Janet Miles

On the package for a doorstop: Neutral color blends with any rooms decor'.

How do you even MAKE that mistake?

It's the first Tuesday of the month, and that means ysabetwordsmith is holding her fishbowl!

This month's theme is:

"heras and villainesses." I'll be soliciting ideas for female protagonists, female antagonists, unexpectedly relevant women, women behaving badly, women who make history, men who are taken horribly unawares by women with agency, magical or technological artifacts that choose female bearers, adventures that appeal to women readers, challenges particular to female characters, plots that would be interesting if formerly male characters were replaced with females, nurseries and battlefields and other places where women may be found, harems and other places where women are kept, the war of the sexes, hijinks resulting from having two heras or a hera and a villainess and no man in sight, sensible armor, and poetic forms in particular. But anything is welcome, really.

For reference, let me quote briefly from Ysabet's essay on this theme:

A hera is a female protagonist, the lead character in a story. She is strong and capable; she does not need to be rescued, can get herself out of trouble, and may rush to the aid of others in need. She has the same proportion of strengths and weaknesses as a hero does, which can vary depending on the type of story. She may or may not fall in love, and if she does, she is not a subordinate partner but an equal or even a dominant partner.

The villainess is a counterpart of the villain. She is a female antagonist, the Big Bad of a story. ... A proper villainess is both formidable and determined.

Go feed the fish!