Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: disappointed
  • Music: Garbage, "Celebrity Skin."

Things I will not do to my characters. Ever.

Tags: cranky blonde is cranky, don't be dumb
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retsuko

October 4 2012, 01:33:03 UTC 4 years ago

I'm here because of the write-up on i09. As someone who hopes to see her own work published, I cannot imagine being asked this question about my female characters, just the same way I can't imagine someone asking it about my mother, or sister, or friends. There really aren't enough emoticons to describe my reaction to this. THANK YOU for writing such a clear, succinct answer. I'll definitely be picking up your series as soon as I can get to my local bookstore.

seanan_mcguire

October 12 2012, 16:37:59 UTC 4 years ago

Thank you for reading.

Best of luck with your writing. If you stay true to your story, you will persevere.

fancycwabs

October 4 2012, 01:55:00 UTC 4 years ago

Who the hell asks a question like that? Alan Moore?

seanan_mcguire

October 12 2012, 17:01:58 UTC 4 years ago

I wish.

Rebekah Eagle

October 4 2012, 02:04:59 UTC 4 years ago

You are an inspiration. I just became a fan.

seanan_mcguire

October 12 2012, 17:02:07 UTC 4 years ago

Thank you.

Kaitlin Willihnganz

October 4 2012, 03:29:38 UTC 4 years ago

Hi. My first novel is coming out next year at St. Martin's, and as a new writer and a feminist, I just wanted to say thanks for this. It's awesome that you're sticking to your principals and that you know who you are and why you do what you do. And if I may propose a theory, I think that - for most writers, at least - there is an element of creating the world we want to see in our stories. Maybe people like you and I are working toward a world where men and women respect themselves and each other and rape no longer exists. And now I'm going to go buy one of your books.

seanan_mcguire

October 12 2012, 17:02:27 UTC 4 years ago

You are very welcome, and best of luck with your new book!

I can still be shocked by things people say

livejournal

October 4 2012, 03:33:20 UTC 4 years ago

User ellestra referenced to your post from I can still be shocked by things people say saying: [...] then I saw this and I saw red. Someone asked when one of her female protagonists will get raped [...]

ellestra

October 4 2012, 03:55:48 UTC 4 years ago

When I read this it rendered me speechless. How can anyone ask such question? How can one think it's an OK question to ask? And then the reaction to your answer. They were basically demanding you did it. Because UNREALISTIC? Like all those women in real life who never been raped? WOW.

This whole thing is made of things that no sane person should say. But what really gets me is how they act like it's completely normal and logically unavoidable thing to do. How could you not write that? Your heroines are totally missing out. You must truly disrespect them not to put them through rape. *facepalm*

I wish I couldn't believe it.

seanan_mcguire

October 12 2012, 17:03:16 UTC 4 years ago

I wish I couldn't believe it either.

firefly124

October 4 2012, 15:02:42 UTC 4 years ago

Here via a friend's rec of the io9 story. I'm absolutely speechless that anyone thought it was okay to ask you that about your characters in the first place. Thank you for writing and posting this response.

seanan_mcguire

October 12 2012, 17:03:31 UTC 4 years ago

You are very welcome, in all senses.

_wolfsong_

October 4 2012, 15:29:05 UTC 4 years ago Edited:  October 4 2012, 15:29:39 UTC

Well, my dear, this post has caused some stir, hasn't it? I got here via Kim Harrison's Facebook page which linked the i09 story, and lead me to this post. A few reactions come to mind...

First, what a moronic question to ask...great googly moogly, said person needs a huge punch in the throat. Jackass.

Second, it's interesting to me that some people have reacted to this post by wondering what you're reading, and commenting they don't remember books with rapes in them(that's one of the prevalent themes through the comments on KH's fb page). It really makes me wonder about people's reading comprehension.

Third, rape *is* quite often a part of a strong female character's backstory. I'm guessing because some author's don't know how else to make the lead heroine strong and tough, with having had her degraded. Which is sad.

Finally, thank you, thank you, thank you... :)

openended

October 4 2012, 23:29:02 UTC 4 years ago

Third, rape *is* quite often a part of a strong female character's backstory

This makes me so angry. There are so many other entries in the "life-changing trauma" category that creators can choose from if they think their female protagonist needs a triggering event for her badassery. I'm not sure whether it's lazy writing, or men writing, or what, but it needs to stop. It's only giving credibility to the nonsense idea that a woman has to be degraded and violated before she can become awesome, and in the end it still gives more power to the men in the story: look at what she became because of what he did to her.

