Kate Copeseeley's Blog, page 12

Reader Love...

For some odd reason, maybe as a fallout to that craziness mentioned a few entries ago, everyone has been talking about readers on the web.  Whether its about writing more books so your readers don't forget you or keeping yourself away from reviews as a way of preserving your author health, readers seem to be on everyone's mind.



Which is how it should be.



It's hard to remember sometimes, when we're wrapped up in our wars of words, but readers are who we do this for.  Let me just say that again: READERS ARE WHO WE DO THIS FOR.  I don't care if you consider yourself an "artist" or if you HAVE TO WRITE so your heart doesn't die... that's fine, but if you put yourself out there, take the leap, try to get published in any way... it becomes all about the reader.



Sometimes I think reader love takes a wrong turn into unrequited love territory.  You know what I mean.  You have a crush, you give your heart away, then your crush basically says to you: "You suck, you're ugly, oh and by the way I'm going to make everyone hate you."  You go home, drink a bottle of wine and start drunk posting on FB (or twitter, as the case may be) about how terrible this person is, how they need to die a horrible death and how you never really liked them anyway.



True love is so great, isn't it?  In a perfect world, every reader would read your books, fall madly in love and start telling all their friends how they're so lucky to have met you.  In the real world, though, like love, there are people who will love you, like you, despise you, and not care really one way the other.  There are people in your life who will meet you once, seem to like you, but never make an effort to be your friend.  Believe me, you will find readers who are much the same.



If we could all just take the view that we need to find our TRUE reader loves, I don't think it would hurt as much.  As a person, you don't want everyone in the world to love you, do you?  Friends are great, and so are husbands, but I personally wouldn't want a hundred of each.  Granted, the reader/author relationship is a bit different, but if we could just somehow realize that it's okay when readers love us and it's okay when they don't, because despite pouring our hearts and minds out onto the "page" we understand that not everyone is going to love us.



And that's okay.  Because it's not personal.  Let me just say that again, too.  IT'S NOT PERSONAL.  Even though it feels like it.  Even though, like all the people in the world have done at one time or another, you want to scream to the skies, "Why doesn't he/she love me???"  They just don't.  They're not right for you.  It never would have worked anyway.  It wasn't meant to be.



If you take one thing away from being a writer, let it be about finding the RIGHT readers.  The ones who WILL love you, cheer you on, treat you like the special author you are.  They're out there, waiting.  All you have to do is find them.



Here are a few of the great entries I'm talking about:

Book Bloggers HELP indie authors

Write More Books for Your Readers!

Interesting Take on Genre Fiction

Why You Probably Shouldn't Read Reviews, Authors.





Happy Reading!



PS- My ROW week has been pretty productive.  Doing lots of editing and writing(though not on Aeris, though I plan to get to that next week, fingers crossed!)  Good luck to all the other participants.

ROW and WOTY

So, I read Kait Nolan's blog when I can (that woman is seriously prolific and I have no idea how she does it, so I often find myself woefully behind) nodding in agreement with much of what she says, mulling and pondering as well.  Then, the other day she introduced this concept that is just so brilliant, people.  (I know, you're all wondering what WOTY is, and will I just get to the point already!?)

Word of the Year.  Hers is "steady" which is a great one, I admit.  For me, personally, my WOTY is

Determination.It's an important word for me, with a book that is woefully behind schedule, plus an extra bebe to care for, a garden that needs starting, chickens that need feeding, bread that needs baking... you get the idea.  My life is busy, and if I let it, I could easily admit defeat, walk away from the world that fills my dreams and imagination, and call it quits.  It would certainly be the easier path then waking up early or staying  up late or giving every extra moment to research and writing.  I could take up crocheting or be super crafty like my super crafty sister (check my pinterest for a link to her blog).  But no.  I am a writer and so I must write.  So then, the question becomes one of fortitude (which is another great word).  Will I give up?  Will I slack off?  Will I sleep in, when it's easier, thanks to my teething baby?  I am DETERMINED to finish this book.  I am DETERMINED not to let defeat overtake me.  I am DETERMINED to put out the best product I can, even if that means taking longer, making major rewrites, and finishing 6 or 7 mths later than I expected to.

ROW: I expect to finish up my short story Siren Song by today or tomorrow, along with formatting the others to send to some beta readers and then straight to proofing.  Hoping to hear back from my sister about permission for the images she wants to use for the covers and then get these done in the next week.  After that, I want to finish up Luka's story line by the middle of February.

