Stressing the De-stressing of the Damsel in Distress

I dare you to say that five times fast!

There's an aspect of storytelling that often receives the eye of scrutiny - the Damsel in Distress (also known as the Persecuted Maiden). The name pretty much speaks for itself. Call it a trope or a device, but essentially it's when a young, beautiful woman is taken or captured by a villain or monsters that require a hero to save her.

Now, I know I've seen this device used repeatedly in my watching of childhood cartoons enough that it pretty much lost its impact, but more importantly, what does this scenario teach? Women in danger can't help themselves? Only men can save them? No wonder this device has been under attack, with fervor, in the last couple of decades.

But here's the thing: I like the Damsel in Distress device, just not in the way that you would first imagine the use of it. It's not like the Dudley Do-Right example above, and it's a far cry from the premise of the famous Super Mario Brothers video games. I'm not the only one who's fed up with Princess Peach's repeated kidnappings either.

In an effort to shift this device, some stories have generated female characters who make males look like puny man-children (think Zena or Wonder Woman). This can work sometimes, but it raises other issues, like removing the character's femininity or further sexualizing them through scantily-clad armor. We now know that female-shaped body armor is more likely to kill its wearer than protect her, too.

This isn't to say that this other-end-of-the-spectrum doesn't have its place in the storytelling realm, but for me, the problem lies more in the character itself, or rather, the way the character is developed. Let me explain this with two different and popular games (games tend to be the most common place where you'll find this device in use).

Meet Ashley Graham from Resident Evil 4. She's 17, the US president's daughter, and you, playing as Leon, find her during your mission. This means you have to help Ashley out of a zombie / virus infected situation while accomplishing your mission. Not an easy task, made harder that Ashley gets into trouble, a lot, and makes things worse for no reason.

I still don't understand why she ran away from Leon ...

In contrast, we have Elizabeth from Bio Shock Infinite, a refreshing example to the Damsel in Distress device. She is quickly making a mark in the gaming community as one of the best non-playable characters for a reason. Sure, you rescue her, but no coddling necessary. She can hold her own, and even help in a fight.

Isn't Princess Leia also a Damsel in Distress? She certainly fits the criteria, and that's how Han feels about it, but the moment she's rescued from her cell, she arms up and shoots at the storm troopers more effectively than Han. I mean, someone has to save their skins. Of course, Luke turns into a Dude in Distress in the garbage ...

What's my favorite scenario, then? Well, I'll tell you that Tangled nailed it for me, a character who doesn't know that she is in distress, or, doesn't know that she has a reason to be. Rapunzel has been incarcerated in a tower her whole life, but she believes it is for her protection, not so she can be exploited. The guy comes along and saves her without knowing it, actually, so he can run off with stolen goods - initially. 

In the end, these characters end up helping each other. That's the trend that's starting to stick lately, one that may last for some time. Why? There's no definitive answer, but I'll take a shot - because it's equal opportunity distress. Regardless of a character's gender, everyone has a problem that causes them distress, and by helping each other out, they eventually overcome their adversaries. This can widen the appeal/market for any story.

My novel that's coming out has such a scenario, but I'll let you discover how this device plays out in October. It won't disappoint.

This isn't the rule, just my thoughts on the matter. The best thing about stories is they can be taken in any direction. Whoever you decide to be in distress, be they a damsel or a dude, it's about what works for you and your audience. I could go on with many more examples, but I need to get ready for CONduit 23. See you there!

I'll be sure to recap the convention on Monday. Promise!

What are your thoughts on the Damsel in Distress device? What's your favorite example? What's your least favorite example?

I'm David, and I sure love the smell of new carpet ...

I Read This: Beholders: Insight by Terron James

Rumors are surging through Appernysia that a Beholder has been born, the first wielder of True Sight in over a millennium.

Seventeen-year-old Lon Marcs discovers he has been blessed—or cursed—with this gift. He cannot control the power of True Sight and feels it killing him with each passing day. He realizes that the only people who might possess the knowledge to save his life are the sworn enemies of his king. To obtain their help, Lon would have to journey into exile, leaving behind his village, family, and beloved Kaylen.

