Comments on: ‘congratulating the present’ http://www.sarahevekelly.com/writing/congratulating-the-present/ Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:24:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: sunna http://www.sarahevekelly.com/writing/congratulating-the-present/#comment-1031 sunna Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:01:13 +0000 http://www.sarahevekelly.com/?p=403#comment-1031 It's an interesting question, one I dealt with when writing my first novel, a medieval-based book with a strong female protag --but being a wholly fictional world, I could take liberties, sometimes very large ones. Re: nearer-historical characters and their like- or dislikability (no, that isn't a word, is it?), I agree that we tend to cheer on the ones that come closest to our sense of how people ought to think and act. But I also think it's just part of western culture to idolize the man (or woman) apart, the underdog, the misfit. And I suppose that's why I'm watching Mad Men --I only just started-- the setup hints to me that one or more of these characters is going to land in that role, perhaps more than once. For now, I feel less smug than appalled at the unflinching portrayal of sexism and bigotry. Mostly because there are too many echoes in my memories, I think: for me it underscores how far we have to go, not how far we've come. It’s an interesting question, one I dealt with when writing my first novel, a medieval-based book with a strong female protag –but being a wholly fictional world, I could take liberties, sometimes very large ones.

Re: nearer-historical characters and their like- or dislikability (no, that isn’t a word, is it?), I agree that we tend to cheer on the ones that come closest to our sense of how people ought to think and act. But I also think it’s just part of western culture to idolize the man (or woman) apart, the underdog, the misfit. And I suppose that’s why I’m watching Mad Men –I only just started– the setup hints to me that one or more of these characters is going to land in that role, perhaps more than once.

For now, I feel less smug than appalled at the unflinching portrayal of sexism and bigotry. Mostly because there are too many echoes in my memories, I think: for me it underscores how far we have to go, not how far we’ve come.

]]> By: admin http://www.sarahevekelly.com/writing/congratulating-the-present/#comment-1029 admin Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:39:30 +0000 http://www.sarahevekelly.com/?p=403#comment-1029 I definitely agree that the pull to adventure is a greater one and arguably an easier story to tell well, but a good marriage - though arguably more important than it is now - was by no means the only or most important fixation for historical women. If I had more than two historical novels in me, I'd be delighted by the challenge of illuminating an ordinary woman's life pre-eighteenth century and making it both exciting and accessible to contemporary readers, because I don't think strength and anachronism go hand-in-hand at all. Looking forward to seeing your book on shelves, and thanks for reading! I definitely agree that the pull to adventure is a greater one and arguably an easier story to tell well, but a good marriage - though arguably more important than it is now - was by no means the only or most important fixation for historical women. If I had more than two historical novels in me, I’d be delighted by the challenge of illuminating an ordinary woman’s life pre-eighteenth century and making it both exciting and accessible to contemporary readers, because I don’t think strength and anachronism go hand-in-hand at all.

Looking forward to seeing your book on shelves, and thanks for reading!

]]> By: Siri http://www.sarahevekelly.com/writing/congratulating-the-present/#comment-1028 Siri Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:58:51 +0000 http://www.sarahevekelly.com/?p=403#comment-1028 Excellent post! I don't watch Mad Men, but I struggle with some of the same issues in my writing. I tend to write about strong women in older time periods or the equivalent - pre-industrial fantasy, quasi-Victorian England. It's always tricky making the women strong without being anachronistic. (For an excellent example in fantasy, see Lois McMaster Bujold.) Sure, a girl's biggest aspiration could be to marry well, but isn't it more interesting to send her on a round-the-world adventure (my current NaNoWriMo novel)? Yet I don't want to make her completely out-of-place in her historical setting...so her adventure is motivated by her desire to marry well. She also has strong ideas about what's "proper" vs. what's cause for shame, which will carry through her adventure. That's the compromise I've settled on in this novel. Next time it might be different. So it goes... Excellent post!

I don’t watch Mad Men, but I struggle with some of the same issues in my writing. I tend to write about strong women in older time periods or the equivalent - pre-industrial fantasy, quasi-Victorian England. It’s always tricky making the women strong without being anachronistic. (For an excellent example in fantasy, see Lois McMaster Bujold.)

Sure, a girl’s biggest aspiration could be to marry well, but isn’t it more interesting to send her on a round-the-world adventure (my current NaNoWriMo novel)? Yet I don’t want to make her completely out-of-place in her historical setting…so her adventure is motivated by her desire to marry well. She also has strong ideas about what’s “proper” vs. what’s cause for shame, which will carry through her adventure. That’s the compromise I’ve settled on in this novel. Next time it might be different. So it goes…

]]>