The Thanksgiving Post

So, I'm new to this whole blog thing. Like most every internet savvy person, I had a blog long ago but never kept up with it. After too many sorry-it-took-me-so-long-to-post posts, I just put the thing out of its misery. I'm putting extra effort into this one, though, and I'm still not sure why. Perhaps I'm trying to fit in with my new-found Twitter writing community. All of you have blogs. And all of you have a Thanksgiving post. And all of you talk to your readers as though they are really listening. I have yet to get to that point in my blogging journey.

See, I know a few people who come here and read and comment, but the number isn't high enough for me to consider you all "readers." You're my sympathetic and encouraging friends who stop by to show your support. I'm waving you over to a seat at my table (at which you're always welcome) and offering you a piece of pumpkin pie. Would you like whipped cream?

If there are a few who stop by out of genuine interest, I'm stunned and thankful for you. I hope you keep coming back and commenting and giving me a reason to keep blogging. To you, I offer the head seat at my table. What can I serve you? Everything on the table is yours for the taking. After all, everything I lay out here is for YOU. I hope it's to your taste and that you enjoy.

I sincerely hope you all have a terrific holiday. I pray you're surrounded with family and only kind and caring words are spoken. I pray all of you realize what a gift life is and pass on whatever goodness comes your way.

Cheers!

What Makes a Strong Female Protagonist?

A common theme among Twitter lit chats of late (or perhaps it's always been this way) is the female protagonist. Which are your favorites? What makes her a good character to look up to and respect?

So often I see readers, both ladies and gents, gravitate toward female characters that can "kick ass," meaning their physical strength is their signifying characteristic. You know the types. Women who can beat the tar out of anyone they meet and defy any dangerous situation. But I've noticed a trend with the "kick ass" characters: they're mostly females excelling in predominantly male roles. Assassin, Ninja, action hero, secret agent, the list goes on. Not that those characters aren't fascinating, but why do they tend to be more fascinating than women who excel in predominantly female roles?

Take Maria from The Sound of Music. Hers was a traditional role: the governess, the motherly figure. Her entire world revolved around the von Trapp family. Yet she had the guts to escape the grip of Nazi soldiers and somehow survive a trek through the mountains to find refuge in Switzerland. Talk about kick ass.

What about Esther Summerson in Bleak House? She was a housekeeper. After surviving a bout with smallpox, she finds her face badly disfigured. Yet she does not wallow in self-pity from wounded vanity. She presents herself to the world, holds her head high, and life goes on. I know very few women who could go through such an experience with as much strength and dignity.

Following this train of thought, I asked some of my friends who their favorite female protag was and why. They came up with some great examples, and their reasonings seemed to have a trend.

- None of them are damsels in distress.

- Their identities do not rely on the love interests in their lives.

- They stand up for their principles and beliefs, and do not deviate.

- They have perseverance in adverse circumstances.

- None of them kill--even those who could be considered action hero types.

- None use sex or sensuality to get ahead.

- Many of them knew what they wanted and went after it in upstanding ways, no matter what others, or society, thought of them.

- Most broke out from traditional female stereotypes and became women of importance. They weren't just females doing a man's job equally or better--they were simply themselves.


So, what do you think makes a strong female character? What are some of your favorites and why? I'd love to explore this topic further.

Visual Inspiration for Writers

How many times have you been writing a scene and desperately wanted to look at a photograph or drawing of what you were imagining? If you're like me, that number is too high to comprehend.

Most of us do not have the luxury of world travel, and let's face it, many times the objects we dream up do not even exist in the real world, so we have to rely on artistic interpretation to fuel our creative fires.

For this specific purpose, I have a few websites that I frequent when I'm in need of visual inspiration.

First, and probably widely known, is Flickr. Type in a few keywords and you can browse for hours. That's how I found Mattjin's majestic artwork, which blends real life with the fantastical. He takes photos of himself (and his cat) and inserts them into fantasy worlds, just like this:







If you're ever at a loss for a fantasy or sci-fi story idea, Mattjin's photostream is a good place to look.

I've also found a trove of castle photography, which helps place me in the right frame of mind for my book:



Flickr is also where I found most of the images for my Here In Spirit blog post.

Another website I adore is DeviantArt.com. Here I can find paintings, digital renderings, sketches, and more of all the fantastical things in my mind. I usually look for medieval and adventure imagery, but you can find other things like dragons and elves and faeries, witches, ghouls, just to name a few. Look there for steampunk inspiration, too.

Here are some favorites I've found over the years:

   

   


I've also used it to find ideas for certain places in my book, such as Little Leah, the little white cottage that my main characters call home. Obviously I can't find exact examples of what I see in my mind, but it's nice to see something close:





I imagine more colors and flowers around Little Leah, moss growing on the chimney, vines creeping up the walls, round windows...you get the idea. There's just something about seeing these images that make my book all the more real.

So kick back, sip a hot beverage of choice, and browse these two sites for your own inspiration. Post links to some of the great images you find in my comments section or on your own blogs. I want to see them!