and more, which is why Becca Puglisi and I created The Occupation Thesaurus, a writing guide that profiles 124 possible careers and the story-worthy information that goes with each. To supplement this project, I’m sharing my experience as a Motel Chambermaid, in case this career is a perfect fit for your character!

You can find the full list of Contributed Occupation Profiles and check out The Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Jobs, Vocations, and Careers at Writers Helping Writers.

OCCUPATION: Motel Chambermaid

OVERVIEW
As a chambermaid I was responsible for tidying occupied motel rooms (making the bed, emptying the trash, recharging linens, and toiletries) and turning over rooms after checkout. This typically involved cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, dusting, replacing the bedding and supplying new linens and toiletries. I usually worked alone but in high season I was sometimes paired with another worker so we could process rooms more quickly. I also had to track supplies and note any room damage or problems.

NECESSARY TRAINING
No formal education was needed for this job, but I did have a background check and I was mentored by another chambermaid to learn the ins and outs of turning over rooms to be consistent with everyone else. Because I had to clear a large number of rooms per shift I became very efficient and would proactively stock my cart well to avoid unnecessary trips for more supplies.

USEFUL SKILLS, TALENTS, OR ABILITIES
BLENDING IN, HOSPITALITY, MULTITASKING, ORGANIZATION, STAMINA, STRATEGIC THINKING, SWIFT-FOOTEDNESS

SOURCES OF FRICTION
Guests who return while one is recharging the room
Guests who make unreasonable demands or requests
Cleaning up after guests that are unhygienic (unflushed toilets, hair everywhere, clogged sinks, etc.)
Someone calling in sick and having twice the work for the same shift
Working with someone who is lazy or does a subpar cleaning job but has seniority (or is related to management)
Being harassed by a guest
Management that unfairly blames the cleaning staff to smooth things over with a complaining guest
Discovering a guest is stealing (towels, a robe, etc.) during the stay
Being looked down on by family and friends for the work the one does
Difficulty paying the bills
Exhaustion and back pain from the workload and being on one’s feet all day
An accusation (that something was moved, stolen, etc.)

WRITERS SHOULD KNOW…
Hotel guests run the gamut. Some are respectful and clean and appreciate the work a chambermaid does. They might even leave a tip. Others seem to almost go out of their way to be sloppy, careless, and disrespectful. This can wear on a person’s self-esteem and leave them feeling jaded toward other people.

Have any questions about this job? I’d be happy to answer. Just leave a comment below!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar


Welcome!

Writing is hard. Angela & Becca make it easier. Get ready to level up your fiction with game-changing tools, resources, and advice.

Follow Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe to the Blog

Check your inbox to confirm! If gremlins tried to eat it, you might have to check your spam folder.

Read by Category

Grab Our Button

Writers Helping Writers

Software that Will Change the Writing Game

One Stop for Writers

WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® · Copyright © 2023 · WEBSITE DESIGN BY LAUGH EAT LEARN

Cookies are delicious and ours help make your experience here better. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with our cookie use. Cookie settingsGOT IT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. More on our Privacy Policy here.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
 

Loading Comments...