It’s day two of NaNoWriMo; I’m kicking ass and taking names… so far! I’m trying really hard to avoid overdone plots, cliche love triangles, blah blah blah. Even though I L-O-V-E reading them. So what better way to drill them into my head than to make a list?
settings:
- Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic: I genuinely love these genres, but realize there needs to be a fresh spin on it.
- Small Town High School
- New Orleans: Seriously. *Also one of my favorite cities*, but lets find a new spooky place!
PLOT:
- You are the chosen one. The fate of the world rests on YOUR shoulders: OR… The main character could be a side chick (not that kind) who just does some really amaze-ball stuff..
- Someone has to die in order to motivate the character: Why we always got to be dying? Can’t I just be generally pissed off and motivated?
- Dead Parents: Believe me, I understand it is easier to just kill them off Disney style… But how wonderful would it be for the parents to be alive? And not be a source of anguish. HA! Who am I kidding?
LOVE:
- Bad Boys: Do they have to be bad? Can’t he be a gentlemen who opens doors, gives good advice, and is down for whatever… without leading the heroine on a horrible path of destruction and danger, most likely caused by the boys mysterious past? Even though he’s simultaneously “saving her”?
- Love Triangles: No. Just no. Pick one and stick with him. Unless he sucks, then dump his ass. There are other plots rather than “who is she going to choose?”
STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS:
- Lone Wolf: Girlfriend doesn’t need to be a lone wolf to be a bad ass, she can have a wolf pack! It’s totally okay, it’s MORE WOMAN POWER. And the main lady doesn’t even have to be the leader of the pack. Ya dig?
- Abuse: Although I believe it is beautiful and triumphant to watch a character climb an uphill battle after enduring abuse, rape, or whatever god awful thing that has happened to her… Maybe there’s an alternative. What if there was a book that showed a male being abused?Because it DOES happen, and some light needs to be shown on this topic. Or, the heroine can be strong because they WANT TO, not because of abuse. Maybe I just woke up one day and was like “Hold my wine and watch me do amazing stuff.” For absolutely no damn reason.
- Better Than Men: The heroine doesn’t have to be stronger or better than every male she encounters. They could be equal, less strong, or way stronger. A heroines strength is not measured by comparison.
- Being Girly: A bad ass female can be girly and STILL BE BAD ASS. Yas, Bitch, I just got my nails and hair done, then kicked major super villain butt. IN HEELS. With no bra, though. Screw bras.
- Psychically Strong: I personally have the upper body strength of a kitten. We don’t have to be Hercules to be strong. Look at Hermione, without her intelligence, Harry and Ron would’ve died in book 1. There are a million ways to be strong. Including your mind.
- Comedic Relief: We can be hot, strong, AND FUNNY. The mother fkn trifecta. We don’t need a gay guy best friend to make us laugh, or a weird funny fairy that whispers hilariousness into our reader ears. WE can be the funny one.
This is just the tip of the ice berg. The more I write, the more I will add. Happy Reading, Y’all!
