The Damsel in Distress with a Twist

Traci Dowe/Kenworth

June 3, 2026

The New Damsel in Distress with a Twist

Traci Dowe/Kenworth

I was reading The Fantasy Café’s series on Women Writers in SF & F recently when comments by Lyndsey Byrd struck me with what I’ve come to know myself with writing in these fields. That is, that the fandom does not like girly-girls. They prefer the bad-ass assassin instead. That’s a shame. Because I think there’s room for all types in SF & F.

Just because a girl wears a dress and reads books doesn’t mean that she isn’t strong. There’s physical strong and there’s heart-strong and there’s even mentally and emotionally strong. Women are not only one thing. We don’t have to be the tough to be interesting.

For instance, Elizabeth Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean. I much preferred her character before she became the pirate queen later on in the movies. When first introduced, her terror, her wit, made her relatable. She was a normal person in extraordinary circumstances and it showed.

It’s why I loved Evie in The first Mummy movies. She was nervous, shy, but determined to figure out things. Rick’s character perfectly balanced hers as did Will Turner in the Pirate movies, Elizabeth. Both men partnered with the women. They didn’t want them to change or become part of the scenery. They cared about them as a person.

By contrast, The Tomb Raider protagonist just doesn’t interest me. Nor does Rae in the new Star Wars movies. Both are too masculine for my taste. Charlie’s Angels had both action and femineity, and I think that’s why it did so well with audiences. At least, the first one.

I know they’re trying to drag the men into the movies with these types but just as there’s more to men than the mechanical Terminator, there’s more to women than an emotionless canvas. Fandom may not like it or be ready for it but I bet there are those out there who’d like to identify more with the female protagonist.

We’re not all G.I. Jane. Not that that type shouldn’t exist but make room for other traits as well. Show the emotion. Show the heartache. The rage. The meltdowns. There are whole spectrums to women we haven’t explored yet. And you want to talk about tough? What about the women who crossed the seas from foreign countries into a land that hadn’t been built yet? A slave that escaped on a train north?

There’s much more to us. Let’s tell those stories. Not so long ago our own mothers fought for the right to vote, to own a house, to have her own money. We need to relate that to the next generations. Especially now, with our rights shrinking every day. We’re not weak because we like pretty things or wear makeup.

We need to speak out as the women who came before us did. We need to show other women they are strong, courageous, and worthy of being who they are. No need for swords and magic. Our words spoken softly or with purpose mean something. To us. To others. There’s room for everyone at the table. God bless and have a great week!

The Seven:

1. Entertaining Stories: Some weekends are like that. | Entertaining Stories My writing weekend basically failed right out of the gate. We needed a sprinkler repairman to come this weekend. I’m sure you know the drill. They project a time, so you keep your schedule open, they don’t meet the time, so you keep your schedule even more open.

Eventually, the guy showed up and he did a good job from what I can see. In a way getting that done is an accomplishment.

As far as writing goes, it came to hundreds of words this weekend, not the thousands I hoped for. I blame this on the scheduling fiasco, but real life things have to be addressed too.

Had gremlins myself these past weeks.

• Nail Your Novel: How to manage your editorial crew – interview at The Indy Author – Nail Your Novel Although writing a book is largely done in solitude, there are numerous occasions when we seek the input and wisdom of others. In the early rough draft stages, in the later stages when the work is being presented to a publisher or polished for self-publishing, we call on a range of people who help the book reach its full potential and satisfy its audience. Beta readers, subject experts, editors, copy editors, sensitivity readers, proof readers… together they are our editorial crew.
• Writers in the Storm: Choose a Powerful Foundation for Your Story, Part Two The point of view influences every scene in your story. Ideally, your choice of a particular point of view (POV) seamlessly draws your reader into the story for a transformation (through education, entertainment, connection with characters, etc.) This is part two of a two post series on POV. In the first post, Choosing a Powerful Foundation for Your Story, the definition of point of view boiled down to the position which experiences or evaluates all events, places, things, and people in a story. That first post identified five different POVs, how to express each POV, and what each POV represents in the balance of power within a story. Today, in part two, we’ll discuss the strengths and limitations of each of those five POVs and tips on how to decide what to use or avoid for your story.

