Writers in the Storm

Jami Gold

Writing is often about finding a balance. Too much left in subtext can lead to confusion. Too much explanation can feel like an info dump or be too "on the nose." Etc., etc.

With our characters, if we want our protagonists to seem heroic, they need to have strong traits. Yet at the same time, if we want our protagonists to be relatable, they need to have vulnerabilities. This is never an easy balance, especially when clichés fill our heads about what a "strong character" means.

Stereotypes Don't Allow for Diversity or Three-Dimensional Characters

On the heroine side, Ripley from Alien is often brought up as a "strong female character." The stereotype refers mostly to physically violent, butt-kicking women. Furthermore, it assumes women who need rescuing—ever—can't possibly be strong.

On the hero side, the stereotype is all-alpha-male-all-the-time. And not just a normal level of alpha male, oh no... In some genres, the expectation is for an amount of alpha-ness that reaches *sshole level—leading to the label "alpha-hole." Again, the assumption is that heroes who are caring or sensitive—ever—couldn't possibly be strong.

With all those clichés and stereotypes swirling about our head, it's no wonder that we might struggle with making likable characters. There's no room in those clichés for vulnerabilities that will make them relatable to the reader.

Those expectations also prevent us from making three-dimensional characters. How can a character who has to conform to such narrow expectations ever seem unique and real? How can they ever make decisions that follow who they are rather than who the clichés expect them to be?

To my mind, "strong" means the ability to handle that which the character thinks they can't. Whether they're handling a situation, an emotion, a conflict, a weapon, a threat, or a relationship, there should be multiple ways of showing strength, or else we've lost a different kind of diversity and dimensionality for our characters.

A Disclaimer—Characters Who Conform Aren't "Bad"

All that said, I don't think it's bad if some of the characters we write follow the stereotypes. As with other kinds of diversity, the problem is when that's the only depiction or considered the norm.

Many readers like heroines who literally kick butts, and many readers don't. Many readers adore alpha-hole heroes who are jerks to the nth degree, and many readers don't. As authors, some of us naturally write those types of characters, and some of us don't.

None of that is wrong. If we tried to eliminate those characters, we'd once again be limiting the options for our characters, which is the opposite of my point. Rather, my concern is that too often characters lose the "strong" label when they display any characteristics that deviate from the narrow expectations, regardless of their other “strong” qualifications.

A Closer Look at Strong Heroines

In many paranormal romances, the hero is a paranormal being and the heroine is a “mere” human. Between her gender and her human frailty, the heroine is usually at a big disadvantage.

No offense to many of my favorite books, but I didn’t want to write that kind of paranormal romance. When writing romance, I love exploring the power struggles and negotiations between the couple.

To me, a romance where the couple figuratively battles each other for the upper hand and gradually learns to function as a partnership and team feels true-to-life. So to write those kinds of stories, I needed heroines who were on equal footing—power-wise—with the hero.

Case Study: Elaina of Treasured Claim

In Treasured Claim, my debut paranormal romance novel releasing next week, the paranormal being of the couple is the heroine. Not only is the hero a “mere” human, but Elaina—a shapeshifting dragon—is also physically stronger than the hero. In addition, she has attitude to spare, to the point that the strength of her voice helped me discover my author voice.

However, when I first started entering contests with the story, I received feedback that some found her unlikable. They didn’t like that she starts off the story as a jewel thief with a callous attitude.

The key to unlocking her character from a reader perspective was to show her vulnerability. In other words, I had to balance her strengths with her vulnerabilities.

• Strengths: Her physical strength alone shouldn’t define who she is. She has other admirable traits, such as being comfortable in her own skin and not letting others shame her. She also has a strength of will and character and makes the hard decisions because they’re the right thing to do.
• Vulnerabilities: There’s a reason she’s stealing jewels—she’s on the verge of death and needs them to stay alive. And yes, she’s flippant, but she also has a strong sense of right and wrong and is weak because she refuses to murder humans for their treasure (unlike other dragons). And to top it off, she’s on the run from her father, who’s trying to kill her.