_wolfsong_

4 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

4 years ago

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tnsabregirl

October 4 2012, 19:35:08 UTC 4 years ago

Your response was fantastic. I couldn't possibly like this post enough, while simultaneously being outraged that someone would even have the gall to ask that.

But I guess I shouldn't be shocked. I don't have to think very far at all to identify one very successful author who uses rape of both males and females as his glowing signpost to indicate "this is a bad person. See what he/she did." After the upteenth time it happened, I swore off all his books for all eternity. Ugh.

seanan_mcguire

October 12 2012, 17:04:27 UTC 4 years ago

Sadly, I can think of at least two people who fit that description.

tnsabregirl

4 years ago

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madottercat

October 4 2012, 21:42:38 UTC 4 years ago

I was directed to this discussion from another writer's Forum because the
women there thought your reply to this cretin was awesome.
I also applaud your restraint - I wouldn't have been so nice.
Frankly, if someone had said this to me - I think I'd be tempted to adjust their
thinking with a two by four applied liberally to his head.
It sounds to me like this person was, in a sense, threatened by your
strong (powerful) women characters therefore they 'must' be raped so they're not as powerful.
Because rape isn't really about sex but rather it's about power.
And if you don't want to hamstring your female characters you are, therefore, unrealistic.
Guess who I think is being unrealistic.
Keep up the good work.

seanan_mcguire

October 12 2012, 17:09:21 UTC 4 years ago

Thank you.

Friday Links Will Sell Superheroes To Little Girls

livejournal

October 5 2012, 00:38:39 UTC 4 years ago

User cassiphone referenced to your post from Friday Links Will Sell Superheroes To Little Girls saying: [...] week in reaction to a reader asking when (not if) her female characters were going to get raped [...]

julietvalcouer

October 5 2012, 03:05:49 UTC 4 years ago

....It just occurred to me, it HASN'T occurred to me to use rape as some kind of threat against my female protagonist and female second-stringer. Tortured, killed, in the latter's case killed to distract her partner/master as an in-battle gambit (it fails, but that's what the villain in question is considering doing) but I have never felt as if they NEEDED to be raped as a matter of course because, you know, that's what one DOES with female characters. They're both a great deal more threatened by being killed violently, just like the male protagonist (the male B-lister is, shall we say, old enough and durable enough he's not deeply fixated on self-preservation in the line of duty.)

In fact I don't think I've ever READ a book with a female main character wondering "So when do we make with the rape?"

[sarcasm] Clearly, my fantasy writing and reading skills are lacking. [/sarcasm]

Some people's children....

seanan_mcguire

October 12 2012, 17:09:51 UTC 4 years ago

I like what Rob said: there's nothing wrong with them that couldn't be fixed by being raised by my mother.

freya46

October 5 2012, 03:35:39 UTC 4 years ago

Thank you. :-)

seanan_mcguire

October 12 2012, 17:11:49 UTC 4 years ago

You are welcome.

sageautumn

October 5 2012, 12:29:54 UTC 4 years ago

I feel sort of silly... I thought sexual abuse already WAS part of Toby's backstory, at Home.

seanan_mcguire

October 12 2012, 17:12:14 UTC 4 years ago

There was emotional abuse and coercion, but Devin never touched her when she said no.

sageautumn

4 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

4 years ago

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punkrockghoul

October 5 2012, 18:50:45 UTC 4 years ago

I really hadn't noticed that all these characters were being raped, though I can think of a few. But I recently realized that UF heroines are being kidnapped at an alarming rate. I could only think of a few who haven't been and wondered if it was coming for them in the next book. Maybe this is part of the same syndrome? I think it accomplishes some of the same things in a slightly less disturbing way. Though now that I've thought about it, it will forever be a cliche to me, so I hope that someone can figure out how to disempower (is that a word?) female characters in a creative new way. Or we can just let them be badass all the time. That's really not such a bad thing, is it?

seanan_mcguire

October 12 2012, 17:23:23 UTC 4 years ago

That is a really interesting point!

aisb23

October 5 2012, 22:51:15 UTC 4 years ago

Thank you very much for writing this.

As a male I would like to apologize on behalf of the Y chromosome. Unfortunately there are too many members of my half of the species who seem to think this way though personally it is so beyond my understanding as to make my brains hurt.

