What the hell do I call my Protagonist's parent's?

This subject is my latest issue. What the hell do you call the Protagonist's parent's? 

My manuscript is written in the third person, so at first I thought it was logical to call the parent's by their actual names, but the more I edit my manuscript, the more I disconnect, because although it's written from an outside point of view, it's also written to follow the protagonist and her journey. 

Image by Janeke88 via Pixabay

Which brings me to my question. What the hell do I call them? 

I can honestly say I would never call my parents by their given names. I have at times introduced them by their given names to in-laws, colleagues and friends, but always first as my parents. Even then, it feels strange to call them by their names, disrespectful in some way. 

I turned to Google to research the topic, as many people do, and surprisingly, I didn't find a great deal of information. I did find a few question and answer forum's, with people expressing their opinions, some saying to call them by their name if the manuscript is written in the third person, some saying to call them mother, or father.

Image by CCO Public Domain via Pixabay

I originally thought that repeatedly typing "her mother said this", "her mother did that", "her father did this", her father did that", would read poorly, the continued use of the term, off-putting and distracting, but after editing four chapters to incorporate the term, and reading through the manuscript once again, I found I was wrong. 

It wasn't jolting, it wasn't distracting, and it didn't irritate me. In fact, the manuscript seems to flow better now. I'm not sure whether I'll change my mind again and revert to calling them by their names, I'm a bit fickle that way, but so far, it works. 

Speaking sparingly about the parents would eradicate the issue all together, however my protagonist's parents are a constant source throughout the manuscript, so that particular solution wouldn't resolve my issue. 

If you want my amateur advice? Edit the manuscript both ways, see for yourself what works best. I can only assume that each different manuscript requires different formalities.

Image by CC0 Public Domain via Pixabay

When to Show, When to Tell

Image by Bonnybbx via Pixabay

I have a problem. I am an opinionated fat head which means, anytime I try to show, not tell, in my manuscript, I end up going on some kind of tangent. 

I get the reasoning behind show not tell, you need to draw the reader in, let them feel what you feel, let them taste what you taste, but then I run into the problem of length. Anytime you try to show, not tell, your paragraph ends up so much longer than when it started. 

Eating pizza for example. Instead of saying:

"OMG! This pizza is freaking awesome," she said as she licked sauce off her chin, checking over her shoulder to make sure she was alone.  The pizza wasn't part of her new diet, but at that moment, she didn't care.

You're meant to draw the reader in right?

So you say...

The smell hit her first, the rich smokey barbecue scent, the slow cooked pork oozing garlic, chili and paprika onto the perfectly cooked dough base, the juices fusing with the grilled moist chicken and thinly sliced steak, the mushrooms and onions covered in golden cheese. 

Her food deprived stomach clenched, her head dizzy, almost delirious with hunger.

With her mouth watering, she crept into the kitchen, the pizza laying unguarded on the table, enticing her, calling her, tempting her. 

"Screw it," Tara practically pounced on the pizza, grabbing the largest piece she could find. 

An explosion of flavors erupted in her mouth, the cheese, the meat, the sauce, the mushrooms and onions...

"OMG! This pizza is freaking awesome," Tara said as she licked the smokey sauce off her chin. 

"Hey!"

Tara froze, and slowly turned, the evidence still dripping sauce down her arm. Her partner Rex stood in the doorway, a frown creasing his brow, a smile playing on his lips. 

"That's not diet food!" Rex laughed. 

Image by PublicDomainImages via Pixabay

Great, now I want pizza. That's not so strange though, I always want pizza. Anyway, back to the topic. 

You can see the difference right? Telling takes up one small paragraph, showing takes up 9!! 9!! If I do this throughout the manuscript, my book is going to be massive! It's already around the 90,000 mark.

So how do you decide what to show, and what to tell?

Well, I found a few rules, but one seemed to stick in my mind.

Show in significant scenes, or when you want the reader to remember something in particular, this is where you need them to be entranced, hanging off your every word, but if you show throughout the entire novel, your reader is going to be overwhelmed and exhausted. 

Telling between important scenes will move the story along faster, help transition the reader from scene to scene, and provide the reader with the information you want them to retain. 

I'm not saying it's easy, because it's not. I'm re-writing large portions of my manuscript to show not tell, and I can tell you now, it's exhausting, although, in the long run it'll be worth it. 

So don't stop telling, just show too. 

Image  by PeteLinforth via Pixabay

What do readers want?