What is YOUR Word of the Year?

Here are a few links that I've gathered for your reading pleasure: Elizabeth May: On Comparisons Writer Dan Willis Contemplates Giving Up David Farland's Kick in the Pants: Writing is a Long Road Deanna Knippling: How Much is Your Writing Worth?

Happy Reading!  

ROW and Link Happy Day!

So, I'm home again and somewhat better, but as is the case with EVERYONE who leaves home and is gone about a month(yes, a month), I have so many many things to get done.  I've written NOTHING in Aeris.  But that's okay, because I HAVE been writing!  I have.

I wrote a short story that I have no audience for, as far I can tell and I'm currently writing another short story that has something of an audience.  I'm not sure what to do with these stories... I'm thinking about putting together a collection and trying out that Kindle Select Prime thingy.

BUT LET ME BE CLEAR... NONE of my books(Compis, Aeris, Six Keys or any of my Angelic Agents books —both of which you can get for free on Smashwords if you like Fantasy Western Romances) will ever be exclusively anywhere.  I feel pretty strongly about everyone having access to them.  I love Smashwords and what it represents and the fact that it's super flexible.

Probably half of the letters that I've gotten from readers telling me how much they enjoyed Compis are from people who didn't buy them on Amazon (although my sales at other venues continue to be minimal in comparison).  What does that tell me?  Well, people who buy on Kindle care less about letting me know if they liked my book or not.  Not sure why.  I guess it's a different kind of reader.  Anyway, I have no desire to piss off my readers.  I love them.  However, I must try it, because Konrath demands we try new things as authors.  I've made a commitment to try several new things this year and this will be one of them.  The others will be announced soon.

So to summarize: Weird little stories about girls with keyhole universes and psychotic androids, YES.  Books that people actually read and comment on, NO.

I have read some of the MOST INTERESTING articles ever in the past week.  BTW, I just want to say again how much I LOVE the passive voice.  It is hands down (besides Konrath) one of the best resources for writers out there.  Here are a few of the stories I found most fascinating this week.

Amazon wants to kill publishers??




Readers Taste in Books vs. Publishers Taste in Books




This one is particularly good: Investing in Your Future (as a writer)




Writers Will Work for Cheap




Writer vs. Author




Enjoy all these, good luck in your goals, and Happy Reading!

Doing that Indie Thing You do...

Hey there!  Remember that THING, we talked about a few weeks back?  This one, right HERE...

Well, it turns out, that's still a good idea!  What a concept!  For those of you too lazy to follow the link back (admit it, you are) let me just summarize.



As an author, you will get some wonderful reviews (at least, that is my hope for you!). You will get lovely emails, four and five star ratings on various book sites, you may even have your favorite reviewer send you an email telling you that she loved your book.



ON THE OTHER HAND... you will also get plenty of the other variety as well.   People who will call your book bad, say it's only okay, or pretty much ream your writing until you feel like it was a useless endeavor to write in the first place.  If you can't accept that as a FACT, RIGHT NOW, then you have no business in this business.



Seriously, good customer service is the name of the game, folks.  We indies (and not so indie) are running businesses that require absolute professionalism from us at all times.  This means ignoring the stinging one star reviews when they come (AND YES THEY WILL COME) or at the MOST thanking the reviewer for their generous time and effort in reading our work.



We charge people money.  Let's not forget that.  Any product or commodity on the market has fans and haters.  FACT OF LIFE.  That is why there are Mac people, PC people and Linux people.  That is why there are Team Jacob people and Team Edward people (and I HATE TWILIGHT people).



You know what's not great, at least for me?  What's MUCH MUCH WORSE than getting a one star review (which I have gotten, lest we think I'm an arrogant writer person)?  What's much worse than getting a one star review is feeling horrified by another indie author who just can't take the heat.  What is much worse is feeling embarrassed to BE AN INDIE —something that I've always been proud of before.



I'm going to link here because I feel like we all need to take a page from the lesson here, which is NEVER EVER DO THIS.



Posting FORTY reviews (real or not) on a reviewer's blog that YOU SUBMITTED YOUR BOOK TO, will not counteract her critical review of your work.



 WHY did you think it would be a good idea to respond to a one-star review (at least twice now) with a blog post deriding said reviewer and review... how in the world did you think that would help you become an "up and coming author" as you describe yourself??  



To the audience of people who reads this blog... PLEASE remember that the internet is a small world.  Use good judgement and good manners.  And realize one tiny little thing... IF SOMEONE DOESN'T LIKE YOUR BOOK, IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD.  Pass it on.



