Superhuman

It seems to me, that male characters are more readily allowed to have superhuman traits.  They take (or give) a punch and rarely suffer any ill effects, for example.  But female characters are expected to be mere mortals.  Not only that, but even “strong” female characters are expected to be rendered helpless by relationship drama in their lives.  The female characters don’t get the privilege of being superhuman—they aren’t allowed to shake off personal problems they way male characters do.  (Not to mention the fact that most male characters can actually stay focused on their job/ task/ plot and not be derailed by personal issues.) 

This is where Bo is an outlier… she is more like a male character.  But with all those fun female traits.  She gets to be sexy and smart and more capable than the average woman.  This too me sounds like a lot more fun than another average woman who gets her friends/ family in danger because she can’t think straight for more than two chapters in a row.

Perhaps this is the type of female character that is preferred?  Except, over in Urban Fantasy, women like Bo are more the norm. 

Bad Girls

It's not uncommon at all for so-called "good girls" to want to save those "bad boys." There's also the interminable, and for many women, undeniable appeal of the bad boy who does what he wants and lives by his own rules. (Hey, don't look at me. I snagged one of the "nice guys.")

But what about bad girls? What about the girl that you might not want to bring home to mother? The one who makes her own rules, especially about (gasp!) sex. I'm not thinking guys have any of the desire to save the bad girl. She is, ultimately, about the fun for now.

Of course, I do think that those bad girls-- or their lesser counterparts, the spunky, feisty, or "independent" women-- have a much harder time finding long term relationships, even as they begin to mellow. Their spunk makes them fun and exciting, different and enjoyable, but like the bad boy, she's not long term relationship appeal.

Now, this is different in fiction. Those bad girls of fiction are always fun. There're few, if any, of the relationship problems that will come up with a strong willed person who does things solely by their own rules. But we don't really want to see these strong women settle down with a nice man (or woman) do we? We certainly wouldn't expect that from a 'bad boy.'

I admit that the whole romance/ settling down thing that always creeps into so many female-lead stories always drives me nuts. I want to continue reading books with butt-kicking bad girls. Not nest-building and babies.

Not that I'm worried about any long-term relationships with Bo at the moment. First I need to get the series launched.  Then, Bo and I are going to have some fun. 

Indentification

Apparently, I'm the odd one out.

Again.

Apparently, most readers want to follow a character who they can identify with. One who shares flaws or fears with them. One who is like them in some ways.

I don't. When I read, I want to escape. If I wanted to be reminded of my own shit, I wouldn't be reading. I'd be pretending to deal with my own shit. The only trait I like to share with the characters is that of self-sufficiency or competence.

I read to escape. For a little voyeurism. To get into someone else's life, skin, and flaws. To get away from my own.

I've no interest in a story revolving around a teacher. I've watched some of those feel-good teacher-changes-the-world movies and they just leave me flat. I'm not likely to be changing the world. I will change individual lives and that's the best I hope for. I'll never get my motley crew of students to all ace the ACT (or Michigan Merit Exam) next go-round. Hell, I'm lucky if I can get them to read three whole novels in the course of a semester.

I don't want to read about failed relationships or people who only whine about their failed lives and poor choices. I want to read about action, adventure, mystery, and other people getting by in life. I prefer stories where people are doing at least okay in their lives, not fucking it up.

Now, either I just write it poorly, or what I write just doesn't go over with the average reader. I know that I'm not including these fatal flaws-- though Bo does have some pretty serious flaws-- but I also don't dump them out at the beginning of the book. It's not a massive bitch-fest about how horrible her life has been.

Like me, Bo has a tendency to focus on what she can and will deal with now. She doesn't spend much time lamenting what happened before. She focuses on the her work, current problems, and honestly, tries to avoid spending much time on things she can't deal with-- her past. Maybe this just doesn't (or hasn't) translated to the page well.

But I'm still getting feedback-- occasionally-- that deals with this issue. And I'm not sure how to reconcile it. Do I try to write is as people expect or do I hold fast to my vision of Bo. Do I write for readers or for myself. It's a tough choice. I'm still going to pretend I can do a little from column A and a little from column B.

And it may just mean it takes longer to get published. Good thing I have this cushy teaching job... oh, wait. There's nothing cushy about it. Damn.

Teasing

I know my own ethics... but it's been interesting exploring Bo's. What is she willing to do, how far is she willing to go-- both professionally (if one could call seducing people for profit 'professional') and personally.

Even when I set Bo off to seduce one or more men, like a story I'm currently working on, there's still the question of just what that seduction entails. Do clothes stay on? Is petting and kissing enough? Do clothes start to come off? Which clothes-- and whose?