First off, I'm not claiming to know the answer to that question, and honestly, who does? It's all speculation, opinion... maybe a little bit of research thrown in here and there. 

I only know what I, as a enthusiastic fiction reader wants. 

So this is what I want...

Image by  Bonnybbx - Pixabay

• I want action.
• I want to be surprised.
• I want something different.
• I want fire.
• I want hope.
• I want anticipation.
• I want love
• I want hate
• I want to cry. I rarely cry, and I want to ball like a baby.
• I want a little bit of drama, but not too much.
• I want a little bit of romance, but not too much.
• I want to be drawn in soo deep, that I flick the channels on the television, trying to find the right station, only to realize it was a vivid vision created by an unbelievably talented author.
• I want explosions. Not bomb blast explosions, although they're good too, but oh my god, I can't believe he just did that explosion, or, No! No! No! You can't.... you just... you can't do that! 
• I want you to rock my foundation, leaving me completely stunned, unable to think of anything else. I want to be furious, I want to be lost, I want to feel like I've been on a never ending roller coaster that has drained me of every last bit of energy.
• I want magic! 
• Build a world for me.

Image by Alexas_Fotas at Pixabay

And now here's what I don't want:

I don't want to know how the story's going to end. I really, really don't.

I don't want to know what's coming next. I don't know if it's because I try to think like an author, I don't know if it's because I'm a know it all pain in the ass, but I know what's going to happen, I can see it, everything leads up to it. I can usually guess the ending, or the next step. And no, I don't want that. 

Shock me!

That's one of the greatest things about Game of Thrones. Nobody and nothing is off limits. If you're in the story, you can die, hell if you're not directly part of the story, you can still die. Nothing is predictable, nothing is feel good fluff. 

It's like a punch in the face, leaving you angry, broken... the time you invested, the emotion you invested, only to have it ripped away, smashed into tiny pieces and ground down into the dirt. 

That is what I want. A great story, told by a creative word weaver, their blood, sweat, tears... their soul shared with the world. 

And that is what I want to do as an Author, give my everything and create some magic...

Image by Bykst - pixabay

My Protagonist is a Jerk

Well, I took my own advice and contacted a beta reader to look over my manuscript. I eagerly awaited her response, checking my emails daily, nervously chewing on my finger nails, imagining the worst, until finally, finally I received that precious email. 

What did it say you ask? 

Well, it said that she liked the plot of my story (yay for me!), the general idea was great, but she couldn't manage to read more than 50 pages. 

Image from Pixabay - WenPhoto’s

Why, you ask ? 

Because my protagonist is a Jerk! 

Yep. Unlikable, nasty, spiteful little thing she is. I'll be honest, I was ecstatic! My protagonist is a jerk. She can be a nasty little bitch, with a shocking temper and a massive chip on her shoulder. 

But... that leaves me with a big problem. How do I make people want to read about her? No one wants to read about a jerk's journey. Sure, she gets a little more likable as the story goes on, but she's still jaded and self involved. 

So how do I make an unlikable character likable? 

Research tells me that I can use an inner dialogue, which I do through some bits of the manuscript, but even her inner dialogue is questionable. I mean really, if you said everything that came to your mind, would everybody like you? Raw, unfiltered you???

If you're honest with yourself, I'm guessing the answer is no, they wouldn't. You'd say things you shouldn't. Offend people left, right, and center. 

Which leaves me with something called the cat theory. Basically, you take an asshole character, and make them kind towards animals, a softer side that readers can relate to. Makes sense I guess. 

 Image from Pixabay by Petkation

I've been watching the Soprano's series lately, and I realized they do exactly the same thing to manipulate you into liking Tony Soprano. The guy is a mob boss who flies off the handle regularly, cheats on his wife, and gets a little trigger happy, yet you still kind of root for him because you've seen his softer side, most notably for those damn ducks in the pool. It makes him likable. 

When I analyze my character from every possible angle, I know I'm not going to be able to make her sweet, or kind, not for what she needs to do, but she does have one very redeemable quality. My protagonist is loyal. Apparently that can work too, with just a touch of softness.

Oh, sorry, I should have warned you. I don't have the answer to making my protagonist likable, or yours for that matter. I'm just sharing. My ultimate goal is to make readers fall in love with my irrational, spite filled character without having to change her too much. 

Read a jerk's journey for a change! It might just be interesting. Make people love her, or make them love to hate her. 

Image from Pixabay -AdinaVoicu

Wish me luck!

Lunar, the moon goddess

I'm back!! I've ignored my blog for far too long, instead working. The last day of my holidays, is the day I decide to write something on here. Typical, yes? 

