Hello All!
Have you tried to fry an egg on the pavement yet? Me, I won’t waste the egg, but I bet it’s a safe bet that it will work. I know it’s soooo hot!!! Hope you’re staying cool!
“I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it.”
…Estee Lauder
I have made an incredible discovery. Writing is hard! Yes, there I’ve said it. I suppose that’s why it takes me so long to complete a project. (That, and I do tend to procrastinate. Please don’t tell!) I know of authors who can whiz right through it, but to my regret, that’s not me.
However, I enjoy writing and creating, no matter how long it takes, and no matter how much hard work it entails. I love imagining characters. I want them to be human, but interesting…especially my protagonists who epitomize strong women. When birthing a protagonist, I want her to be courageous, independent, and with the ability to reinvent herself. I want her to believe in herself and her abilities, and work relentlessly at what she needs or wants to do. She doesn’t give up. She’s a strong woman.
Some examples of strong women can be found in great fiction. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott comes to mind. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is a story where the protagonist, Kya, the marsh girl, is strong and relentless yet not perfect. In City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert, the character of Vivian Morris is shown to be able to reinvent herself when necessary as she grows in character. And how about movies? To cite a few—Steel Magnolias, Silence of the Lambs, Fried Green Tomatoes, The Help, Terms of Endearment, Silkwood, The Color Purple. The illustrations are endless.
In other words, one can find examples of strong female protagonists everywhere. They reign! My goal is to create a fascinating protagonist that will tell her story in a way that makes me proud to have known her.
Meet My Guest, Author Anne M. Beggs
Born with the horse gene, Anne M. Beggs’ first spoken word was “worsey” for horsey. She was drawing, painting, and spinning tales of imaginary equines for years. Her medieval fetish is nearly as long, and she claims to have researched the Middle Ages into and beyond middle age. Anne is a fifth generation Californian with ties to the Gold Rush. She is still married to her high school sweetheart (1975) and they have raised two children–who were all dragged along from castle to castle, cathedral to cathedral as Anne conducted her research, looking for a home for her characters. After nearly 40 years living at the beach, they sold that dream house to live a new dream, moving from surf to turf. They live on and manage a horse boarding ranch, Equisance, in Watsonville, California on the beautiful Monterey Bay, with their own eight horses and seven cats. Anne is a member of the Historical Novel Society, and for more about her writing, horses, mounted archery, her grandson, and more, please see the links below.
Strong Female Protagonists
Thank Jody Herpin, I am delighted to be here writing about strong female protagonists. Of course, a funny thought, it would be hard to write a gripping book about a weak female character, because the character arc of the story would require her to transform, to find strength. It wouldn’t be much of a story otherwise. Our characters don’t always start out strong. Something happens.
I write adventure romance and family saga set in 13th century Ireland. A brutal time, on a volatile island poised for civil war with the threat of another English invasion lurking. Archer’s Grace, Book One, starts the series with seventeen-year-old Eloise, the sole heir of Dahlquin in remote Connacht, rebelling against her patriarchal society. A treasonous siege catapults her and a stranger on a dangerous trek to save her life, her family, and mayhap Ireland itself.
Eloise is faced with many challenges in her flight across Ireland. She knows how to ride and shoot and live rough. But now she is on the road without the power of Dahlquin supporting her. She must learn to keep her mouth shut. Listen. Learn. Book Two in this five-book series is with the editor.
My protagonist, Eloise, is on a lifelong spiritual quest for understanding. This was a dangerous pursuit in her time when anyone, male or female, who questioned the Church was condemned a heretic. She sees the hypocrisy in her world and seeks answers. Even in the nature that abounds around her, Eloise wonders why a God or Goddess could create such glory and allow such suffering. She must learn to be her own hero, and not wait to be saved.
“The Dragon Lord, a Winter Solstice Tale,” is a short story based on my Dahlquin characters. Eloise, pregnant, is excited to participate in the traditional Solstice celebration, but her husband forbids her from performing in a pagan ceremony. This and seven other short stories of historical fiction are in Unlocked, A Paper Lantern Writers Anthology. We are publishing a holiday anthology in November 2023.
As a horsewoman I am always challenged to be strong. Strong in intention, strong in communication and strong enough to truly understand the need for softness and patience. It is a delicate dance to bond, build trust and keep it. The average horse is 1000 pounds of emotion and flight. I need to be strong enough to feed and care for them, as well as astute enough to watch and feel their intention. They need us to be confident and emotionally stable/strong.
More than a decade ago, my gelding, Desejo, taught me fear. He was beyond my understanding then. He was afraid, and I made it worse, until our big wreck. Accidents can trigger fear, be it horses, cars, bikes, skiing, flying, (bad relationships), you name it. Fear that has little to do with the accident. Fear that has been festering, expanding, waiting to explode like a lanced wound.
I sought help, lots of help. But I had to dig deep and do the work. One scary durned thing at a time. No one could do it for me. So many of us cope with various kinds of fear, and the longing for strength that accompanies it. We need to find our inner hero. We can get help, but ultimately, we must do the work ourselves. When we find our inner hero, we can help others find theirs. Don’t wait to be saved.
That is Desejo with me in the photo. We are still working on building his trust and confidence, but on a good day, he is a unicorn. I have two chestnut ponies, Mystic and Elf. I could go on and on about my ponies and my books. I have enjoyed this opportunity to give you a glimpse into my world, and the world of Dahlquin. I hope you join me there by reading the books.
For more about me – books, ponies, mounted archery and my grandson, check out:
https://www.facebook.com/AnneMBeggsAuthor/
https://www.instagram.com/annibella72/
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/anne-m-beggs
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19577659.Anne_M_Beggs
https://www.amazon.com/Archers-Grace-Book-One-Dahlquin/dp/0989130207/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1651170012&sr=8-1
And thank you again, Jody Herpin, for inviting me to share this time with you all. I love learning more about great books and authors right here.
Thank you, Anne.
Remember, my novel, Relative Consequences, is available on the following:
BookShop – https://bit.ly/3IMV1Nk
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3GN4l1M
Barnes & Noble – https://bit.ly/35BMdLW
Kobo – https://bit.ly/3IStGKl
BooksAMillion – https://bit.ly/3OifwDp
It’s my pleasure to announce that in August, Author Donna Keel Armer will be my guest on this blog. Can’t wait to read her take on strong female protagonists.
Thanks for reading,
Jody
Jody Herpin 