There's also the issue of what would really happen. I get some women complaining that men don't just make out with a hot women. And it's true that many men won't-- though most men I've talked to about it admit that they might play for awhile, entertaining the idea (and themselves). Can't really blame anyone for that. Hell, if a hot woman tried seducing me, I might play along for a while, too... what?

Like any writer, I sometimes worry about disappointing my readers-- they expect more than Bo gives, maybe she stops before she's (or he's) done. But in the end, the story dictates. The story needs what it needs.

The current short I'm working on-- while trying to find my way back into the novel I had to temporarily abandon-- is giving me trouble. I know it's going to be sexy, but I'm not sure how low Bo's going to go. Or how to resolve the conflict-- after all, there's more to the story than just sex. There's a conflict, a reason for Bo to pull out her sex appeal, a case to be solved.

But I am SO glad that my mind is occupied with story lines and plot problems instead of all the things that previously took over. I miss writing and am glad to be back at it.

Like a Girl...

Sandra Seamans posted the link to this article, by Bev Vincent called "Apparently I write Like a Girl" (Bev is not a girl, inspite of how he might write.)

Great article. Biases fascinate me. The idea that a certain gender writer can or cannot write a certain gender character convincingly is such a curious concept. To me, it's not the gender, but the writing.

I've read books with female characters that didn't strike me as being very real. I chalked it up to stereotypes and lack of character development. Not author gender. Having balls or boobs does not make one able to write convincing characters of the same gender. A male writer can buy into all the stereotypes of how men area supposed to act just as they could of how women are supposed to act. Neither set of stereotypes works terribly well in fiction or in real life, IMNHO. And I know far too many people of both gender who act largely according to a particular set of gender stereotypes.

While it's a little surprising (and disappointing) that there are still people who make assumptions based merely on gender, it's even more disappointing that those assumptions become expectations. And it's hard to break free from expectations. Hard for someone who sees sex as primarily physical to write emotion into the act, even if it is expected. Hard to write a "real" female character if one's definition of "real" doesn't include enough of the expected characteristics.

After all, in fiction, the bottom line is this: it doesn't matter if it's true, the reader has to believe it.

Free Baby Shark

Right now, for a limited time, on Robert Fate's website you can get a free download of Baby Shark's Beaumont Blues. This is the second Baby Shark book, and it's still worth it.

Baby Shark-- Kristen-- is certainly one of my favorite female characters. I devoured the first Baby Shark book and have eagerly awaited each of the following ones (saving up my pop bottles if need be.) The fourth Baby Shark book is due out in September. That means there's plenty of time to read the previous three before launch.

Baby Shark could give Bo Fexler a run for her money in the tough female character department. And I think it's rather disappointing that so few people know about this female character. I mean, honestly, what does a woman have to do to get noticed.

(If I knew, perhaps Bo would have her novels published, too.)

Check it out. I've already read it, so I'll be over here writing when you get done. Then we can rave about it together.

Queenpin-- my kind of gals

I loved the premise from the start and heard good thing about Megan Abbott's female characters in Queenpin. Even the title looked great.

Overall, this book is a win. A couple of dames that I can enjoy. Tough, focused, professional. The kind of dames I love to see in fiction, though they are so rare.

Though, I admit I had trouble in the middle of the book when the narrator got wrapped up with Vic. I don't care for women who get all tangled in relationships-- which is without a doubt a personal preference and should not be held at all against Megan Abbott. (To give the narrator credit, she seemed to be thinking more with her pants than her heart, but I still prefer if she had been thinking with her head...)

But the book redeemed itself and I'm glad that I kept reading past the parts where the narrator was bemoaning how she was screwing herself. I'd actually like to see what happens with the narrator next-- I liked her that much.

Fans of Bo Fexler may well enjoy Queenpin.

Gender Roles

Came across this link to the pages from an old book called "I'm Glad I'm a Boy, I'm Glad I'm a Girl." It's a children's book that listed what girls and what boys do.

Of course, I find gender stereotyping amusing. Especially since in my life, the gender roles are fluid... and in some cases reversed. Like this weekend where I mowed the lawn and did the weed whipping while Hubby cleaned the house.

Now, when I write Bo Fexler, I don't think about gender very often. There are only a few situations where the fact that Bo is a woman really matter. And some situations where being a woman is decidedly an advantage.

I wouldn't want to be one of the men that Bo Fexler sets her sights on... though, one could hardly argue that any man under Bo's spell can really complain too much. ;-)

Ruined Plans

I had a pretty good list of things I wanted to accomplish this Friday evening. But, I got none of them done. Not a one.