Although this is the hardest decision Lon has ever made, it is only the first of many that will test his strength and challenge his interpretation of right and wrong.

(From Goodreads)

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Beholders, Book One: Insight - YA high fantasy.

Before I get into the meat of this, look at that cover. Seriously, look at that gorgeous cover! I could stare at that thing for hours. Thanks to the fine folks at Jolly Fish Press who offered me an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy), I got to do just that. Then, I cracked the book open to check out the goodies waiting for me inside. Books that don't rely on grab-me-fast gimmicks are hard to come by these days, but in Terron James's debut novel, you get to relax and enjoy the scenery and savor the dialogue. This is an excellent YA high fantasy novel!

A few of the aspects I liked best: unexpected turns as the story progresses, the relationship of the main character (Lon) and his twin sister, and the cultural elements and holiday building shown by village customs and the fact that not everyone enjoys themselves during a party. It's the little details that grab my attention, such as when a boy becomes of age, tradition is he is to dance with every eligible girl, be they 15 or if they "have one foot in the grave." Not only that, but a unique magic (or curse, if you will) that, while other stories seek to harness or control this power (which Lon wants to do, ultimately), he is unable, and the slightest shift of emotion can bring great harm or death to himself or others. When Lon knows this power is capable of harming his betrothed, it leads to some very difficult choices.

This book has all the elements that fantasy readers will love!

Do I have any complaints? Minimal ones, at best. The beginning was a bit foggy, and it took a few pages to know which key characters I needed to pay attention to, but that soon resolved itself, and from what I understand some changes have occurred since the printing of this ARC, so an official copy may very well solve this and other little issues. At other times (not often), the dialogue didn't seem to match the characters, as in, young characters sound more mature than their age, but then, some kids are rather mature, so it didn't distract me.

Now, without spoiling anything, this book has a cliffhanger, and boy, does it have a cliffhanger! A very well executed one, I might add. Terron knows how to end a book, because I want the next one!

If you are looking for a fresh voice in the arena of the classic Heroes Journey, Beholders: Insight is the read you've been waiting for!

   Cosmic Cruller Rating:   

This book officially releases June 1st, 2013

What do you guys think? Anyone in search of a YA high fantasy? Which ones are your favorite? You think this market on the rise?

I'm David, and if you find a Jaed, be sure to let Lon know!

"Official," CONduit, Wednesdays and The 5th Wave!

I love movies. This pretty much happens when you grow up next to Hollywood. For years I have looked for a place to call home to gush about my love of movies - and write reviews as a hobby. Well, after years of application, the folks at Movieweb decided my reviews are good enough to be official. Meaning, I'm now an Official Reviewer!

Huzzah! Thing is my profile is outdated and the last review I posted was in August of last year, so it will be a while before it looks up to speed. I'm also hard to find because I use an alias. I'll tell you what - whoever finds me there first gets to pick a movie (nothing naughty) and I'll review it for you! How's that for an Internet treasure hunt?

Make your guesses in the comments, and if right, I'll confirm.

In other news, CONduit 23 is happening this weekend in Salt Lake City. Not only am I going, but I've been invited to do a reading. If plans go as they should, I'll have an exclusive reading of the first chapter of Woven and give a glimpse at our most-excellent map!

*air guitar* Hope to see you there, and worry not. We plan on having a map and cover reveal in the coming months. I'll keep you posted.

Got a couple of releases for you this week, both of which I will be sure to check out. The first is the next installment of Jessica Day George's Tuesdays at the Castle series, Wednesdays in the Tower!

A castle that is constantly rearranging itself, and a young royal family sworn to protect it ... Celie, Rolf, and their beloved Castle Glower are back in this exciting sequel. Strange things are afoot in Castle Glower: new rooms, corridors, and even stables keep arriving, even when they aren't needed. Celie's brother Bran, the new Royal Wizard, has his hands full cataloguing an entire storeroom full of exotic and highly dangerous weapons, while Celie has her hands full ... raising the creature that hatches from a giant egg she finds!

