Artistry With Words

WELCOME BACK, MY FRIENDS

Last week I talked about how much of me is in the characters I create.  In my opinion it’s inevitable for fiction writers.  Of course, I could be all wrong, but I prefer not to go that route in this discussion.

Anyway, a character like Tobias King in my novel “Resurrecting Tobias,” really is like me standing in front of a mirror.  If you ever want an in-depth look at Bill Holland the human being, pick up that book and read it through.  Of course some of the things that happened in that book were fiction, but the essence of it….it’s me through and through.

Now let’s turn our attention to something I believe strongly in, namely the inherent strength of women.

But first, a quote.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” Eleanor Roosevelt
THOUGHTS ABOUT WOMEN IN MY NOVELS

Let me be as clear as possible regarding my leading women in my novels: you will never find a weak one.  Period!  If I have a female character who plays a leading role in my novel, she will be the equal of any man in that novel.

I think the time has come in our society for women to be treated like the pillars of strength they are.  The age of women as second-class citizens needs to finally come to an end.  History is filled with examples of women standing strong and not giving an inch, from the Oregon Trail to the World Wars to the Great Depression and on and on, and anyone who thinks women are nothing more than baby machines or “the weaker sex” needs to pull their head out of their arse.

In my “Shadow” series, Liz is the equal of Eli Baker, emotionally strong, physically strong and psychologically strong.  In my “Billy the Kid” series, it’s Genna who provides stability in a turbulent word.  In “Resurrecting Tobias,” it is Maria who says goodbye to Tobias because his self-destructive tendencies threaten to ruin her life, and it is Maria who eventually gives Tobias the support he needs to climb out of a living grave.  And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Sheila, my original fictional goddess, who is an indestructible force given the task of saving the environment, a task she is more than qualified to undertake.

Weak women?

When I think of weak human beings, my mind almost always goes to some males I have known during my lifetime.

So, if you’re a feminist, you just might like the women I write about.

One other thing about my fictional women….I try to never make them clichés.  The hookers I write about are as real as I can make them.  I want to make them real people with real feelings and a great backstory, so that even though they are prostitutes, they are also people you would want to know.  The waitresses in the cafes in my stories are “real” and I want you to know them as people and not just “stage props.”  The single mother of three is so much more in my stories….the hotel maid….the convenience store clerk….it is my job, as a writer, to humanize all of these people, and even if their background is a bit unsavory, they are still human beings deserving to have their individual stories told.

MARKETING

If you’ve never visited the Vistaprint site, do so today.  They offer great prices and quality product for point-of-sale merchandise, something any writer looking to do a book signing or a book reading needs.  I just bought some new business cards as well as flyers and a banner for my book booth at the farmers market….all very inexpensive and all paid for once I sell five books.

Check them out!

GREAT AUTHORS OF YOUR CITY

I was reading an article the other day in the Philadelphia Inquirer, or some such paper….sorry I don’t remember…but the article was about some of the great writers from Philadelphia…..Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, Edgar Allan Poe, James Michener, Pearl S. Buck……not a bad list at all.

And that got me thinking….who are the greatest writers from Olympia, Washington?  Or how about your hometown or the city you now live?  Here’s a thought….perhaps you are the greatest writer from your city.  How incredibly cool would that be?

Just something to chew on!

SPEAKING OF GREAT AUTHORS

Michael Friedman is his name and The Carriage Driver is his game….check it out on Amazon.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK

Thanks, as always, for stopping by.  I’m editing my fifth installment in the “Billy the Kid” series, and then I turn my attention to the third in the “Shadows” series.  I continue to try to be the Greatest Unknown Author, my new goal.  How about you? What are you up to?

Bill

Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”