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Years ago, when
the first of the Lord of the Rings movie was being released, I joined an online
forum to get info on the films (yes, I was a Tolkien geek back then), and I
stumbled into an RPG thread. I thought it sounded fun and that it would be a
good way for me to practice my writing. I was all set to create my Middle Earth
avatar and join in, but then I read one of the RPG’s rules, which went
something along the line of: If you are playing as a female, you are not
allowed to be a warrior, and should be such things as a bar wench, farmer’s
wife, etc. The reasoning was that women didn’t do stuff like fight.
And let’s face
it: Tolkien’s world was pretty testosterone-based, so maybe this rule made
sense to the thread’s moderators. But it pissed me off to no end. I loved the
books just as much as any of the men on that forum. I wanted to create a
character in that universe and have fun with it, just as much as any of the men
were. But I was only allowed to join if I made my character become what they
thought a woman should be in a fantasy realm: pretty much invisible or arm
candy.
Thanks, but no
thanks.
See, when I
write, I like to bring as much of the real world into it as I possibly can. The
fantasy aspect is a bonus, but it’s not the whole show. I like fully realized
characters, and believe that even if they are only minor characters, they still
need to be individuals, not just cut and paste copies of outdated gender role
ideas. And since I base my fantasy world (The Sevy Series) on more than just a romanticized
verison of medieval Europe, my female characters can be any damned thing they
want to be.
Warrior? Sure.
Assassin? No problem! Queen, priestess, healer, politician, pirate, scientist,
philosopher…you name it, you got it. A simple Google search reveals that women
have been all these things and more throughout the centuries, even if they
aren’t often mentioned in history class.
And let’s not
stop at profession. What about family structure? Sick of one man + one woman
(ie his property) or one man + his harem? Me too. That’s why I love looking at
different cultures, with different family structures. Guess what? The reality
of humanity is that we are very versatile, and traditional fantasy has not even
begun to explore all the possibilities that real life civilizations have.
See to me,
that’s what fantasy is…possibility. It’s a tool I use to explore the human
condition. So why on earth would I limit myself, my characters, and my world to
such boring, played out stereotypes when I have thousands upon thousands of
cultures, and millennia of history to draw inspiration from?
My female
characters are not invisible. They are not arm candy. They are proud and strong
because they are based on generations of proud and strong women.
In the end, I
did not join that little Tolkien RPG thread. I joined another RPG thread, on
another forum, and thanks to that, I created Sevy, my feisty orphan who grew up
to be one bad-assed bitch. The main character of the eponymous series, Sevy was
just the first of many female characters to fill my universe. Each one of them
is different, as cookie cutters should be reserved for, you know, making
cookies, not in helping making characters.
And now I want
cookies. Thanks for that.
thank you S-J!
Never trust a liar, especially when they’re telling
the truth
Starting over isn’t easy, especially when
the world isn’t ready for you to change. Sevy, thief turned assassin turned
mercenary, isn’t having any fun adjusting to a normal, law-abiding life. Luckily
for her, an old partner in crime arrives with an irresistible proposition: a
getaway to a tropical island, an adventure of a lifetime, and an amazing
friendship ready to blossom into an even more amazing romance.
Things are looking up for Sevy. That is,
until a pack of maniacal fairies with a taste for human flesh arrive on the
scene.
Now she must unravel a web of magical intrigue
hidden behind the outwardly idyllic atmosphere of the islands of Belakarta. Nothing
is as it seems, and no one can be trusted. Trapped under the spell of a
handsome and mysterious stranger, Sevy must fight fairies and tricksters to
regain her freedom.
Or spend an eternity as a sorcerer’s
plaything.