Will they be able to find out what's making the Castle behave this way in time?

 (From Goodreads) 

*     *     *

Need some sci-fi, alien invasion, post-apocalyptic action? Look no further than Rick Yancey's start to his new series, The 5th Wave!

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors.

To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

(From Goodreads) 

 *     *     *

Update: besides getting ready for the interstellarness of CONduit, I'm writing zombies like a maniac, and reading ARCs like it's nobody's business. Except it will be, and I plan on reviewing one of them this week. Be sure to click back Wednesday for that, and Friday for a for-real opinion piece that may or may not leave you in "distress."

You've been warned, friends. You've been warned!

How was your weekend? I totally missed out on Star Trek: Into Darkness. Had to finish the new bedroom. How did it go?

I'm David, and I want a muffin - where do I go for muffins?

Epic Recap of Storymakers 2013 - Agent Secrets, MG Characters, Show vs. Tell, & Spooning With Authors!

Hope you've got a snack and a favorite beverage. This will be epic!

For those who missed Storymakers 2013, welcome to the recap! The schedule was jam-packed with awesomeness this year, so I picked the classes and workshops that would help me where I am in my writing journey - and there's plenty to go over. On with the show! 

May 9th - 12:30 to 6:00 PM - Boot Camp / Primer / Dinner!

"Boot Camp" is an popular feature of the Storymaker's conference where unpublished authors gather at a table with a mentor (usually an editor or published author), where everyone takes a turn to read their work and provide instant feedback. It's a great introduction to the critique group setting, and getting your feet wet to criticism.

"Publication Primer" is fairly new with the same deal: gather at a table with a mentor and provide feedback on your work. What sets Primer apart is the work is read ahead of time, giving each author a deeper ... depth to their work, and lots and lots of notes! It's geared toward more seasoned writers who have manuscripts ready for submission.

I did Primer this year, with Platte F. Clark as our mentor. Everyone's work was impressive, I must say. My fearless critique group was there as well, each at different tables (we set it up that way on purpose). To my surprise, my submission was a success! It's pretty cool when your mentor goes (essentially), "I don't have a critique for you - I honestly couldn't find anything for improvement." *Fist Pump!*

Thankfully, our group ended early. Good thing, too. I was hungry, and J. A. Bennett was in need of a hand to get the food for ...

May 9th - 6:30 PM - "Write or Dine" Storymakers Dinner. 

Oh, they're quite a merry gathering, eh?

Last year, I had this idea: organize a writerly get together, to eat and socialize, after a long afternoon of Boot Camp and Primer. Well, we overflowed the restaurant. This year, life happened, and I wasn't able to set up another, or find a place that could accommodate so many. That's when Lady Bennett stepped in. Before I asked for help, she volunteered, and had a great idea: combine the goodness of Costco with the wholesome literariness of the local library. Pure brilliance!

We had 60+ show. They ate all our food. Some took a box of pizza for the hot tub later, too. It was here that the amazing Ilima Todd announced her two book deal with Shadow Mountain. Whaaat!

A successful second round, I say, and the name 'Write or Dine' is going to stick. Since Storymakers 2014 will be in Layton Utah next year (oops, spoiler alert), we may have to appoint another host.

So until next time, come hungry!

May 10th - 9:00 AM -11:30 PM - Let The Conference Begin!

Now, if only I can find a seat ...

This was, by far, the most packed Storymakers I've been to yet, with 400+ peeps. Tristy Pickston, the MC, started us off with a hilarious Men of Storymakers calender. Ooo-la-laa! Then, off to the first break, to which I checked out From Concept to Plot - Turning Your Idea into a Full Story, with Jeff Savage and Tyler Whitesides. What I liked about their approach was they did mock pitch sessions with well- known books, and pitched with no plot, just ideas. Stark difference.

 These guys know their plot-points!

Then, I checked out John Brown's class, Clear and Vivid, which had one of the boldest comments about writing that I'm going to have to agree with - "In writing, there is no such thing as 'showing.'"

 

(You can check out his slideshow here).