Happy Reading!



PS- ROW update: I have actually been writing, despite a new round of sickness and sleepless nights.  Luka's storyline is closer to being finished and I am really excited about the round of celebration that awaits when I finish that first draft! :)



PPS- For a full update of the reviewer/author drama, of which I highlighted on the indie part, go HERE .

Determination...

As I mentioned in my entry The Twelve Plagues of Christmas  which somehow the lovely Blogger refused to publish, oy, I got a little off track during Christmas, for obvious reasons.  But also, I got some great planning done.



And now, my big announcement... I AM GOING TO FINISH AERIS BY APRIL 30.  That is writing, editing, proofing, formatting, and posting.  Every dang thing that needs to be done will be done.



That's about all I have to say about that, except, good luck to all of you and welcome to all our new joiners.  This is a fabulous group, I can attest to that!



Happy Reading!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

Everyone is talking about their favorite books of the year and I've definitely got a few of my own.  Some people have separate lists for indie and traditionally published, but since I don't really care either way, you're getting this list Kate style and in the order that I read them.



So, let's start off with my favorite series of the year.  I couldn't pick one, so there are two, and mind you, these are FINISHED series.



The first is an indie that has now been reissued by St. Martin's press.  Gone are the days where you can pick it up for $.99-$2.99, I'm afraid.  It's the Trylle Trilogy, by Amanda Hocking.  I admit, the first book didn't get more than a "like" from me.  It was rough and I didn't really like the main character.  But by the end of the series, I was completely won over to the characters, the story and Amanda herself.



My other favorite series of the year, The Fable Haven Series.  I loved the first book, though the characters came off as immature.  By the fifth and final books, the characters had grown up, along with the story.  I cannot say enough about how high a quality these books are in the world of juvenile fiction.  I plan on buying the entire series for my boys to read, because I know they'll love it and for once, I approve of the entire content!

Let's move on to books:  There are a scant few of these, but I found several new favorite authors as the year progressed.  Thanks to goodreads, and all of my favorite book reviewers, I read a treasure trove of good books.

1)  I don't ask for much from a book, but it's got to keep me reading!  This book delivered in spades, and I was up all night, riveted by this story of a normal American family caught up in a devastating race for survival. The ending was abrupt, but satisfying and I was pretty impressed with my first taste of Blake Crouch.

2)  This book was recommended by my cousin, and I was once again reminded how FANTASTIC juvenile fiction can be at its best.  Poetic, tragic, and ultimately morally satisfying, I recommend this to parents of kids who enjoy a thrill and some mild horror.

3)  This book is a shining example of steam punk as it should be.  The characters are amazing, the world is built to the nth degree and I could NOT STOP READING it.  I wasn't a fan of the Uglies series, but Westerfeld really won me over with the quality of this book.

4) This book is going at the top of my all time fantasy loves.  It's a book to BUY and KEEP and LOVE for me.  The writing style is not for everyone, but I was transported.

5)  This book was so amazing that I didn't even notice it was the hated first person present tense until page 85, so you know I liked it!  There was a point with some flashback stuff that could have been corny, but actually ended up being delightful.  This is an author I will read again for sure.



6)  It is a big deal for me to like a werewolf book.  They are a WAY overdone character type, and yet, Red proves the rule that you can make ANYTHING seem new again, if you do it well.  I ate up this book in one gulp.  It is perfectly timed, impeccably written, and has very little in the way of YA annoyances.  Like Mary Poppins, it is practically perfect in every way.

7)  No, I didn't forget one of my other favorite indies of the year.  I was hoping to make the Angel's Edge series one of my favorites of the year, but alas, I didn't get to read the third (and final?) book, so I picked my favorite to highlight, Darkness in the Blood.  Both of these books were excellent, but I found myself enjoying the more polished writing style of Darkness better.  

8)  I had a hard time with this book at first, being an American, but after some help from my Aussie friends, I was completely bowled over by the writing style, the beautiful way the story came together and well, the fact that I cried my eyes out made this book a nice end of the year surprise.



9)  From the first page to the last, Laini Taylor was an unparalleled artist, weaving words and metaphors together in a unique prose I found delicious and irresistible.  I couldn't get over these short stories and wished for more in the end.  She will be a new favorite author for me, I can tell.





My final favorite of the year isn't really a book, it's more of a novella or short novel.  It's worth noting, however, so that's why I include it.  It was one of my more successful beta reads, for sure.  I can't wait to read the next.