I blame Tess Gerritsen.

See, after an afternoon nap, I sat down to read a bit of Ms. Gerritsen's book, The Surgeon. A bit turned into a big bit. And another chapter. And just a little more. And then, by that point, I might as well just finish.

Aside from breif interruptions to take care of nature and snap at Hubby for disturbing me, that was my afternoon and evening.

Not a wasted evening, by any means. I enjoyed the book a great deal.

But I do think that Gerritsen's books should come with a warning label. "Do Not Start Without Time to Finish" or something. Maybe her name on the cover is the warning? At least for the Jane Rizzoli/ Maura Isles series. I had a similar problem with The Sinner. At least I know that I shouldn't start the next book (The Apprentice) without adequate time to finish it.

Which, it's a good thing I don't have any other of her books yet. I wouldn't get anything done the next couple days! =)

Fave Females

I've never really thought about who my favorite females are. I always just kind of knew, and never really thought about who all meets my definition for the preferred female form.

Until Travis Erwin asked about it in comments on Tuesday.

So, I started thinking. It's not much of a list, because, as I've previously complained, there seems to be a shortage. (Maybe I'm just not finding them-- but I do look into every female character offered my way for potential additions to The List)


So, here's my list.
1. Beatrix Kiddo from the Kill Bill movies. Determined, skilled, and just a bit of femininity. Not overdone, and I can accept her motivating forces, both for revenge and for her kid. She doesn't get too mushy, and still finishes the job even after meeting up with her former lover and her kid.

2. Kristen Van Dijk aka Baby Shark from the Baby Shark books by Robert Fate. Love this woman. She does some fine ass kicking in the books, doesn't let her femaleness (or relationships) get in the way, and the stories focus on the cases, not her love life. You know, like a book with a male protagonist would do.

3. Lara Croft. She can run, jump, climb, and shoot and looks damn good doing it. (Okay, so the boobs in the video game defy gravity, and, I'm sorry, that'd just be uncomfortable!) Didn't care for the former-lover problems in the movies, but I do like seeing a chick in action.

4. Jessica Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. "I'm not a bad girl, I'm just drawn that way." Sex appeal and dangerous. She's the femme fatale character, andI gotta admit I like the femme fatale.

5. Mary Embrey-- the woman in the movie Hancock (movie, not so good, but this woman was fun.) She was powerful and didn't take any shit.

6. Jane Rizzoli from Tess Gerritsen's books. (I've only read a few so far, but enjoyed both Jane and Maura Isles.) These are competent, professional women. I wish the books would stay fartehr away from lovers and past lovers, but that's only a personal preference. I know most women prefer to read about love and other mushy stuff. (I try to skim those parts. ;-)

7. Trinity from the Matrix-- another women who looks good kicking ass. I like the added depth in her faith in The One as well as her no bullshit attitude. She's cool under pressure and willing to fight for what she believes.

While these are my favorite characters, I wish more of them combined sex appeal with physical (and mental) ability. I'd especially love to see more sexy, young, successful female characters in the mystery genre.

I want to see the femme fatale play the role of the detective.

Kick Ass Heroines

They seem to be lacking a bit in the mystery genre. There's a few, sure, but not very many and even the toughest in the mystery genre tend to get their panties in a bunch in ways that Phillip Marlowe and Sam Spade (and countless other men) never did.

I found where all the kick ass women are hanging out though. They're over in the urban fantasy book shelves. Maybe shelved in horror (which of course overlaps urban fantasy.) And the kick ass women don't all have superpowers, etc.

Why is it that the mystery genre hasn't embraced the uber-tough, ultra-cool female heroine? (I'll skip my usual rants on why most of the mystery females do not meet my definition.)

Sometimes I wonder if it's an age thing. Seems to me that the young kids are writing the urban fantasy. Of course, over here in Mystery Land, *I'm* still just a kid! Some one find me a mystery author younger than me.

But youngters aren't really getting into the mystery genre. There's some sort of stigma. Maybe lack of good movies? Maybe too populated by older characters? Maybe there's just not enough sex appeal?

Mystery book shelves are dominated by long running series' by people who are old enough to be my mother. And, to a large extent, I think that affects the things they write. Nothing wrong with that. I'd just love to see some more younger writers, younger protagonists. And maybe a few women who could compete with those urban fantasy babes.

Womanly

The question came up the other day about what it means to act like a woman. My first reaction is that however a woman acts is acting like a woman. Then, I went and mulled it over, brushing off some of my ideas and notions on what might be considered female behavior.