What?! No such thing as showing? Where's my torch and pitchfork!? Nah. His presentation made sense. In truth, I can't show anything to a reader. I'm telling them information. It's a matter of effective telling or not. Description and detail is telling, but because the words plant an image in our head, we interpret that as being shown something.

I love thinking outside the box! Not a fan of hard-fast rules ...

Next, we had Lunch. I met up and caught up with a lot of excellent people, coached a couple pitches (to which one of them got a full request - score!), and then had a chicken dinner. Hmm. Chicken!

Even before that happened, I had to get a few books signed ...

This massive book signing was ... massive!

After all that jazz, I had the honor of being a guest on Author's Think Tank, a podcast for writers, which should go live in a few weeks (you can catch an early preview of what we talked about here.) By this time on the second day, I was beat, so I carried myself to the hotel lobby and found a whole host of awesome, including the amazing Jessie Humphries, who, as some of you know, continually asks, "when are we going to spoon, DPK?" Still not sure how to answer that one ...

... but it's good to know I still have that charm, right? ... right ...

(Left to right) Peggy Eddleman, Ruth Josse, Katie Dodge, Erin Summerill, Jeigh Meredith, James Duckett, Spooner, and Me!

Note: No actual spooning took place - even though Katie tried to sneak a potentially incriminating picture with her smartphone ...

May 11th - 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM - The Final Day *Sniff*

I came a bit late to the last day. Don't ask why. Because I'll tell you. I forgot to bring Chad Morris's book and ARC to sign! Got it, he signed it. Good times! So, what did I first do? I checked out a class taught by a former critique partner, Peggy Eddleman (who gave me an ARC of Sky Jumpers to read - it's okay, you can be jealous). Her theme?

Getting Inside the Head of a Middle Grade Character!

Loved her thoughts on the subject, stuff like giving a character strengths and weakness, success and failures, fears and passions, and smarts and mistakes. It explains why her book is so good!

I have no pictures for these next ones (low battery - had to charge), but one of them was Making the Jump from Small Publishers to the Big Six (Five) with Jeff Savage and James Dashner, a pair of my fav authors. I enjoyed their personal story. My book will be out from a small publisher too, so their insight was ... insightful, and may very well help me with my own writing journey, when I get there.

During lunch, there was the first chapter contest, to which I have to give a Shout-Out to Kate Coursey and Anthony Dutson for their wins! It's a tough contest - for realz - so congratulations!

After lunch, I heard from James's agent, Michael Bourret, who shared his top secrets about agents, editors, and publishing, which are:

Agents are people, too.

Publishing is smaller than you think.

Agents and editors don't like to say "no."

There is not one measure of success in publishing.

There is never a "there" in your career - always another goal.

Revising is more important than writing.

You are your own advocate.

There are no secrets. Be proactive and you'll find them.

Good stuff.

Then, sad as it was, we had to end the conference and make our goodbyes. Of course, I couldn't go without freaking Shallee McArthur out with my "famous" zombie strut, or freaking everyone else ...

Yes - that is a "power" shirt, and I need a shave ...

It's not that bad! The guys approve the zombie strut, right guys?

 Rock on, guys ... now, where's the brains at?

This year, I had a big reason to celebrate this year: this was the first conference, ever, when everyone in my critique group came!

Lindzee Armstrong, "Power Shirt" Guy, LaChelle Hansen and Darren Hansen (yes, they are a couple). Am I really that tall?

A few other awesome things happened. Alas, I am sworn to secrecy, but your mind is going to be blown when you find out what's about to happen. I know, I tease, but trust me. It will be worth it!

So long Storymakers 2013, the 10th anniversary of the conference, I might add. This is without a doubt my favorite writing conference in Utah. Watch out. With a book coming out soon, I plan to branch out and see the conference scene in Nevada and Colorado, or wherever the winds take me. Keep writing. Do your best. Don't sweat the small stuff. We are writers because we love it first. Write on, partner!

What did you think? Epic enough? False advertising? Take away anything that I covered? Anyone seeing Star Trek today?

I'm David, and if you happen to spot Jessie, tell me to hide ...