Anyways, I was trying to think of an interesting subject to write about, something to help aspiring authors like myself, when I came to the conclusion... that I know nothing, nothing, nothing!!! about giving other people advice. I'm an aspiring author, struggling to wade my way through the world of literature. 

So instead, I'm writing what I love. Fiction. This is Lunar, the moon goddess. 

Image by Geralt at Pixabay

For eons, Lunar, the beautiful silver haired moon goddess, with eyes filled with stars, commanded her own realm, untouchable, unattainable, even to the other gods. The moon goddess's powers were contained by the realm itself, too powerful to venture out into the heavens, or the planes below, forbidden from leaving her home, her prison; answering the prayers of witches and protecting the majestic realm of the moon. 

Without the need for rest, without the need for companionship, the temptations of the night, and the shadows of the dark moon, heralding whispers of malevolence, were unable to corrupt her, her still heart pure as snow.

Night after night the goddess watched, bathed in her silvery light, happily looking down on the planes below, the lives of the mortals and fae, intriguing... amusing in the long hours of the night.

Image by Werner22brigitte at Pixabay

Lunar craved no attention, felt no love or lust, until she turned her eyes on a lake, and found a single man, resting on the grass, his beautiful water like wings, marking him as fae. His mouth moved in whispers, his eyes transfixed on the lake, words too far out of reach to hear. 

The faery suddenly lifted his eyes to the heavens, a beautiful smile lighting up his face, his watery eyes boring into her soul. 

Impossible. He couldn't see her. Nobody sees her. Yet, there he was, staring at her with those eyes, that smile... then for the first time in her long life, Lunar's heart began to beat. 

Pain rippled through her chest, as the unfamiliar organ picked up speed, rhythm. The faery man returned his gaze to the water, and continued talking to himself. 

Lunar watched the faery man for many nights, each time her heart miraculously starting to beat. 

One evening when the full moon hung low in the sky, Lunar hovered on the border of her realm, close enough to hear his words, craving the beating heart, the butterflies that filled her stomach... to feel, to love, to lust.

The faery man smiled, and turned to face her once again. "I know you’re there. I can feel you.”

Lunar's still heart tried to beat it's way out of her chest, her eyes filled with tears. She now knew love, wanted love. 

She did the one thing she thought she'd never do.. descended from her realm, leaving the moon unprotected, appearing in front of the faery man dressed in a white gown of glowing white moon dust.

Image by Larisa-K at Pixabay

The faery man did not scream, did not run; he just smiled.

“My Lunar” The faery man sighed, embracing her and resting his forehead on hers. 

“You know me?” Lunar blinked, stunned the faery man knew her name, her hands held awkwardly by her sides.

Stroking her hair, the faery man kissed her shoulder, his lips soft, sending shivers down her spine. “I have looked on you my entire life. Forever I have loved you, watched your smile in the reflection of the river. My lunar.”

“But how?” Lunar pulled away and tilted her head, her silver hair falling down to her waist.

The faery man grinned “The reflection. I have seen your true form in the mirror of water.”

Image by TBIT at Pixabay

The lake, that was why he spoke to the lake. He was speaking to her... her reflection. Lunar blushed, and lowered her eyes. “You may know my name, but I not yours.”

“I am Chello," the faery man bowed formally and cocked his head to the side, with a cheeky grin. "And I am yours.”

Lunar's beating heart, filled with love, filled with longing, skipped in her chest. 

“And I am yours” whispered Lunar.

With that declaration of love, Lunar was transformed from moon goddess, to an immortal human, both a gift, and a curse from the gods. Lunar would live forever, but she would age, and continue to age past mortal years.

The lingering essence of Lunar’s light, lit the night sky for centuries, her power so deeply ingrained into the realm, no replacement was immediately needed, the Realm Keeper, Star, protecting the veil that lead to majestic moon. 

But when the power began to fade, the light of lunar could only sustain the delicate moon for phases, the dark moon blanketing the planes with insidious innuendo.

A dark goddess would need to govern the lunar when the dark moon reigned. 

Hecate, daughter of the once human Persephone, and Demon Lord Hades, bore the marking of the triple crescent on her neck, the first born of human descent with the essence of pure malevolence in her veins. 

A Dark Goddess, Keeper of the Crossroads, with the human ability of compassion. She was the one to command the dark cycle, she was to be the Dark Moon Goddess.

Image by Loganart at Pixabay

What's next? Beta Readers?

