I was reading through the Amazon reviews of Monte Vista Village and one of them stood out in my mind. The review was very sweet, but he or she qualified the book as: “The ‘If The Girls Ran The Apocalypse’ version of PA fiction.” It never dawned on me that readers would see that as a theme of the series, and I hadn’t written it as such.
I am a huge Buffy the Vampire fan, and I have often quoted the show’s creator, Joss Whedon, trying to answer the question he still continually gets: “Why do you write such strong female characters?” His answer: “Because you’re still asking me that question."
My decision to have a strong female character was not actually a conscious one. I was not trying to create some new cross-over genre. Laura is the type of person I hope I could be if I am ever faced with all that she has to deal with. Could I? I ask myself that question a lot while I am writing. My answer: probably not. It is not because I am a female, or that I believe that a male would be the stronger choice. It is because I really allow myself to view the destruction created by my imagination; a place where I walk the streets of the city I love, and I mourn the devastation I have created with my mind. And as I do, I realize that global nuclear war would be the great equalizer. It wouldn’t matter if you are male, female, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. We would all be in the same terrifying boat. Just to clarify, I am not knocking that reviewer at all. I am actually happy that person used those exact words. It made me think of my motives in creating a female leader in an apocalypse. What did I come up with? I am female, so why shouldn’t I write from the point of view of my gender? And in case you are left wondering if I am able to create a strong male character, check out Jackson. He didn’t write himself— heh, heh, heh.
It would be really helpful to know what you were thinking if or when you read MVV. Did you think that there was a motive behind the author’s choice for a female hero? After Laura became the leader, how often did you consciously think about her gender? Would gender be a factor for voting for someone to lead you after a nuclear apocalypse? Can you say yes or no to that question confidentially, or just hopefully? Were you bothered by a female character with the propensity towards strong emotions, including frequent crying? Was it implausible that Laura could lead effectively given that she openly expresses strong emotions that are, by some people, considered to be female personality traits? Would you have lost confidence in a male character who acted as Laura does?
If you haven’t read the book, would knowing that there is a female hero (shero) have an impact on your purchasing it— either way?
Thanks in advance for your opinion. It matters!
I am a huge Buffy the Vampire fan, and I have often quoted the show’s creator, Joss Whedon, trying to answer the question he still continually gets: “Why do you write such strong female characters?” His answer: “Because you’re still asking me that question."
My decision to have a strong female character was not actually a conscious one. I was not trying to create some new cross-over genre. Laura is the type of person I hope I could be if I am ever faced with all that she has to deal with. Could I? I ask myself that question a lot while I am writing. My answer: probably not. It is not because I am a female, or that I believe that a male would be the stronger choice. It is because I really allow myself to view the destruction created by my imagination; a place where I walk the streets of the city I love, and I mourn the devastation I have created with my mind. And as I do, I realize that global nuclear war would be the great equalizer. It wouldn’t matter if you are male, female, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. We would all be in the same terrifying boat. Just to clarify, I am not knocking that reviewer at all. I am actually happy that person used those exact words. It made me think of my motives in creating a female leader in an apocalypse. What did I come up with? I am female, so why shouldn’t I write from the point of view of my gender? And in case you are left wondering if I am able to create a strong male character, check out Jackson. He didn’t write himself— heh, heh, heh.
It would be really helpful to know what you were thinking if or when you read MVV. Did you think that there was a motive behind the author’s choice for a female hero? After Laura became the leader, how often did you consciously think about her gender? Would gender be a factor for voting for someone to lead you after a nuclear apocalypse? Can you say yes or no to that question confidentially, or just hopefully? Were you bothered by a female character with the propensity towards strong emotions, including frequent crying? Was it implausible that Laura could lead effectively given that she openly expresses strong emotions that are, by some people, considered to be female personality traits? Would you have lost confidence in a male character who acted as Laura does?
If you haven’t read the book, would knowing that there is a female hero (shero) have an impact on your purchasing it— either way?
Thanks in advance for your opinion. It matters!
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