Uncreated Conscience

Emma Watson is conveniently making the face I am right now.

Recently I’ve been having difficulty finishing books. Of course, when you read as much as I do, there’s no point in finishing books you don’t like (because there are so many more I should be reading), but in this instance, I don’t think it’s because I don’t like the book–it’s because I can’t muster up the energy to care.

It’s a curious thing: there are plenty of books and stories I’ve picked up because the premise intrigues me, but more and more I feel like I’ve just indulged on a whole bunch of junk food instead of something delicious and nutritious. I feel hollow and unsatisfied. Why? Because there’s nothing that’s making me emotionally invested in the story or the characters–especially the characters–to want to see their story through to the end.

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First, I wrote a piece for Publishr about ebooks, print books, and experiential reading! Go read and then tell me I’m off my rocker.

Christina Hendricks as Joan Holloway. Not a real redhead.

Today on Twitter I complained about the ubiquity of redheads in fiction. Look, I get it. Red hair is gorgeous. And pretty. I’m partial to gingers myself; I happen to have a large collection of them. As friends. As friends! …what?

However, the proportion of redheads to the rest of the world in fiction is significantly different from the proportion of redheads to the rest of the world in real life. Red hair makes up about 2% of the population. So why do they make up 65% of all heroines?

It got me thinking a bit as to the descriptions of characters I see in manuscripts and perceptions of gendered beauty. What is common in female protagonists does not hold true for male protagonists. A ginger haired man? Unusual.

Why is that? What is it about our ideas of perceived “rarity” that we think is so attractive?

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So previously this week I’ve discussed real characters with real flaws and convincing antagonists. I thought I’d tackle the subject of romance and characters falling in love. Now, romance is a little tricky because what floats my boat might sink your ship, but I think we could all agree that a really well-executed romance between two (or more or whatever) really well-developed characters is pretty satisfying.

I love you so much. Once again, photo credit to Color Me Katie.

I am, at heart, a total romantic (or as Wicked Cool Riley says, I have a strong inner Marianne Dashwood). I love love stories! I love closing a book and feeling the little fluttery butterflies in my stomach that signal a really great romance. I’m such a girl, aren’t I?

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Day 3 of me blogging about character development this week! A question that came up on Twitter was how to write a good villain or a good antagonist. I’m always interested in villains; I generally love them more than I like the protagonist, but this is probably because I have a not-so-secret desire to be an Evil Genius™.

Snidely Whiplash

Villains are tricky to write because one misstep and they turn out like Snidely Whiplash. Similarly, heroes can be difficult to execute well without becoming Dudley Do-Right. I’m not a fan of the Good vs. Bad story because of the moral/ethical value judgments placed on either side and/or the tendency to devolve into cartoonish shorthand. My mother calls this the Kongji, Patzzi syndrome.

Kong-ji, Patzzi is a Korean fairytale (often called the Korean Cinderella) in which there is a “good girl” (Kongji) and a “bad girl” (Patzzi). Kongji is virtuous and good while Patzzi is bad-tempered and ill-mannered. You all know the story: the moral high ground triumphs.

Personally I find the idea of moral/ethical high ground tedious, which is why I reject the terms “hero and villain” and instead prefer “protagonist and antagonist”.

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This weekend I read my face off, both for work and pleasure. When I first started working in publishing, my friends would ask “How can you possibly read outside work?” Certainly it’s a lot of reading to tackle (and I read a lot anyway), but these days, I find it crucial to read published books and comfort rereads in addition to manuscripts.

Why? Because I need examples of what’s good. Turning off my analytical, editorial brain is easier when the book I’m reading is polished. Not that I don’t occasionally get good manuscripts, but I am always reading those with a critical eye because submissions won’t really resemble the finished the product once editorial has gotten their grubby mitts and red pens on it.

Soon I shall have reviews of WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON by John Green and David Levithan, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, TENDER MORSELS by Margo Lanagan, and THE WHITE CAT by Holly Black. Yes, I read all four books in two days. It’s the one skill I can boast of: I read super fast! (I also reread THE DEMON’S LEXICON by Sarah Rees Brennan and NORWEGIAN WOOD by Haruki Murakami.)

Anyway, I did promise to spend this week discussing character development, so without further ado: (more…)

Last week I eavesdropped on a Scribechat discussion on Twitter about developing and creating real and believable characters. It got me thinking about characters I’ve known and loved and what attracts me to a character in the books I read and the submissions I receive. It’s a pretty broad topic, but I hope to spend this week distilling it into slightly more palatable sizes.

Benjamin Linus: villain, antagonist, redeemed hero? Whatever, he's one of my favourite characters EVER.

What makes a great character? There are a lot of factors that go into a wonderful character, but for me, the answer is a character who makes me want to give him/her a hug and slap him/her upside the head…at the same time. I want a character who infuriates me as much as s/he delights me; in short, someone I can’t forget about once I shut the pages.

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In a completely unrelated note to what I’m about to discuss: Happy 25th birthday to my darling Teddy Bear! White-Harp wishes him a happy berfday too. *\(^.^)/*

Summer: Your typical Manic Pixie Dream Girl

Lately I’ve come across something in all my work reading that has become common enough to warrant a blog post. Her name Quirky McSprite and she is a Manic Pixie Dream Girl.

You are all familiar with Manic Pixie Dream Girls–they exist everywhere, both in real life and in various forms of media. Take a walk down any street in Greenpoint or Williamsburg and you’ll meet 8 million hipster girls who fit the criteria. The Manic Pixie Dream Girl seems to be the most prevalent onscreen these days, starting with Annie Hall and tracing her path from Penny Lane to Sam from Garden State and most recently ending with Summer from 500 Days of Summer.

This, my friends, is a big problem.

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