I hope your reading endeavors were as successful as mine this year.

Happy Reading!

The Twelve Plagues of Christmas...

I had quite the interested Christmas holiday this year and in honor of the horror, I have composed a remake of a beloved Christmas Carol to illustrate it.



Ahem...



On the first day of Christmas, my sister gave to me...

A flu bug from Texas for me!



On the second day of Christmas, my sister gave to me...

Two sleepless nights (thanks to my sick infant)

and a flu bug from Texas for me!



On the third day of Christmas, my sister gave to me...

Three hacking coughs, Two sleepless nights,

and a flu bug from Texas for me!



On the fourth day of Christmas, my sister gave to me...

Four days of fever, Three hacking coughs, Two sleepless nights,

and a flu bug from Texas for me!



On the fifth day of Christmas, my sister gave to me...

Five hours of waiting (in the ER for lung Xrays of my infant), Four days of fever, Three hacking coughs, Two sleepless nights and a flu bug from Texas for me!



Let's just skip to the end now, shall we...



On the twelfth day of Christmas, my sister gave to me...

Twelve stranded days with the in-laws (they're actually very nice), Eleven books read on kindle, Ten cans of Lysol, Nine Kleenex boxes, Eight hours driving home, Seven days of meds, Six fleeing relatives, Five hours of waiting, Four days of fever, Three hacking coughs, Two sleepless nights and a flu bug from Texas for me!



So yeah, my sister gave us the plague and WHAT A PLAGUE it was.  I literally did nothing but hold New Baby for about five days straight, as he was MISERABLE and wanted nothing to do with anyone but Mama. Poor little guy.  My oldest son was sick for about 24 hours total, but has a lovely cough as a souvenir and so do I, for that matter.  Today is pretty much the first day that I have been able to get out of bed and do anything worth talking about.



So I got zero writing done.  The good news is, even in my feverish state, I managed to get work for Aeris done.  I recited my story outline of Luka's final chapters over and over until I had it memorized.  I came up with a rewrite plan for Zyander that is seriously KICK ASS -so excited to start that, which is a major breakthrough for me.  I didn't think I could be so excited about a book after Compis, I loved that book so much, but Aeris is shaping up to be killer and man am I proud of all the hard work I've put in this year!  It's taken much longer than I planned, but it will be a better book for it, and I'm hoping that my two or three edits, plus the final proofing and formatting won't take too long.



I've got the cover, had that since the summer and as soon as my first draft of Aeris is done, I will show it here, as a mini-celebration.  My sister surpassed herself, yet again.  And I have other, exciting news that I will reveal then, as well.  It's going to be a good year for me, and I hope it will be for all of you!



This will be my first year of ROW that I get to do the WHOLE year and I am just shocked at how many people have signed up this year.  It used to be a teeny tiny group and now it's in the hundreds!  This is thanks to Kait and all of the great authors who support each other and bring on the positive feedback.  I've met so many great authors this year and made a lot of great friends.  Look forward to meeting more of you!



-Happy Reading!

Author Etiquette Rule 4

Where did the week go?  It slid by with alarming quickness.  So fast, in fact, that despite my intention to write a mid-week entry and go visit the other blogs on the Twelve Days of Christmas list, I sit here today grouchy and out of sorts.  Well, that is one of the reasons.  The other reason is that New Baby has hit a growth spurt, AGAIN, and decided eating is more important than sleep.

Readers, let me tell you, it is amazing how quickly this boy grows.  At 3.5 mths, he has now made his way into the 6-9 mth size clothing.  How is this possible?  His brother was a chunky one, yes, but did not grow out of his clothes nearly so fast!

I have moved past the mourning phase of my character's death.  It still saddens me, and that is a great place to write from, but it no longer has me halted without words.  I'm up to 138,000 words.  I meant to get up to an even 140,000 on Aeris this week, but I've needed a nap every day, and with New Baby's schedule being off, I find that my writing time has become very limited.  It's catch-as-catch-can these days.  Ah well, I knew it would be.

I would just like to thank the reader who sent me the lovely email last week, telling me she was willing to wait, even if the book didn't come out till spring.  Those are good words to hear, because even though I'm almost(yes, almost!) done with Luka's story line, I still have Zyander to tackle and he has been a bit difficult this time around. :)



So, on to my next rule for authors, and this one, IMHO, applies directly to the indies of the world.  Remember that forums count as an online presence.



