An Open Letter...

An open letter, yes, but to whom? To feminists? To sexists? To the writers of The Walking Dead? I don't know. To someone. Maybe to all of the above. Hopefully, to you.

Ordinarily, I don't get involved with these things. Online
debates, arguments, uncivil discussions, whatever. Most of the time, I put faith in writers, considering I am one who very much enjoys messing with her characters and (typically) pulls all of the threads together in the end. I enjoy weaving lives together then tugging at the threads to see how strong they are.

However, right now, I'm having a difficult time doing that.

It may seem a small thing, a foolish thing, to become wrapped up in a world that's not my own, one that I can only see from the outside in. It may seem like a waste of time, stupidity, a waste of my resources, but being immersed in different kinds of media, from social media like Twitter and Facebook to more traditional kinds like books to movies to music to, yes, television shows, on a daily basis--in fact, makes this post a productive use of my time. As an author, I try to keep up with trends from all types of creative expression, and when something as phenomenal as TWD pulls asshattery, I pay attention.

So, Dear people:

For so many people, this isn't just a show. It's become a way of life in a lot of ways. I've been caught up in the storm myself, with trips to conventions and getting involved in some aspects of the fandom. I appreciate zombies and human drama and this give
s me both of those in one nicely tied-up package. Except for a couple of things.

More than the comics, the show has a strong female cast, fierce and loyal women who have immense inner strength and are capable of surviving in a world that strips away so much of their humanity. But about 90% of the time, you wouldn't know that.

In recent weeks, one of the main characters, Carol, has come under suspicion for an action she supposedly took regarding two minor characters. Up until this season, Carol has been seen as a nurturing, caring, supportive woman, the one whose inner strength truly shines through in these difficult spots. Survivor of not just the Zombie Apocalypse but also of a horrible, abusive marriage, she's given hope to so many women who've been able to step away from their own horrible, abusive marriages. She's become beloved to people who've survived tragedy and has proven time and time again that she's willing to do what she must for the good of the group, so much so that nearly every other character on the show has sought out her counsel from time to time. And though she had her moments last season, like when she told Andrea to give the Governor "The best night of his life" before killing him, she's never acted out of anything but love for her companions.

But it seems that with Lori and Andrea gone, Carol has been cast in the role of Women that Viewers Kind of Hate (WVKH).

Throughout the show there's always been at least one woman who's drawn the ire of fans and other characters alike. Through seasons one and two, Lori Grimes was that character. Her affair with Shane and the back-and-forth she had with him after Rick came back drew immense criticism from fans. The actress who played her (the amazing and beautiful Sarah Wayne Callies) has gotten booed before at conventions. And for Laurie Holden, who played Andrea, season three's WVKH? Death threats. And even with Andrea, the character, we're treated to a woman who is portrayed as inept and wishy-washy. What we don't get enough of is Andrea's backstory. Even in Andrea-centric episodes, we don't get enough. We only realize the strength of these women through hindsight, not through their current actions.

Now let's take one of the men, Merle, to whom Carol has been compared at least once (and once is MORE than enough). Merle Dixon is a racist. An asshole. A cold-blooded murderer. A drug addict (possibly reformed. Possibly). Sexist. An asshole. Oh, did I say that already? Sorry. The point is that the character of Merle Dixon is despicable. He's perfectly crafted to despise. And though he has his redeeming qualities, deep down, he's selfish. Cruel. The total antithesis to Carol, to Daryl, even to Rick. And yet, knowing all of this, Merle was allowed to stay at the prison. Under careful supervision, yes, but still. He was there for quite a while.

The point of all this is that in a world where gender roles really shouldn't matter anymore, they matter more, and they're used to unfairly shape the perceptions other characters and audience members have of the characters involved. Merle murders three people in the woods, helps the Governor take out multiple military personnel, beats the stuffing out of Glenn? Let's invite him in. Shane murders Otis, admits to it? Give him a gun. Rick shoots two people in a bar? He's the leader.

Lori gets pregnant with Shane's baby, tries to hold her family together anyway? We hate her. Andrea tries to stick to her principles and the guidance she got from Dale? Get rid of her useless ass. Carol, for the good of the group, (presumably) puts down Karen and David before they can turn to walkers? Give her some food and supplies, find her a car, send her on her merry way with zero proof. Someone please explain to me how this is supposed to work?

I guess now that Beth's taking care of the baby, they don't really need Carol anymore. *Huffs*

Writers, I'm trying really hard to trust you. But you're making it a touch too difficult.

When a Normal Screw-up Just Won't Do

This is Mr. Wrenchy. He has plans for your characters. Diabolical, horrible, awful, TERRIBLE plans. But there's a condition...you have to throw him.

We writers play a cruel game with our characters. We know what they want, and we know exactly how they can get it. Most of the time, it's pretty simple.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is why the author has an endless supply of wrenches we can chuck into any situation.

Wrenches can be big things: Explosions, viruses, death, mayhem. 

Sometimes wrenches are small things: Forlorn look, a careless dismissal during a crisis time, selfishness. 

Wrenches can be subtle, or they can hit your characters upside the head and knock them unconscious for a few days. 

I like to use a mix of the big ones and the small ones. I have a scene in Spark where one of the MCs is trying to convince her dead hubby's spirit to "cross over" and finally be at peace (long story). When she's on the brink of getting him to cross, his attention drifts for a split-second, and his desire to cross is lost. It's a small wrench that has big implications in Book2. 

Characters have to struggle to get what they want. People don't fit into an infinite mold of "will do what you want" and "won't do what you want." There are a lot of factors that play into a person's choices--motivations, personalities, likes and dislikes, and it's up to you, the author, to play with these different aspects to craft appropriate wrenches. 