I don't know if this happens to anyone else, but the more I read my manuscript, the more disjointed the paragraphs seem to get. I'll read a sentence that catches my attention for some reason, so being the good editor girl I'm supposed to be, I read it again.

It still reads funny. So I read it again, and again. It just gets worse. The word "It" looks like it's in bold now, maybe even a different font, or a different language. I don't know. I hate that word, I loathe it. That's it, I'm deleting that sentence. It's annoying me, it's taunting me, ruining my life. Yep... I deleted it. Yay for me! I feel better now.

I miss that sentence. Why did I delete it! Why god why!

This is what I'm experiencing after editing my manuscript for the oh my god, seriously not another edit time. I honestly don't think I can edit it anymore. I love my story, love my characters, know everything about them, right down to their snoring patterns, but I think I'm a little too close to my characters now. I can't read the same god damn story again. Imagine reading the same book over and over and over again, every day for the last 3 years.

So what do I do?


Image by DGlodowska at Pixabay 

Well, I'm thinking about posting my manuscript on a Goodreads.com Beta reader forum. I've checked out a few of the comments, requests and administrator posts, and think that it's definitely a viable option.

It's one of those things that makes you nervous because you don't really know what response you're going to get. Maybe they'll say it sux, maybe they won't respond at all, and maybe my worst fears will be realized and someone who claims to be a beta reader, will steal my hard work.

As with anything, taking that leap is scary, but staying where you are, means never moving forward.

Beautiful Words

Pixabay - Bessi

I'm having a bit of a tired week this week. My brain's not really working at full capacity, so instead of writing a rant like I usually do, I'm just going to share quotes from other writers that have inspired me to keep writing no matter what.

Here they are, these beautiful authors who have shared a bit of their soul, have dragged me kicking and screaming from depths on inadequacy and uncertainty, into a realm of hope.

Pixabay - PublicDomainPictures

1. If a book is well written, I always find it too short - Jane Austin
2. The function of the first draft is to help you figure out your story. The function of every draft after that, is to figure out the most dramatic way to tell that story - Darcy Pattison
3. The first chapter sells the book. The last chapter sells the next book - Mickey Spillane
4. Good writers define reality; Bad ones merely restate it - Edward Albee
5. If a story is in you, it has to come out - William Faulkner
6. I think it's the people who have no doubt that every word they put down is gold that probably don't write very well - Dean Koontz
7. Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is - Mark Twain
8. When people say, Did you always want to be a writer? I have to say no, I always was a writer - Ursula Le Guin
9. I write because I don't know what I think until I read what I say - Flanner O'Connor
10. A real writer doesn't just want to write, they have to write.
11. Quiet people have the loudest minds - Stephen King
12. Good books don't give up all their secrets at once - Stephen King
13. If you don't see the book you want on the shelf, write it - Beverly Cleary
14. If a writer falls in love with you, you can never die 
15. There is nothing to writing . All you do is sit down at a type writer and bleed - Ernest Hemmingway
16. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case you have failed by default - J K Rowling.

Apologies if I didn't get them exactly right, or if I could find the author behind the words, but the sentiment is still there. 

Beautiful words that put you on the right track, or simply tell you never to give up. 

Thank you xxoo

Pixabay - MKRause

Emotional Roller Coaster

Pixabay - bykst

I'm near the end of my manuscript edit for something like the 50th time, and my character has gone through some heavy emotional bullshit, and you know what? So have I! She's a moody little bitch, and any time her mood shifts, so does mine.

I have this theory, that the best way to project emotion into my writing, is to imagine myself in my character's position, and the thing is, I have a pretty damn good imagination. I'm sure my character borders on psychotic, her anger replacing any warmth she might feel, but holy hell, she makes me tired.

Today I've been angry to the point of exhaustion, broken, verging on tears, and practically drunk on the power of being a goddess, which I obviously am not. I really have to be careful when I'm editing my manuscript at work (at lunch of course), or I could find myself in some serious trouble. It's not like I could use the excuse that my friends have been lying to me for over ten years, telling me they're human when they're not, or that I'm some sort of freak witch goddess with a bounty on my head, and unfathomable power. Somehow I don't think that would be a good excuse to bitch slap someone. They'd lock me up, and rightfully so.

So I'm wondering whether other authors go through the same emotional roller coaster, whether readers inject themselves completely into a character the way I do, even when I'm reading someone else's book. I can see the explosion in my hand, hear the snarky comments by the jerk in the Armani suit. I can smell the sickly sweet tea, taste the acidy bile, and feel the blade going into my chest.