A mix of strong admirable traits and vulnerabilities brought the character—and the story—up to the level it needed to be to win over readers. After making those changes, Treasured Claim won First Place in three contests and was a finalist in six other contests. *smile*

A Closer Look a Strong Heroes

In paranormal romance, for better or worse, the norm for that subgenre is often extreme alpha male/alpha-hole heroes. But I don't write alpha-holes, and some of my heroes have some downright beta traits (along with their alpha traits).

I don't want to write jerks. I don't want to read jerks. I want romances where the characters grow in a partnership based on respect that I can believe will last for the "ever after" part of the happy ending. That's just my preference.

Alpha Males vs. Alpha-Holes

Heroes can be dominant without being domineering. They can be protective without being controlling. And they can be confident without being overly arrogant.

To me, those positive traits, along with others like leadership, focus, decision making, and problem solving, are an alpha male. The term came from wolf packs, where the alpha male was simply the leader, not a jerk.

On the other hand, when I look at a domineering, controlling, arrogant male, I don't see a leader. I don't see an alpha male. I don't see a hero.

I see a poseur, a male who's so insecure that they put on an act to hide who they really are and who's so afraid that they need to control everything. Their jerky behavior is all about posturing and overcompensating for their weaknesses.

A couple of months ago, I shared a quote on Facebook:

“Confidence isn’t walking into a room and thinking you’re better than everyone. It’s walking in not having to compare yourself to anyone at all. — Unknown”

To me, the real alpha heroes are the ones so confident they're not afraid of revealing their vulnerabilities. The ones so confident they can be nice and not fear that will erase their assertiveness or power. In other words, the ones we might actually like if we met them in real life. *smile*

Case Study: Alex in Treasured Claim

In many ways, Alex is the typical romance hero: He’s a billionaire business guy who’s used to getting what he wants. But through his father, he also grew up with first-hand insight into the dark side of what domineering, controlling alpha-holes are like in real life.

Unfortunately (for him), while Elaina intrigues Alex, she also brings out his dominating side more than anyone else. With her, he’s more aggressive, more controlling, and more disrespectful, and he doesn’t like it.

His struggle was fun for me to write because I got to play with the expectations of the genre in a way that fits the character. And just like with my heroine, I worked to give him a mix of strengths and vulnerabilities:

• Strengths: He excels with the (good) alpha male traits of focus, decision making, and problem solving. Beyond being a gorgeous billionaire, he’s admirable (and relatable) for his desire to rise above his history and for his goal to build a healthy partnership with Elaina. He just happens to make a lot of mistakes along the way. *smile*
• Vulnerabilities: At the same time, he’s terrified of turning out like his father, and he worries about how much he seems to be sliding in that direction. He’s also willing to admit to himself how much he’s obsessed with Elaina. He doesn’t play the stand-off-ish game with her, and that means she knows exactly how to hurt him.

In other words, unlike the stereotypical alpha-hole, he consciously tries to be kind (he throws a charity fundraiser for a cause close to his heart, and he treats his employees exceptionally well), and he also allows himself to show emotions. He’s not implacable or untouchable. He’s relatable.

Again, I'm not saying that no heroes should ever be arrogant, controlling, domineering playboys or that no heroines should be butt-kicking Ripleys. But I reject the idea that characters must conform to narrow stereotypes to be considered "strong."

I want to read stories with more diverse characters than that. That's why I'm not going to change the kinds of characters I write. I'll continue writing both heroes and heroines who are strong and vulnerable. And I'll just hope that others are looking for the same. *smile*

Do you struggle with writing characters who are strong yet likable? Have you ever experienced pushback for making your characters vulnerable? Do you think characters can be strong and vulnerable? How do you think genre affects that possibility? How would you define a strong character? What heroes or heroines have you liked that follow or break the stereotypes?

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About Treasured Claim:

A shapeshifting dragon on the verge of starvation…

For Elaina Drake, sparkling jewels aren’t a frivolous matter. Without more treasure for her hoard, she’ll starve. On the run from her murderous father, she’s desperate enough to steal—er, acquire.

