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kurt_cagle

(534 posts)
12. Rescue
Sat Feb 4, 2012, 01:29 PM
Feb 2012

This actually comes up in the story at one stage. The biggest problem that Eleise Sinclair (my protagonist) faces is that she tends to throw herself into dangerous situations, even when there are other people who are probably better qualified to help are around, and in one case gets captured, has to be rescued, and is most indignant about it (in another case, she is kidnapped, her compatriots go off to rescue her, only to have her escape on her own and rescue them). Granted this is part of the exigencies of fiction - have a bear chase your hero(ine) up a tree, have her figure out how to get back down again, rinse and repeat - but yeah, subverting the rescue trope is fun.

A point though from your comments. Fiction is not real life. Most people live fairly humdrum lives - they go to work, they raise kids, they party or have quiet nervous breakdowns or do a thousand one other things that are not, in general, all that interesting. The writer's job is to entertain. Heroes are heroes because they have special characteristics, do special things, and deal with life at a faster pace than us mere mortals. That's why the depictions of characters in fiction are usually painted in more vivid colors and broader strokes than real people are, because these characters are in fact idealizations. As I wrote the first draft, one of the things that I realized is that this character, from the perspective of a "peaceful law-abiding citizen", could very well be seen as some crazed psychotic lunatic or a terrorist of the first order. From the perspective in which she operates, what she does is necessary, and for many she also becomes a hero and role model, but there are always other perspectives. Yet from either perspective, she is an interesting character that hopefully will force the reader to think about some hard issues.

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You bring up a very good point. Justice wanted Feb 2012 #1
I have a problem with fiction in general justiceischeap Feb 2012 #2
I know exactly what you mean. It isn't just heroes it has been in movies since they started. Justice wanted Feb 2012 #3
i stopped reading in the 80's cause of the protrayals of women seabeyond Feb 2012 #7
i read a new author kindle book and loved it. truly a kick ass main female character seabeyond Feb 2012 #5
since getting a kindle, i have received a lot of free or cheap books from new authors. seabeyond Feb 2012 #4
I just think it's sad justiceischeap Feb 2012 #6
Some Thoughts From a Writer kurt_cagle Feb 2012 #8
Your book sounds interesting and something I'd probably like reading justiceischeap Feb 2012 #9
Rescue kurt_cagle Feb 2012 #12
love this. and this is what i was thinking reading thru this thread. seabeyond Feb 2012 #14
I totally get that fiction is not real life and often real life is quite boring justiceischeap Feb 2012 #15
Ah yes, the Unholy Triangle kurt_cagle Feb 2012 #17
except you and i are seeing ourselves about the same, and over time and experience, conclude about seabeyond Feb 2012 #13
i think a writer needs to get past the concern of defeminizing and this is why... seabeyond Feb 2012 #11
Yeah, sadly it isn't even surprising to me. redqueen Feb 2012 #10
Caricatures kurt_cagle Feb 2012 #16
I generally base my characters off real people, but tone them down. ZombieHorde Feb 2012 #18
So interesting libodem Feb 2012 #19
Are you a reader? Are you a feminist? If so, you have something to add to the conversation justiceischeap Feb 2012 #20
Yes, I love to read libodem Feb 2012 #21
that is a fun series. stopped reading about 12, 13. seabeyond Feb 2012 #23
I would just like to add this to the thread. Lunacee2012 Feb 2012 #22
It happens with a lot of female writers too justiceischeap Feb 2012 #24
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