One writer who I think does Omni well is Nora Roberts. She always offers a couple’s POVs and then sometimes, an additional character to boot.

• Chris the Story Reading Ape: Guest Post: An explanation from Author and Poet, Kevin Morris… | Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog I cannot recollect when I first became interested (some might say obsessed) with mortality. I do, however, remember relishing poems such as Francis Beaumont’s “On the Tombs in Westminster Abbey”, which I first came across whilst browsing through a poetry anthology in the school library On the Tombs in Westminster Abbey, by Francis Beaumont.

My home in London’s Upper Norwood is opposite to All Saints church and it’s graveyard. Hardly a day passes during which I fail to pass through that graveyard, which has inspired many of my poems.

Earlier this month, I was found unconscious for over two hours with low blood pressure and low blood sugars. Scariest thing I’ve ever been through. I’m still getting crashes but I know what to look for now. They also gave me a shot if it happens again, to bring me back to stable sooner.

• Smorgasbord Magazine: Smorgasbord Book Book Reviews – #Poetry #Africa – Burning Butterflies: Poetry About Southern African Flora and Fauna by Robbie Cheadle | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Butterflies are interpreted, inter alia, as symbols of transformation and change, hope and rebirth, spirituality, the soul, creativity, nature, beauty, and resurrection. Faced with the annihilation of much of the planet’s forests, wetlands, and other habitats for wildlife, all the wonderful things that butterflies symbolise are gradually being destroyed.

This book celebrates Southern African flora and fauna, while acknowledging the threats it faces.

Poetry is one of my favorites but I don’t do it enough. It has been a while. Love to read it though.

• DGKayeWriter: WordPress Prompt – When Do You Feel Most Productive? – DGKayewriter.com I’m late posting this week. I’ve had quite a busy schedule this past week between dental appointment minor surgery and girl get-togethers, and of course, book-writing. So, I chose to grab a prompt off WordPress.

As writers, we all have our own time allotments for writing. And times differ for each of us. But I know my writing habits have certainly changed over the thirteen years I’ve been writing books.

I used to have a regimented standard schedule for writing when in midst of writing a book. I was disciplined. I ate breakfast, made a second cup of coffee and got to writing work every weekday morning for a few hours a day, sometimes maybe all day. But those times have changed drastically for me.

My writing life has changed for me since I was near-death earlier this month. I am focusing more on things, trying to pull threads together, and have become serious about publishing. I have a short story in the weeks from which I will also write a novella. I’m considering a self-publishing course. In the fall, I’ll write the first book in a series based in the same world as the other two stories. I also have realized to take one day at a time but with a different twist: I want to realize my dreams of being published.

• Nathan Bransford: A devastating censorship ruling (This week in books) – Nathan Bransford | Writing, Book Editing, Publishing I’m back! Though I’m quite busy catching up, and extraordinarily jet-lagged. Today’s collection of links will be presented mainly in list format, but there are lots of good ones. Enjoy!

Appeals Court Reverses Ruling in Texas Book Ban Case – Nathalie op de Beeck, Publishers Weekly – An extremely disappointing ruling that could open the door to more governmental censorship, written in an infuriatingly glib tone.

Pulitzer Prizes: 2025 Winners List – The New York Times. For books:

Some rather unsettling news.

What I’ve been reading: Fannie Flagg Something to Look For, Summer of Fear by Lois Duncan. I finished Writers of the Future 40^th Anniversary edition and will have a review soon then choose my next Kindle book. For some reason, I can only read one book at a time instead of like several previously. Also Story by Robert McKee.

What I’ve been watching: Rising of the Shield Warrior. Some Markiplier and Jon Tron.