Shari and I are doing a little blog-swapping today and tomorrow! Check out her post here, and be sure to drop by her blog tomorrow and say hello to me! :)
Thanks for having
me here today, Meradeth! I’m happy to have this chance to chat about strong
female characters.
With the
theatrical release of Mockingjay (Part 1) nearly upon us, it’s probably no
surprise that the first character who came to mind when I starting thinking
about “strong women” was Katniss Everdeen. She’s truly kick-ass, right? But beneath
the obvious strength—the hunting, surviving, revolution-leading strength—Katniss
possesses quieter strengths, too. Things like determination, intelligence, and
fierce love for her family.
Recognizing these
non-physical strengths in Katniss got me thinking about other strong female
characters. Hermione, for example, is totally kick-ass intellectually, and
she’s brave, and loyal, and has the inner strength to do what’s right, even
when it’s heart-breakingly hard. (Come to think of it, Luna is an incredibly
strong character, too—imagine having the confidence and courage to be
completely yourself and truly not care what others think. *happy sigh* I love
Luna.)
I think all
characters, if they’re going to be believable, need a mix of strengths and weaknesses—and
not just a single strength and a single weakness. We humans are complex, and so
are the best characters.
Anna Richards, the
main character in FOLLOWING CHELSEA, doesn’t seem that strong—not at first. I
think her natural strengths were beat down by all the negative stuff that
happened to her (abandonment, betrayal, heartbreak). Life can do that to a
person. It can do it to you, or me. Our strengths are still there, though,
somewhere deep down—but, somewhat paradoxically, it can take real strength to
find them again. I think that’s true for any of us who’ve been through
difficult times. And it was true for Anna.
No spoilers
here—suffice it to say Anna digs deep and finds remnants of strength. Strength
that’s terribly misdirected at first, but then, in the end, makes all the
difference.
--------------
Blurb:
Walking in the footsteps of a dead girl isn't easy...
After her social life flatlines, seventeen-year-old Anna Richards wants nothing more than to lie low at her new school. But it seems Anna looks an awful lot like Chelsea, the sweet and popular girl who recently died, and Anna finds herself stepping into the void created byChelsea
Anna is determined to make the awkward situation work in her favor, becauseChelsea Chelsea
After her social life flatlines, seventeen-year-old Anna Richards wants nothing more than to lie low at her new school. But it seems Anna looks an awful lot like Chelsea, the sweet and popular girl who recently died, and Anna finds herself stepping into the void created by
Anna is determined to make the awkward situation work in her favor, because
Bio:
In her non-writing life, Shari
works as a Licensed Practical Nurse. She’s married to her high-school
sweetheart and has four children.
Links:
Goodreads Giveaway: Enter to
win 1 of 2 paperback copies of FOLLOWING CHELSEA (closes Nov. 30)
Find Shari online:
Website: www.sharigreen.com
Twitter: @sharigreen
Instagram: shari_green
Buy FOLLOWING CHELSEA
I agree that characters need a mix of traits. It gives them depth and makes the real. A character who has only one weakness and one strength is flat. Humans are a jumble of emotions, good and bad.
ReplyDeleteThat's another thing. Even the good character needs a "bad" trait. No one is totally "good" when I read books like that I find the characters totally unbelievable.
A mix of good and bad traits--good and bad strengths--for all characters give the depth and make them more relatable to the reader.
Great article!
Absolutely, Michelle.
DeleteFollowing Chelsea sounds interesting. Congratulations Shari!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kelly! :)
DeleteDefinitely a strong female lead in that story--and believable, too, as she makes a host of questionable decisions but finds the way to muddle through.
DeleteGiving a character layers, foibles, and complexitities also gives them depth. And I must agree with you on Hermione and Luna!
ReplyDeleteSo cool to hear from Shari. I love Luna and Hermione. I also think Katniss is a great character. :) Following Chelsea sounds like a great read. I like characters with layers and depth.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
I, too, think really good heroines need both weaknesses and strengths... Not just one or two! The more complex the character is, the more intriguing and relatable she will be. When I teach writing workshops to middle graders, I give Katniss as an example of a complex character.
ReplyDeleteI love the name Luna! We recently rescued a black cat and named her Luna:)
I agree--all characters need that mix. Peppering a little weakness in is what makes a character more relatable.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone! Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for your comments! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Shari. I agree with your choices for strong female characters. I think it shows how good of a writer Rowling is, seeing how Luna is a great character even though she's not the lead in the story.
ReplyDeleteI started reading Following Chelsea and I can't wait to see where she'll take me.
Ah, Luna... so great. :)
DeleteThanks so much for reading FC, Bridie! I hope you like it!
I love complex characters who have a mix of strengths and weaknesses. My least favorite characters have the fewest layers.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, Medeia! Now if only they weren't such a challenge to write, haha.
DeleteThanks for stopping by. :)