Am I crazy? Or passionate?

Well, I think I'm just creative. I think. Maybe a little crazy too. Okay a lot of crazy, but isn't that what makes us different? You know,...creative people. Our brains don't work the same as everyone else's. We break, we bleed, we day dream, we get lost in fantasy and sleep on a cloud of artistic possibility.


Pixabay - Bonnybbx

The importance of spelling of grammar

PDPics at Pixabay

I don't know about you, but I've noticed a serious down grading on the importance of spelling and grammar. Like most people, I read the news online, and it's truly unbelievable how many spelling mistakes I find, not only in the body of text, but large headers. Everyone makes mistakes, we're human, but it's the amount of mistakes that are being made and published that astounds me.

Maybe we rely on spell check too much, maybe we're too impatient to read over our work, maybe we're just lazy, whatever it is, proof reading is an essential step that is regularly overlooked.

As an aspiring author I understand the importance, but I would think it's even more important in everyday tasks. Litigated matters for example. The word is, isn't, can, can't, could change the way an entire report reads, having extremely negative consequences.

I'm as guilty as anyone when it comes to spelling and grammar mistakes, but I also know the most effective way of fixing this, is to read your manuscript, report, letter ,or email out loud.

The most common offenders are:
Lose v Loose - one meaning the opposite of win, the other meaning the opposite of tight.
Weird v Wierd - i after e, except after c, doesn't always apply. Weird is the correct spelling.
They're v Their v There - the first can be spelt out as "they are," the second is ownership (their cloths, their coffee, their fault), the third a place or idea (i.e. over there!)
Your v You're - the first meaning ownership, the second can be spelt out as "you are".
Its v It's - the first having ownership, the second can be spelt out as "it is".
Effective v Affective - the first means producing results, the second refers to emotion or influence.
Weather v Whether - the first referring to rain, sun, wind etc. The second is used to introduce a question, often outlining a choice between options.
Then v Than - the first can be used in a few different contexts such as a point in time, next or afterward, and also referred to as an addition. The second is more often used as a comparison. Red cars go faster than blue cars.
Breathe v Breath - the first referring to the act of breathing, the second easier to understand in a singular text.

Another thing.. I get the whole text message abbreviations, OMG, LOL etc... but I don't think it's a great idea to use this slang in your manuscript. I think you could get away with OMG as an inner monologue, or even an excited teenager, but otherwise, it's not going to make sense.

Anyway, that's my two cents worth.

Beauty in literature, acting, art, music, photography and food

 

Pixabay - SplitShire

I've never been one for painting or photography, because, well, I suck. I've tried and trust me when I say, I do suck, badly. It doesn't stop me marveling at the ability of an artist to capture the glistening moon on a lake, the rising sun on the beach, or the broken face of someone who's seen nothing but heartache.

Photography's much the same. It sounds simple enough, 

Pixabay - unsplash

get yourself a good camera, point, and shoot, but it's not that simple. You have to first see beauty where no one else does, you have to capture that perfect moment, that perfect expression, that special moment frozen in time that astounds and fills our chests with longing. I have nothing but respect for artists of all sorts.



Pixabay - Geralt

As for acting... I think you'd find it extremely difficult to find someone who doesn't like television, doesn't like actors. We spend most of our time in front of the box, we like it. Admit it! I've been in a few plays at school, but like painting and photography, I'm completely lost. I end up sounding like that cartoon Tasmanian devil.

Pixabay - Linno257

Food... OMG food! Who doesn't love to eat, from a tender juicy steak, to deliciously devilish chocolate cake. I can cook, not like a chef, I admit I'm not that good, but I can get edible food on a plate, but some people just have that extra special ability of making everyday ingredients into something spectacular, out of this world... they have the ability to make weight conscious people to scoff down an entire cake and smile despite the ache in their stomach.


Pixabay - Geralt

Music I understand. Since the first time I heard my primary school band, I've felt this pull, this adrenaline, this... I honestly don't know how to explain it.
Nothing else feels like it. I'm not the most emotional person in the world, but when I sing, it seems to drain me of every worry, every bit of pain I've ever felt. It pours out of me like a tap, and apparently I can hold a tune pretty well.