A modern-day knight seeking redemption…

Disgusted by his father’s immorality, Alexander Wyatt, Chicago’s biggest corporate titan, is determined to be a man of honor. Yet the theft of a necklace, stolen by an exotic beauty at his latest fundraiser, threatens to destroy all his charitable work.

A predator made prey…

Passion ignites between thief and philanthropist, sparking a game of temptation where jewelry is the prize. But when Elaina’s exposure jeopardizes Alex’s life, she must choose: run again to evade her father—or risk both their lives for love.

Available at Amazon, iTunes, B&N, and Kobo, or go to Jami’s website for more information.

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About Jami

After triggering the vampire/werewolf feud with an errant typo, Jami Gold moved to Arizona and decided to become a writer, where she could put her talent for making up stuff to good use. Fortunately, her muse, an arrogant male who delights in making her sound as insane as possible, rewards her with unique and rich story ideas.

Fueled by chocolate, she writes paranormal romance and urban fantasy tales that range from dark to humorous, but one thing remains the same: Normal need not apply. Just ask her family—and zombie cat.

Find Jami at her blog, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

by Susan Spann

“Mentor” was the tutor Odysseus placed in charge of his son, Telemachus, before departing on his now-famous odyssey across a mythological version of ancient Greece. Since Homer’s day, the word has come to mean an advisor who comes alongside a less-experienced person to offer help, education, and guidance.

Mentorships exist in almost every conceivable endeavor, including writing. Many writers work with a mentor, and many writers are quick to describe the benefits they receive from the mentorship of a more experienced author.

Today, I want to flip that around and share some surprising benefits the mentor receives from the experience.

1. Teaching a skill can help you learn it better, yourself, as well.

For the past few months, I’ve been tutoring a high school student who has a deep desire to become a writer. We meet on a weekly basis, and I’m walking her through the steps of writing her first full-length manuscript. As expected, we started by looking at the elements of plot and character creation.

While reviewing these basic concepts with her, I recognized some things I could strengthen in my current work-in-progress (the first book in a new series, and also a genre new to me). Teaching the concepts brought them home to me in a way that I hadn’t considered—or realized—before.

2. Inspiration flows in both directions.

A writer’s life has challenges, and sometimes we get so caught up in the day-to-day that we forget the passion and inspiration of our early writing days. Kaitlyn—the writer I’m working with—is a constant reminder that writing itself is joy. Her love for the written word, and her excitement at each new step in the process, inspires me to find renewed joy in the process.

Her excitement also inspires me to return to my own work in progress with new energy and appreciation. Some people think that mentorship will “tire you out” or drain you of creative energy—in my experience, it’s exactly the opposite.

3. You’ll learn what you don’t know, and reinforce what you do.

Sometimes, the person you mentor will ask a question you cannot answer. Not a problem! Finding the answer together not only helps the “mentee” learn the proper method (whether it’s research, writing-related or something else entirely) but also reinforces that mentors aren’t perfect—and don’t need to be. The best mentorships are the ones where both parties can share their struggles, as well as their strengths.

4. Friends for (the writing) life.

Writing has never been, and will never be, an easy career. Good mentorships often result in real friendships that last beyond the end of the formal mentoring arrangement—friendships that strengthen us as people as well as improving our writing skills.

5. Paying it forward.

Few writers achieve success without assistance from authors farther along on the writing path. Mentorship offers each of us a chance to “pay it forward” and extend a helping hand to people walking a part of the path we've already crossed over. By sharing the knowledge granted to us, we create another link in the chain, which hopefully our mentees will continue, in time, as they become mentors to those who follow in their footsteps.

It doesn’t take a lot of time to make a difference in someone else’s life. You don’t have to sacrifice your own career to help someone else’s. As writers, we spend the bulk of our time alone, in solitary endeavors—but mentorship offers a chance to open our minds (and hearts) to someone else who shares our love of the written word.