Keep writing what you like and how you like, I and many other will read it. Remember what Joss Whedon said when asked why he keeps writing strong female characters: "Because you asked that question."

seanan_mcguire

October 12 2012, 17:23:49 UTC 4 years ago

Remember what Joss Whedon said when asked why he keeps writing strong female characters: "Because you asked that question."

Word.

Daniel Palmer

October 6 2012, 00:51:42 UTC 4 years ago

Seanan,

First a little sucking up. I love the Toby McGuire books and am looking forward to the next one.

On to the topic at hand, personally I am perfectly fine with your stance. I don't enjoy reading about sexual assault, it is not entertaining and I read your books to be entertained. At some point in the 1990's mystery writer Elizabeth George wrote back-to-back books that contained horrible violence against children and after the 2nd one I stopped reading her books. There is plenty of unspeakable violence in the real world, why would I want more of it in the fiction I read for entertainment?

That said, I can kind of understand the question. Rape is generally considered a power motivated attack and not a sexual one. The perp is trying to demonstrate his power over the victim. So it would make sense that a male character would attempt the ultimate power move on a character like Toby who is powerful and a woman. But I still don't want to read about it.

seanan_mcguire

October 12 2012, 17:24:32 UTC 4 years ago

Lots of other things make sense, too. But that one, in specific, is just over-done, and it's not necessary.

I'm glad you like the Toby Daye books. :)

sevarem

October 6 2012, 06:04:03 UTC 4 years ago

I have never read your books. This essay has made me decide to start picking them up. Thank you so much for this.

seanan_mcguire

October 12 2012, 17:24:44 UTC 4 years ago

You are so very welcome.

No title

livejournal

October 10 2012, 23:57:59 UTC 4 years ago

User bentgaidin referenced to your post from No title saying: [...] Read this at the same time Seanan McGuire's post about how she won't rape her characters [...]

tammypierce

October 11 2012, 21:02:00 UTC 4 years ago

It does not fucking mean you are unrealistic. The person who said it was an asshat with an overinflated sense of how women need to be treated in fiction. He (she?) should be made to read THE COLOR PURPLE 100 times.

When someone told me there was a fanfic in which Daine is raped, I sat at my desk and cried.

When asked a year or so ago if I was ever going to deal with rape in one of my books, I replied that there is plenty of rape in fantasy; it's dealt with by authors I respect, and I didn't feel that there was a need for me to cover it. I cover things that often aren't covered elsewhere. You cover things that aren't covered elsewhere. There is no bingo card for female fantasy writers in which the "rape novel" is a middle or corner square.

Stay cranky, cranky blonde. Find yourself a copy of Gahan Wilson's I PAINT WHAT I SEE and live happy.

seanan_mcguire

October 12 2012, 17:31:17 UTC 4 years ago

I will definitely stay cranky, and if someone made that bingo card, I would get in trouble for assault shortly thereafter.

I haven't had to deal with rape fanfic yet, thank the gods. I know it's coming.

Some people.

nix_this

4 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

4 years ago

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nix_this

4 years ago

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aylaelphaba

October 16 2012, 02:33:18 UTC 4 years ago

I know you've gotten a ton of comments already, but just wanted to add: the person who wants your characters to be raped obviously has no respect for your writing. You are showing your characters respect precisely by NOT having them be raped just because they're women and it's "expected."

seanan_mcguire

November 27 2012, 17:58:02 UTC 4 years ago

Thank you.

I think I know why I stopped reading metaquotes.

livejournal

October 22 2012, 13:44:29 UTC 4 years ago

User mcity referenced to your post from I think I know why I stopped reading metaquotes. saying: [...] p;miscarriage onto it by way of moving goalposts (note that the post she was responding to [...]

melaniedavidson

October 30 2012, 05:53:45 UTC 4 years ago

Thank you for this. Someone recommended your books with a link to this post, which got me to check them out. I'm loving the October Daye series!

And there's been TONS of tension.

seanan_mcguire

November 27 2012, 17:58:13 UTC 4 years ago

I'm so glad!

madfishmonger

October 31 2012, 17:16:26 UTC 4 years ago

Well said, and thank you.

seanan_mcguire

November 27 2012, 17:58:25 UTC 4 years ago

You are very welcome, and thank you.

oldmanlochinvar

October 31 2012, 20:48:36 UTC 4 years ago

While I do occasional enjoy reading things that are questionable, I cannot ever understand why its "expected" to happen. I am glad to hear you stood by your guns!

seanan_mcguire

November 27 2012, 17:58:39 UTC 4 years ago

Thank you.
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