Donna White was my first attempt at writing a female protagonist. The short story, “Bleach White – the summer without a tan”, was written in the mid-eighties.
Donna was a well-to-do high schooler. However, the summer before her senior year, her father fell ill and was no longer able to support their family. Donna had to take a summer job to help out. She missed time with her friends, she missed time at the beach, she missed everything she’d once held dear.
Donna struggled with the urge to blame her father for his illness, finally forgiving him as the first day of school approached.
She comes to a crisis point the first day of class as her former friends reject her, both for having become middle-class and for her lack of a summer tan. They taunt her, calling her Bleach White; a nickname echoed by fellow students and teachers alike. The story was sad and sentimental and emphasized the importance of family bonds in the face of social pressure.
But my characterization of Donna White wasn’t what it could have been. She was too stereotypical and her personality was devoid of layers. This is a common thread in new writers.
There are many teachings and blogs detailing how to write for/as the opposite sex. They are all very good, but my personality requires I put my own spin on the subject.
In the 1970’s, Taro Gomi wrote, “Everybody Poops”. In 1983, Shinta Cho wrote, “The Gas We Pass: The Story Of Farts”. These two Japanese authors discovered a way to handle an uncomfortable subject, entertaining and helping children and parents alike. I do not claim the prowess of these authors, but I likewise hope to entertain and help in my small way. As such…
It was our freshman year at the University of Georgia. Walter Templeton, my friend and cohort in many misadventures, busied himself with science and the night life in Russell Hall, our dormitory and the site of several of the aforementioned misadventures.
I busied myself with the study of English Lit and my fascination over Amelia. I don’t recall her last name, but she was lovely and inviting. She always sat front row left and always had a smile as I found my seat in the fifth row. After several weeks of smiles, I finally worked up the courage to ask her out.
Amelia stayed after class that day, keeping her seat, front row left, and I was certain she had guessed my resolve. She must have anticipated my pending approach. She must have somehow sensed my desire and longed for me to ask her out. These were the thoughts in my eighteen-year-old mind. The only obstacle was the friend waiting there with her, carrying on their conversation.
I wanted her friend to leave. I imagined Amelia likewise wanting her friend to run along so that the eventuality of our being together would become a reality. And that is when it happened.
From there, in the fifth row of English 102, a foulness was birthed, both horrid and silent in its becoming.
Amelia spoke first. “Oh My God. What is the smell?”
The classroom windows were open. I imagined the possibility that food service was boiling cabbage and the steam was carried on the breeze. Likewise, as there was construction on campus, I imagined some workers might have set fire to a heap of trash and tires and the smoke wafted our way. I turned back from searching the windows with an “It must be coming from out there” hopefulness.
Her friend, and it is always the friend, said, “I don’t know. But let’s get away from it.”
I admire that young man I was for still having the courage to ask Amelia on a date. I still get a laugh when I think of her “I don’t think so” response.
That situation, and other events of my life, have helped me understand more about writing.
The young boy I was, although shy, was full of ego. As a man matures, the ego is still there, but is tempered with experience. The Now me would have never waited to speak with Amelia. I would have introduced myself the first day and let the chips fall.
Female writers can write a stereotypical male character with a large ego and keep him appealing. Add maturity and experience in the mix. Give him desirable traits. Give him a smile, have him start a nice conversation, make the reader look past the fact the he might be an ass. Make him a lovable and desirable ass. Imagine the things you want to hear coming from his mouth. Imagine the typical, but mix in the actions any woman might desire. Maybe the guy is willing to embarrass himself for a good cause.
As for Amelia, I do think she might have had a faint attraction toward me. Then again, perhaps she was just nice. Guys writing for women should explore and include both possibilities. A woman will go over every detail of what might have been. She often listens to her friend’s advice, then chides herself for listening to her friend’s advice before she comes back to her original thoughts. Then she blames her friend before blaming herself and finally decides that things will work out, maybe, if God is not trying to punish her for something,
To write a woman, I now allow myself to access the library of my thoughts. I pull forth a memory, childhood to current time, aging or making younger the lady as necessary, and let myself imagine a scene unfolding. It seems to work well for me.
The Hospitality Girl is my current writing project and the subject of this week’s Click Here posting. In this novella, Tammie Bowers is left heartbroken by the only man she’s ever loved. When she meets ninety-one-year-old Alice Rogers, Tammie learns all that life can hold and how wonderful and sad it is to be in love.
I give a huge thanks to Chris, Lantz, Samantha, Keya, Tara, George, Scarlett, Ed, and other Chattanooga Writers Guild members for your advice and inspiration.