 Then there's the reason I started to reading, started writing. Since I was five, I've suffered with daily migraines, then from twelve onwards, cluster headaches as well. Singing still brought me joy, but around seven years ago, it started to also bring me pain. A lot of it. When I sing, my head goes off like a rocket. It feels like I've been kicked in the head with a steel capped boot. I needed another outlet and I found one when I bought myself a laptop. I was bored out of my brain, didn't have the internet set up yet, but wanted to play with my new toy. So I started writing about a dream I once felt the need to pen. It never crossed my mind to make it into manuscript or a novel, but I just felt this need to write. So I did.


Pixabay - Photo-Rabe

Then my beautiful cousin bought me Twilight for Christmas. The first book I'd received, or read since I was a young girl. I felt just as satisfied, just as full of love and joy as I did from singing when I finished that book. The only exception... no pain.

Its then I decided to turn my dream, into a manuscript. I've never looked back. I can honestly say that I will continue to write until my dying breathe whether I'm formally published or not, because I need to write, I can't explain that either, I just need to.

There's unbelievable beauty in art. Cherish what you see, what you hear, what you smell, what you touch, cherish it all, because we are all in love with art in one way or another.

Pixabay - Bonnybbx

Working to Deadlines

Image - Geralt at Pixabay 

I missed a week of blogging, and the reason for that, is that I was writing a tender. A tender with a deadline and the stress that comes along with it. I finished within the deadline and after I was done, I had a nap, because, well, I was exhausted. 

It got me thinking. How do deadlines affect the way you work? Authors for example; If you have a deadline, do you rush and finish at the last minute, or do you plan your time out carefully and construct the manuscript to what you might believe to be perfect?
That's one of the issues I guess. Some days are flat days, the days where your imagination takes a break and completely blanks out. Or that's what I experience anyway. I don't think that's a bad thing though. There's one thing I've learnt from working to tight deadlines under stress, it's that I work efficiently and effectively well. I thrive under pressure, my brain wakes up, my heart races, my face burns. I enjoy the stress. How sad is that!!! Maybe it's because I'm a city girl with no patience and the need to go go go, or maybe it's just built into my genes. 

Image - JamesDeMers at pixabay





I'm not a published author with an agent or publisher breathing down my neck, I'm an aspiring author with a story to tell, and a manuscript to edit, but... I don't have a deadline, which is probably why it's taken me so long to finish. Yes, I'm disciplined and write/edit every day, but as they say, an author can continue to edit for their entire life, never happy with the finished product, and yes, I can be a bit of a flake, getting distracted by craft projects, cartoons, puppies, kittens, anything cute or messy. 

I'm starting to think I should put a deadline on myself. I would probably be a lot more productive. So don't shy away from deadlines, meet them head one. You'll probably surprise yourself, trust your work, find that your more competent that you think you were.

Battle of the sexes - Protagonists

Image sourced Gerd Altmann - Pixabay

It's funny how the world has changed. If you look back over the years, you'll see a lot of male protagonists. Star Wars for example, Luke Skywalker saving the day, or Superman, or Batman. If you look at that era, there are some female protagonists, most decked out in skimpy outfits. I don't know about you, but if I was Wonder Woman, I wouldn't be running around in a tiny  little outfit. I'd probably wear yoga pants , a singlet, and a pair of sneakers to make it easier on myself. I feel bad for Batman and Superman too, running around in tights.

But this day and age, the tide has turned. You hear literary agents, publishers and readers asking where all the male protagonists have gone? Why are all these books based on female hero's? I can't believe it's because only females read these books, that's ridiculous, nor do I think it's because the manuscripts are written by women. I think it's because men aren't the only ones who have a superhero complex anymore. Woman want to be strong, want to be the ones to save the day, make a difference.



Is this real? Seriously?

Whether the suppression of woman is acknowledged or not, it happened. Some of the old advertisements I see on Facebook may make me laugh, but people actually lived through those times where female teachers weren't allowed to date, had to be in the house at certain times; pamphlets were handed out on how to train your woman. Outrageous right?

Well I think so. I'm lucky to live in an era where a woman can work, men can stay at home with the kids and help out with housework, a time when equality isn't laughable. Sure it's not perfect, there are sexist people out there, misogynistic jerks, and even some men hating feminists, but not all.

Maybe that's why there are so many female protagonists? Breaking free of the suppression, demolishing the stereo type. Men are strong, and they're expected to be, but no matter the equality, women are stereotyped into being emotional. If a girl gets angry at a man and screams her head off, the general consensus is... she's got her period. I mean really? That's the only reason you're going to get screamed at?


Image sourced - alan9187 - Pixabay

Whatever the reason, male protagonists will make a come back, and female ones will share the spotlight. A bit of 50/50 never hurt anyone.