Moan, Man!

Marie, here. This post is for my spicy romance authors, so take note. This topic is NSFW. I often blog about how writers and authors influence the world with their work. Your works, even fiction, can give people perspective, introduce new ways of thinking, and even set expectations for certain situations. So, spicy authors, whyContinue reading “Moan, Man!”

Hysterical Women

Marie, here. What is it with TV shows and their inability to read the room? We are going through a time of social reform and women are not taking shit from men anymore. People of every age, race, sexual preference, etc are standing up for themselves and expressing their need to be heard. Let’s leaveContinue reading “Hysterical Women”

Likeable Side Characters?

Marie, here. I was recently having a conversation with an author friend about characters that are considered allies to the protagonist, good guys so to speak, and how they don’t have to be friends with the male or female lead. All good guys can’t be good, right? We all love a morally gray character hereContinue reading “Likeable Side Characters?”

Fiction Reflecting Real Life

Sometimes, when we talk about fiction reflecting the world we actually live in, we refer to the characters. We show a character in a comic who is terrified when a villain shows up. Maybe that movie superhero freezes instead of stepping up to save the day. Maybe a mother yells at her kid instead ofContinue reading “Fiction Reflecting Real Life”

My Hero

Marie, here. Who is your favorite fictional character? Is it a villain or a hero? Protagonist or antagonist? Well written characters, whether they are good or evil, are worth rooting for. Some may even have traits that can inspire you. I rarely have a “favorite” anything since I love so many various and complex charactersContinue reading “My Hero”

What’s My Age Again?

Marie here. Today I want to talk about developing characters of different ages. Yes, I named this post after a Blink 182 song. Don’t hate. I often read adult fiction that may feature a child or teenager. Well, yeah, adult books can’t only have adults as characters; that would be ridiculous. The problem is, authorsContinue reading “What’s My Age Again?”

Stop with the “Strong Female Characters” Thing

Marie here. Whenever I read the phrase “strong female characters” I immediately imagine a huge, muscular woman wielding a battle axe or something equally threatening. I mean, is she a wrestler? A kickboxer? A soldier? Well, if your character is one of those things then this would be an accurate description. The thing is, people,Continue reading “Stop with the “Strong Female Characters” Thing”

When Not to Kill Off Your Villain

Marie here. Most readers want some kind of closure at the end of a story. Some like the happy ending. Some like the we-aren’t-doing-great-right-now-but-the-future-looks-bright ending. Others, like myself, want a more realistic ending. Many readers were angry at the end of Allegiant. I was okay with it because it made sense. When it comes toContinue reading “When Not to Kill Off Your Villain”