Now it's certainly true that we all have our own private(ish) online handles that we use when we go forum hopping.  I am a recovered Sims addict, and back in the day I would spend hours online discussing it with other Sims addicts.  But then there is the "author persona" we adopt when we go online as our author selves.  I've been to a few different places online where authors interact, but I'm going to use MY favorite, and the one I've mentioned a few times on this blog: Kindleboards.



Ah, Kindleboards, land of the kindle reader, spicy soup of the hopeful author.  When you go to the Writer's Cafe, which I have frequented, you will find a variety of things, as a reader, that will make you CRINGE.



1) The "Woe is me, I got a bad review, readers suck" post.  Let me just clarify... sometimes these can be hilarious posts, filled with self-deprecating humor and good will.  When that happens, you come off looking great.  But when your post is filled with the whiny complaints of an author who can't STAND to see someone hate their book, you don't look so great.  Not everyone is going to like your book.  If you can't accept that now, then this is SOOOO not the industry for you.  When you put your books in a public forum, you have to accept that they will be praised and reviled publicly.  Instead, focus on reaching YOUR AUDIENCE.  A few good reviews by people who actually like your quirky book on leprechaun love stories will go much farther than a one star review where someone says, "This book is for people who don't like good books."  If I were a reader, I wouldn't take it seriously.  Remember that readers CARE what you say about them.  As a reader, I pay attention to what writers say.  A surefire way to turn me off of you FOREVER is to B-I-T-C-H about another reader.



2)  The "come visit my blog, I'm awesome" post.  Kindleboards have pretty strict rules on where you can advertise your book or blog.  But there is a space where you can toot your own horn, so to speak, and invite people to read your newest post.  I guess if you're an awesome blogger, like Robin Sullivan, you could do something like that and still be awesome.  If you're Joe Schmoe writer who I've never heard of?  You just come off as arrogant.  Instead of making empty posts that really only point back to yourself, make it a point to visit other bloggers and engage with THEM.  It's what I talked about earlier.  Care about others and it will come back to you, I promise.



3)  "I'm posting something I hope people will argue about" post.  I made the mistake of doing this myself, once.  Ooops.  In my case, it was an honest mistake, as I was linking to a Konrath post I thought was interesting.  I forgot that his subject matter can be quite radioactive sometimes and inadvertently started a firestorm of posts.  I posted the link that morning and later that afternoon, came back to about 7 pages of people arguing over it.  I was shocked.  I was also shocked by the vehemence of the arguing.  It was almost as if these people had forgotten that READERS visit the writer's cafe.  Yes, that's right, your sniping and carrying on, your pettiness, all those are being witnessed by potential readers, so let's all try our best to NOT engage in that.  It just doesn't look great, unless you can do it in a way that isn't going to seem negative, which is hard to do when arguing a point.



4) And the fourth and final no-no... posting about sales  (or talking about it too much in someone else's post).  And no, I don't think there is anything wrong with a healthy celebration over good sales or talking about trying out different price points.  We are in a business, after all.  It's actually pretty healthy to view yourself as a business entity, because it helps you to take the sales rise and fall cycles with a grain of salt.  What I'm talking about are the people that post OVER AND OVER (and yes, if I wanted to, I could name names) about their lackluster sales.  "I only sold 2 books this month."  I see the same person say that every time someone talks about sales.  I get that it is disappointing, but first of all, saying you are barely selling doesn't make me want to take a chance on you.  It makes me think there is a REASON you're not selling.  Whether it's because your book sucks or it's just in a niche genre I wouldn't be interested in.  Second of all, when you talk about it ALL THE TIME on EVERY FORUM, it seems like you have your head up your ass.  Sorry.  That is frank talk, but it's the truth as I see it.  And again, I want to reiterate that there is NOTHING WRONG WITH TALKING ABOUT YOUR SALES OR LACK THEREOF.  It's just the obsession that doesn't come off well.



I could go on and on with this, but dinner calls.  There may be another post on this one.  :)  Hope all of you are hitting your goals this close to the final days of ROW, and that you have a Merry Christmas.  (or whatever you celebrate this holiday season!)



Happy Reading!

Accidental Death

First, a confession... not much written on the book this week.  I've been working overtime on Christmas prep.  I may as well give up, because the rest of December is going to be just as crazy.  Not to mention the fact that I just got the new Kindle Touch for an early Christmas present.  It is much easier for me to use than the regular Kindle (I guess I'm just lazy, hahaha) and I've been squirreling away books using my birthday money.