There is a broad range of "female" behavior. Somethings, like having babies, are still relegated only to women. But not all women do, either by choice or by chance. This does not make them less female.

Some women carry purses, wear high heels, and defer to the men in their lives. I would rather cut off my dominant hand and beat myself with it.

Many female traits, though, are considered negative. Most people don't really want to read a book where the main character doesn't do anything even though many women prefer to take the passive role. Being assertive isn't an inherently female trait. But there have always been women who took charge of their lives. Women who were very active.

I know a lot of young women who defer to their boyfriends. And some who will get married still defering to their partner. They won't stand up for themselves. Around some of them, I get a bloody lip from biting it so much...

But most men I know think that confidence is DAMN sexy. (I suspect that part of it is a belief that confidence outside the bedroom will also mean confidence, assertiveness, and active participation in the bedroom.)

It's a fine line between being confident (good) and being assertive (not good). Assertiveness viewed negatively is just plain labeled 'aggressive.' Aggression is pretty safely negative regardless of gender.

Is there a way that "women" talk? Perhaps it's about relationships. Or with deferential phrases that show that the woman is willing to be flexible in her opinion. If she even states an opinion. Sadly, "female" speech is more likely than male speech, in my experience, to be full of soft self-degradation. Men rarely talk that way. My Hubby says that I always sound like I know what I'm talking about, even when I may not. Does this mean I talk like "a man?"

What does it mean to act like a woman? What are the best things that women do?

(Pic from wikimedia commons)

The Femme Fatale

Click here for some interesting reading on the femme fatale by Emily Veinglory over at Cliterature. (Great site! No clicky if you get offended by sex.)

I'd like to think that Bo's a femme fatale... but in the best way possible. She is a cross between the cunning detective and the stunning beauty who will have her way at any cost. She is dangerous... and I think that's one of her best features.

Of course, I'm not sure folks are ready for a female lead who can think even when a swoon-worthy man enters the room. Or who can keep control of her own sexuality.

There are a helluva a lot of cultural stereotypes about women that Bo has to fight against. Probably starting with the old double-standard: a man with lots of partners is a stud while a woman with lots of partners is a slut.

What some other gender stereotypes you can think of? And how true are they?

The Quiet Ones

Watch out for the quiet ones. We may not be as innocent as we appear.

We may not swear or say much. We may have our noses in a book or pad of paper. We may do what we're "supposed to."

But we may have other plans. Other lives.

Mine include tales of sex and violence. Doing some research into erotica (yum) has lead me to believe that the first Bo Fexler novel may be an erotic mystery. I'm good with that. Erotica is fun. Sex is fun.

Except for that romance and happily ever after stuff. Gets in the way of the fun part. ;-)

Few people who know me in real life would expect this from me. What about you-- what do people not know about you?

Oh Dear

So, I was musing along in my NaNo, trying to think of a way to make Niki Gipsiss, my new character, into a fuller character.

I decided to have her get laid. Which would have been good for word count too... ignoring the fact that her boyfriend wouldn't comply. (Damn character get these ideas that they can dictate their own actions...)

But shortly there after, I realized that Niki is a very sexual character. She quickly became a fuller character once I started to explore her views and thoughts on sex.

Niki's different from Bo, but sex is a big part of Niki's character too.

Looks like Niki has a tendency to turn to sexual thoughts. A lot. It's fun. I think, for now at least, this is my calling as a writer. (Sorry Ma! ;-)

This is fun-- exploring new writerly worlds. I think it's important as writer to try new things. New stories, new characters, even new processes of writing. Shake off the ordinary and explore. I'm not sure if I can pull off 50k this month, but I'm happy for what I've gotten that doesn't show in word cont.

Getting Involved

Niki is such a different character from Bo. One of the big differences is that Bo's hired to do her investigations. In the NaNo novel I'm writing with Niki as the star, she's dragged into the investigation because it very much involves her. After this, I'm giong to have get more creative in how to put Niki on the case. How do writers keep the amatuer sleuth involved in all sorts of dangerous, harrowing investigations, without ending up like Jessica Fletcher. (Now if she ever showed up on my town, I'd be heading North, and fast!)

I suppose I could run through Niki's friends and family for investigations. Ora friend of a friend needs help. I'm interested in keeping Niki around for a while. But I worry about how many times Niki can get involved in some sort of mystery without it seeming cliched.

Any ideas for how to involve the amatuer sleuth in different sorts of cases without it seeming just a little to coicidental that she's involved *again*?

I've never talked about politics here, but...

I have no intention to start. I'm going to talk about characters and NaNoWriMo.