A Touch AWESOME Blogfest WEEK THREE

Welcome to Week Three of the A Touch AWESOME blogfest, the five weeks of fun I'm hosting alongside the fabulous Katelyn Torrey!

Don't forget to check Leah Clifford's blog for information regarding awesome swag, especially for pre-orders of Mortal's sequel, A Touch Morbid.




Just a reminder of what we're doing:

Week 1 (1/21-1/27): Anytime during the week make a post about your top 5 favorite quotes from A Touch Mortal.

Week 2 (1/28-2/3): Anytime during the week make a post about your top 5 favorite swoon-worthy moments from A Touch Mortal.

Week 3 (2/4-2/10): Anytime during the week make a post about your top 5 favorite characters from A Touch Mortal

.

Week 4 (2/11-2/17): Anytime during the week make a post about your top 5 favorite ANYTHING. This is a free week to post your top 5 favorite randoms from A Touch Mortal.

Week 5 (2/18-2/24): Anytime during the week make a post about your top 5 favorite moments from A Touch Mortal.

So let's get on to this week's fun! My Top 5 Favorite Characters:

1. GABE. As though you expected any less from me. Gabe is sweet, loyal, and all-around amazing. I swooned over him more than any other character in this book.
   
2. Kristen. She's...a character you have to read to believe. In her lucid moments, she's quite entertaining, loyal to a fault, and pretty much the only hope Eden has of understanding her new role in the world. In her not-so-lucid moments, she's like a whirlwind. I always looked forward to her scenes.
   
3. Madeline. Oh, Maddy. She's conniving, wicked, and awesome.
   
4. Eden. Of course Eden has to be included! She's by far one of my favorite heroines. She's dark, intriguing, witty, and at times unintentionally hilarious. I really loved reading her.
   
5. Luke. In a book where everyone's a moral shade of gray, Luke is not. Luke is just BAD. And he's awesome at it. The lead singer of a popular rock band, Luke is incredibly good at being the bad guy. He can make your skin crawl and make you want him all at the same time.

There's my top 5. Who are yours?

Wanna share your Top 5? Add your link below!

Worldbuilding - Your Characters and Your World

So much WANT.

Am I reusing a picture of Jon Snow? Why yes. Yes I am. Can you blame me, though?

Also, can you tell I'm in severe Game of Thrones withdrawal? Cuz I am.

Anyway, I keep picking GoT because a) it's awesome, b) it allows me to use gratuitous Jon Snow photos, and c) I just finished it last night and OH MY GAWD.

And it's a fantastic example of worldbuilding and how the world you create impacts your characters, something I covered briefly in the last post but wanted to expound upon because it's kiiiiiind of important.

And I'm going to use Jon as an example ^_^

In Westeros, a bastard's surname is typically called by region. In the northlands, where Ned takes Jon, that surname is "Snow." In the river region, the name is "Rivers." You can see how that works, I'm sure.

When Ned brings Jon to Winterfell, no one can understand why, including Jon. Step-mom Catelyn despises him and little half-sister Sansa (who kinda sucks at life anyway) never accepts him into the family. He's called "bastard" as often as "Jon." So...how does all this fit into the worldbuilding?

Because of the cultural and societal implications of Jon's standing, he's seen as little more than a parasite. Alienated and alone, no matter how hard Arya, Robb, Bran, and Ned try to make him feel included, he's not. Never seated with his family at banquets, never allowed to take the name "Stark," Jon has no true family, though he'd die for Ned or his half-siblings without a second thought. So, where do men with no hope of establishing a house go?

TO THE WALL.

BRRRRRRRR.

The Wall is where bastards, some nobles (like poor Sam Tarly who is a horrible disappointment to his father) , rapists, murderers, thieves and other low-born ilk have a chance to make something of themselves defending the northernmost part of the Kingdom from...well, lots of things. Jon's uncle Benjen "took the black" himself, and it's through him Jon learns of the opportunity and decides to go himself.

Like most fraternities (not Phi Kappa Gamma, beer-guzzling fraternities, but actual brotherhoods) a committal vow is required of all new initiates. It's this vow, and its importance within the world, that compels Jon to stay when he doesn't want to. Deserters from the Wall are as good as dead. In fact, in the beginning of Game of Thrones (book or movie), the first scene with the Starks is Ned beheading a deserter from the Wall. Makes Jon think twice a little bit, and thusly affects his decisions and thought-process.

So, how do you apply this to your world?

What George RR Martin did with Jon (and really, I could go on for weeks just on Game of Thrones alone) is he took the time to figure out how the world affects his character. What's true in both fiction and life is that our upbringing and the society in which we're brought up affects us as we get older. The key is deciding how your world dictates your character and whether your character chooses to rise above it.

Case in point: Katniss Everdeen. Yes, I KNOOOOW but I loved the Hunger Games. So anyway, here's what society dictates for Kat: Be poor, participate in Hunger Games, die.

What did she do? *SPOILER*

She takes down the freaking President. Not herself, mind you. She misses the important action *GRRR*. But rather than take everything lying down, Kat becomes a symbol of hope for an oppressed people. She rises above the expectations set for her.

That's all well and good for the protagonist/main character/whatever, but since it's hard to pinpoint a main character in Martin's multi-POV epic, I kinda consider Jon to be more of a secondary character. He's important enough to warrant his own POV, sure, but in the end, the book finds its focus around the Lannisters vs. the Starks, and Jon's got bigger (and undeader) fish to fry.

This leads into using your world to round out your secondary characters too. We'll discuss that at a later date ;)