I had a hard week with writing, I'll admit.  Not just because of the Christmas rush.  I had to kill off a character this week.  I was determined not to do it in this series, because I HATE it when my favorite characters die in books.  Even in George's books.  But despite my resolution, one of my favorite characters died this week.  I was sick to my stomach and as heartbroken as if I had seen it happen in front of me.



My brother scoffed at me when I was relaying my sadness over the loss to my mom (who I talk about ALL my books with).  He couldn't understand how I could "let" that happen.  I'm the author, shouldn't I be in control of what happens?  No.  No, I'm not.  I'm still reeling over it.  When a story takes over, as it does for many writers, I believe, I seem to have no control over some things that happen.  Editing only goes so far and only when I know that a story line gone off on the wrong track.



So, that was hard.  As I said, this was a much loved character for me and I'm sooo sad.  Oh, and sorry if that is too spoilery for anyone.  (Claudia)  So writers, does the story take over for you, or are you in control of everything that happens?  Have you ever had to kill off a character you loved?  Or readers, have you ever lost a character you love?



I meant to write an entry on my favorite cliches, but I don't have the heart today, so maybe I'll write a Wed. entry for a change!



Happy Reading!

Author Etiquette Rule 3

Well, hello all.  I hope you're enjoying this fine Sunday.  I am, as I sit curled on my parent's couch in front of the fire, New Baby slumbering in his chair at my feet.  It is a glorious and sunny day, but freezing, so I'm happy to be inside.  After this, I'll be working on Christmas presents, but I hope to get in some writing today (possibly tonight) so I can bump my sad little word count for Aeris, up past the 134,000 count.  December is a busy month for me, but I'm hoping to finish up Luka's story line at least and then head into Zyander's.  Zyander requires the most rewrites, so I'll have to go back and do some rewriting before I finish out his story, to reflect the changes I talked over with my sister.  And now, on to my entry!



We're switching it up a little this time, any instead of talking about how authors present themselves with their marketing endeavors, let's chat for a minute about how we present ourselves with our writing.  Setting aside the very real need for proofing and proper English, let's instead consider the characters and the stories.  I hadn't intended to talk about this for a while, but it's something that IS on my mind, as a writer and more importantly, a READER.  Then, one of my favorite reviewers, Kat Kennedy, wrote an entry on it, and I just couldn't help myself.



Here is the link:

Cuddlebuggery



Essentially, the gist is this:  authors, please consider your overworked stereotypes.  I agree with this premise, but move it to a more blunt statement.  Authors, please don't consider your readers to be stupid.  Sure, we see the "Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader?" moments in the media, where we all start to think that humans have gone backward in development and we all watch TV waaaaaaay too much.  But despite the reading world's love of Twilight, we are still smarter than the average bear.



For instance, one of my LEAST favorite archetypes for women is not the slut or the evil female.  Mine is the Damaged Loner.  We've all seen her in a cop show, usually one that has a woman as its main character.  Here is her story:  Someone was killed in her past, leaving her bruised and grieving.  Swearing revenge, she focuses her entire life on become a part of the system that will bring justice in such situations.  She could be a cop or investigator of some sort, but the outcome is still the same.  She is emotionally stunted, unable to have a single healthy relationship, she works WAY too much and has no life outside of what she does for a living.  There are a string of men, needy and gentle, who fall for her, but she breaks them one by one in her endless need to prove that she has what it takes.



I can name a dozen TV shows and books that feature this character and let me tell you, I am SICK TO DEATH of her.  Gimme a break, writers of the world.  Switch it up, will ya?  Give her a family, a husband that she loves, or make her seem human somehow.  Just stop expecting me to stand by and watch while she destroys her life piece by piece.  Boring.  And let me just say, as a reader, I'm smart enough to get that this is LAZY writing.



Here's another that I can't stand, though it's not a character, but merely a plot point that is so popular in YA fiction: The Love Triangle.  GAG.  I understand that putting some difficulties in the way of the main character's love story helps keep the drama alive for those teenage readers, but really, how fun is it to read about two really likeable characters where one of them gets their heart broken?  Apparently, barrels of fun, since almost every YA book features a deliciously tragic love triangle.



Hmm... this is turning into a reader rant. hahaha  Just consider who your characters are and what they accomplish.  If anything is possible in writing, then why not pretend that there is a world where gender has nothing to do with anything?



I'm not saying you have to go that far, my dear authors, but at least, as Kat says, consider changing them once in a while.



Happy Reading!