Take a chance and become a mentor. The benefits you receive might just surprise you.

Have you been, or are you now, involved in a mentorship—either as a mentor or a mentee? What’s the biggest benefit you’ve experienced from the process?

About Susan

Susan Spann writes the Shinobi Mysteries, featuring ninja detective Hiro Hattori and his Portuguese Jesuit sidekick, Father Mateo. Her debut novel, CLAWS OF THE CAT (Minotaur Books, 2013), was a Library Journal Mystery Debut of the Month and a finalist for the Silver Falchion Award for Best First Novel. The second Shinobi Mystery, BLADE OF THE SAMURAI, released on July 15, 2014, and her third novel, FLASK OF THE DRUNKEN MASTER, releases in July 2015. Susan is also a transactional attorney whose practice focuses on publishing law and business. When not writing or practicing law, she raises seahorses and rare corals in her marine aquarium. You can find her online at her website, http://www.SusanSpann.com, and on Twitter (@SusanSpann).

 

Confession: I’ve never really bought into the muse idea or writer’s block for that matter. For me, it’s always been a case of “idea in, words out.”

As I was finishing up the last WIP, I started brainstorming new projects. There were four stories I wanted to tell, but one in particular really intrigued me. It had everything—great concept, emotional tugs, interesting characters, family secrets, personal revelations, fabulous location, and a very personal connection. It was the perfect story to write next.

I had the working title, I had character names, I’d even started mind-mapping plot points (that’s a post for another day though). And because I’m a planning nut, I had a calendar with milestones for completing the various drafts.

So imagine the frustration when my perfect story got stuck somewhere between the in and out channels.

The one thing I hadn’t taken into consideration was life. The last few months were draining on so many levels. I’d pushed through a particularly rough period with the determination to lose myself in my writing. It worked. And it didn’t. I finished the project. But though I was able to write “the end” on the manuscript, I couldn’t wrap a nice bow on other things. And those other issues were weighing me down.

Then one evening I went for a walk, alone. Well, me and the multiple characters in my head, but they were behaving and leaving me mostly to my thoughts. There’s a lovely little pond in our neighborhood and the frogs were performing at full volume. It was late in the afternoon and getting chilly but I was drawn to the bench by the pond.

I sat and listened to the frogs. At some point my husband texted, asking where I was. I snapped this picture and responded with, “having a chat with my imaginary friend.”

It started as a joke but there was something—someone?—in the shadows on that bench.

If I could have anyone sitting next to me, who would it be? Who would I want to let into my space?

That’s when it hit me. The character in my perfect story wasn’t the one I wanted next to me. She’s intense, driven, and lost. Yup, she’s way too much like me and two “me’s” in one brain is at least one too many. Especially right now.

As writers, the characters we create are often extensions of ourselves in one way or another. I don’t mean that they are us, but that we often use them to explore feelings and experiences.

When I stopped planning the perfect story, it became as clear as the shapes on the bench next to me. The right story isn’t always the one with the best marketing hook or highest concept or hard hitting characters. Sometimes the right story is the one with the ‘person’ you’d really like to sit next to on a park bench.

That perfect story is still there, and in a few months I’ll get back to it. But for now, I’m thoroughly enjoying spending time with my ‘right’ story. I look forward to the time I get to spend with the main character and her partners in mischief. It’s fun seeing what trouble we can get into, what the gossip about town is, and navigate emotional territory that’s quite different from mine.

Now I want to hear form WITS readers—do you allow your life situation to influence what you write and when you write it? Do you pick a story idea and move forward without second guessing your choice?

About Orly

After years of pushing the creativity boundary in corporate communications, Orly decided it was time for a new challenge. Three women’s fiction manuscripts later (plus a handful of picture books), it’s safe to say she’s found her creative outlet. When she’s not talking to her imaginary friends, she’s reading or at least trying to ignore everyone around her long enough to finish “just one more paragraph.” Orly is the founding president of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association.

You can find her on Twitter at @OrlyKonigLopez or on her website, www.orlykoniglopez.com.