Girl Power -- Why Female Characters Appeal to Me

In my first book, Depression Cookies, the main character is a sassy thirteen-year-old who struggles to find her groove in a constantly changing environment (multiple moves). She's also faced with supporting a friend, Alyssa, who is wasting away to nothing as she fights anorexia.

In Chasing Memories, seventeen-year-old Reagan's world is turned upside down when she survives a horrible accident and her brother doesn't. Beyond the pain and suffering of loss, she is caught in the middle of her mother and grandmother and their different ways to help her heal. To further complicate her life, her dreams are hinting at more than a simple accident.

What both books have in common... strong female main characters.

As both a writer and a reader, I'm most intrigued with young adult female characters. Men are great, too, but I have a more intimate knowledge of women's choices, hopes, dreams, and power.

First, I am a woman. But more than that, I am the oldest of three sisters and the mother to three daughters. I live and breathe female strength. I have an amazing mother and was fortunate to know both her mother and her grandmother--both women way ahead of their time with strength coursing through their veins.

They say you should write what you know. Women are complicated creatures, beautifully so, so I can't say I "know" everything about them. But, I have had a lot of experience and I'm constantly challenged to want to know more. After all, I'm responsible for growing three strong women.

Today, I just wanted to share some of these women.

My Mom, Dad and 2 sisters

My husband and three daughters

My parents with their 8 granddaughters
 

What inspires your characters? What characters speak to you as a reader?

The Power of Words: Adult Bullying

So often we hear about bullying in our schools. As parents, we stand up strong and search for ways to stop it. Growing up, I always heard the children's rhyme: Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.


I beg to differ. Words can do so much more damage than a simple punch in the face. If you've ever been told you were fat, ugly, stupid, or any other myriad of words, you understand. All the words translate into a feeling of worthlessness. Sadly, we don't talk about it as much, but it doesn't stop when we become adults.

http://wiglip.com

My sister, Tara, shared a really powerful story about adult bullying with me today. A man who lives near her has suffered for years at the hands of people who throw around the word fat like it doesn't hurt as much as a punch. It does. When Jerry said he considered ending his life, I broke into tears. Tara, who appears briefly in the video, works at the fitness center that has given Jerry a new lease on life. A place he can belong.

Please take a moment to read the article and watch the video: Washington Man Bullied As A Teen, Bullied As An Adult. It'll break your heart, but more importantly, I hope it will make you think. Words are as powerful as punches, and the long lasting effects are much more damaging.

I am a writer, I live day to day in a sea of words. I know their impact.

Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Remember to use your words nicely. If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. Sure, it's what we tell our children, but we need to walk the walk. If our kids hear us saying mean things, all the preaching in the world won't stop them from being mean adults.

Let's stand up for the Jerrys of the world, regardless of age.