I'm writing a new character, Niki Gipsiss, for my NaNoWriMo project. I wouldn't exactly call this endeavor a novel. It'll be novel length, and it'll have a plot somewhere under the excess verbiage. I'm not padding my word count, just exploring the thoughts, feelings, and histories of this new set of characters.

Before I go on, let me reassure my dear readers, that Bo Fexler is no going away. I love her character. If Niki ever develops, she'll just share time with Bo. Maybe I could do two novel series, one with Niki and one with Bo, alternating books or something. Of course, first I have to get ONE series going... but I dream big. Very big.

Anyway, Niki is very different from Bo. She's not nearly as hot. She's attractive, but more in your average girl sort of way. Brown hair, brown eyes, only slightly taller than the average woman (5'6 to Bo's 5'10 1/2"). Niki's more cute than ohmyfuckinggod hot.

Right now, I'm noticing that Niki doesn't have much character. She's pretty vanilla. Bo's got serious attitude that oozes from her every sentence, swing of the hips, and curve of the lips. She's a bad ass right to her core.

Niki's different. I'm have some trouble figuring out what her flavor will be. She needs some sort of character, but it's not that easy for me to just come up with one. Especially since I tend towards the bitter and snarky... like Bo. I don't want to write another type of Bo-character.

But I'm going to give Niki 50,000 of her own words to figure out who she is. I think it's time to stretch my writerly abilities and see where it will take me. Maybe no where-- maybe I am a one-trick pony.

At least it's a fun trick.

Keep track of my NaNoWriMo progress on the right over there with my NanoCat progress meter. Mew.

Wow-- When Did it Become Tuesday?

I found time to vote-- which actually ended up being the easiest, quickest thing in a slew of busy, crazy events.

In the midst of everything, I am one of the pack of fools who's participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). You can see my ticker in the sidebar. I'm doing okay on progress.

I'm actually giving Bo Fexler a break for a month. It's a truly strange experience given that I've been writing Bo stories almost exclusively for some three years now.

But, I decided to explore a new character, and NaNoWriMo seems to be a good place. All my musings can become part of my word count. I tend to think better when I write, for some reason. As if the mere act of committing things to paper-- even virtual paper that I use for typing-- forces me to think through things more than I do when just thinking.

Surprisingly, NaNo has not be the big time-sucker these past few days. That's been Hubby. ;-)

Get your mind of the gutter. There's not enough room there for the both of us.

Routine

I wish I could say that I've fallen into a nice routine now that the semester is nearly four weeks old.

But when I lie, I prefer to do it in more interesting and entertaining ways. Like fiction.

I can't seem to get a routine in place. I'm not behind on anything, but it feels like if I could just get into a routine, I'd have less wasted time. And more time to write. I feel like I'm running just to keep from falling behind. =/

In the meantime, I've made some progress on the current batch of revisions on the first Novel and done a couple rounds of revisions on a submitted and almost accepted short story.

I also read the 'Hell of a Woman' Anthology, which I highly recommend. Some of the stories made me want to reach into the pages and kneecap the women, but most of them featured dames who can keep their shit together. (My preference!) Over all, a good read.

Women's Roles

One of the ideas/themes that's come up more than a few times in the female-lead books I'm reading is women's roles, compared to men.

Some examples:

• The female lead feels she has to prove herself to be as good, or better than the men she works with.
• The femal lead feels uncomfortable with being a woman in a man's role.
• The female lead thinks, repeatedly, about her place in a man's world/role.
• The female lead compares herself with how the men are doing.
• The female lead wonders what a man would do in her position.

Now, it should be no surpise that being the atypical woman I am, I have some trouble with these sentiments. I *know* there are women out there who legitamately think and feel these ways.

I just don't understand why.

I have never once thought myself anything but equal to *everyone* in the room. I've never even thought about how I compare to men, even though I often found myself working with mostly men. It never even occurred to me that I was somehow less capable. (Sure, when I started in retail, I couldn't quite lift as much as some of the guys, but I can lift just about as much as any of them now.)

I don't know exactly what factors contributed to my sense of equality, but I am very glad that I have it. I would hate to feel like I had to "prove myself" to anyone. I am as competent and capable as the next person. Male or female.

One thing to note, though, is that I am significantly younger than all but one of the authors of these female-lead books I've beeen reading of late. Maybe this was part of the factor?

As a modern woman, I do think that men and women are equal. No one is better than the other based on gender alone. It's all what we do with ourselves.

I've heard that nothing is sexier than confidence. Hubby likes my confidence (and competence.) What do the rest of you think-- is confidence sexy? Is self-doubt?