Yearly Archives: 2013

Part Two of this series! (I bet you can guess what’s coming up next week….)

Trope: Brainy Brunette

Description: If there’s a female character who’s known for her intelligence (as in, that’s her most prominent trait), there’s a very high chance she’ll be a brunette. Hot Librarians and Hot Scientists often fall into this category. Bonus points if she’s also wearing glasses. (Extra bonus points if she’s still wearing glasses in a futuristic universe when one would think such bulky corrective frames would be obsolete.)

Examples: Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Hermione from the Harry Potter series, Jo from Little Women, nearly every character Tina Fey has ever played (if not Tina Fey herself)

Pros: Regular readers of this feature should know by now that I do enjoy smart women, regardless of their occupation. The more portrayals of intelligent, capable female characters in all forms of fiction, the better! I especially like said portrayals when the characters have multiple dimensions and are, say, passionate love interests or brave action heroes.

Cons: Sometimes (not always, but sometimes), there’s a downside to being defined as the “brainy” character. Maybe she’s socially awkward, and/or prefers her books to people. Maybe the romantic hero overlooks her for a less intelligent, but sweeter, more charming woman. (Though he usually sees the error of his ways.) Like it or not, there still is a certain stigma associated with being “too” smart, and that can come up with this trope.

Would/Did I Use It?: I suppose I can stick Geneva from Searching the Skies in here. As I’ve said many times, I like writing smart women, but I see no reason to limit their choices of hair color!

This week’s TTT is the first of a three-part series about one of the most basic descriptors writers use (and its implications).

Trope: Dumb Blonde

Description: Need a ditzy character? Making her a blonde is one way to solidify that characterization, thanks to some old stereotypes. “Dumb” can cover a lot here – she can be overly naive, a hopeless romantic, oblivious to all that’s going on around her, or she really just might be unintelligent. This can lead to a number of roles in a romance setting – Did her lack of smarts land her in trouble, and now she’s a damsel in distress who needs rescuing? Does her blind optimism make her appealing? (Note: Male Dumb Blonds pop up every now and then.)

Examples: Goldilocks, Buttercup from The Princess Bride, a large chunk of the movie roles played by Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Owen Wilson

Pros: This can be a quick ‘n’ dirty way to help establish a character, thanks to the aforementioned stereotype. There’s nothing inherently bad about being “dumb”, especially when dealing with sweeter, more innocent Dumb Blondes. Not everyone in the world is a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon, right?

Cons: There are plenty of intelligent blondes in the world to counteract this stereotype. As blonde hair is often considered to be attractive or even desirable, this trope seems to suggest that one can’t be pretty AND smart. Though it’s noted above that men are not exempt from this trope, it does tend to swing female, and I can’t help but detect tinges of sexism.

Would/Did I Use It?: In all fairness, the golden-haired Liora in The Edge of the Sphere does start off as a bit innocent and trusting. (She wises up as the plot progresses, though.) That said, the cons outweigh the pros for me regarding this trope. I don’t think I’ll set out to intentionally use this one any time soon.

Trope: I Have Your Wife

Description: In this plot trope, the villain does something especially dastardly – he/she kidnaps someone very close to the hero in an effort to manipulate him to follow their orders. As the trope name indicates, wives are usually the victims here, but everyone from children to very close friends can get snatched and held hostage. The hero is then faced with multiple problems: not only does he have to save his wife(/child/best buddy/dog), but he must deal with the moral dilemma of doing questionable things in order to save her.

Examples: Air Force One, the original Saw, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Pros: Drama abounds with this trope, and there’s guaranteed to be at least one badass action sequence. After all, the hero must eventually exact revenge on the bastard who Has His Wife, right? This trope also demonstrates the power of love – the hero will do anything to get his beloved back.

Cons: This can skate into “Damsel in Distress” territory, which has its own list of pros and cons. The kidnapped loved one is at risk of being nothing more than a poorly-developed plot device, rather than a three-dimensional character. Same with the villain, actually. If not enough attention is paid to the details, then you’re left with a mustache-twirling caricature who does little else than force the hero into action. While I guess this could be said for most plot tropes, it does seem like I Have Your Wife requires a lot of work to be populated with something other than stock characters and cliches.

Would/Did I Use It?: I’ve never used this one myself, but I am not opposed to it. I could even flip it around and not limit it to husbands saving wives, of course. I do also like the added aspect of giving the antagonist leverage to dictate the protagonist’s actions. I don’t mind sharing my puppetmaster duties every now and then!

(Don’t forget to leave a comment on the Spring is in the Air Blog Hop for some prizes and to check out the rest of my VBT schedule! Also, this is my 100th post! Woo hoo!)

Trope: The Lost Lenore

Description: The Lost Lenore is a dead love interest of one of the main characters. Not only is she dead, her absence has a profound effect on the character for the rest of the work, to the point where it can even influence the plot. Lost Lenores can either be dead at the beginning of the story, or die early on; either way, it’s the reaction to her death that determines whether or not she qualifies for this trope. (While they’re frequently female, every now and then a male Lost Lenore pops up.)

Examples: Lenore from The Raven (duh), Mal from Inception, Laura Palmer from Twin Peaks

Pros: Love is powerful and can even transcend death. A Lost Lenore can also kick off all sorts of plots for the lover she left behind, from some soul-searching and self-discovery to kick-ass vengeance (depending on the circumstances). In romance, the audience is touched if the hero is able to work through his grief and learn to love again.

Cons: There’s a fine line to straddle here, for if the hero doesn’t grieve long enough for the audience’s liking, it can feel like he’s cheating on the Lost Lenore if he finds himself with another woman too quickly. Tone is important to keep in mind here, as anything overly cheery will feel incongruous right after her death. Also, considering they’re dead (or die quickly), Lost Lenores can be difficult to develop and make into three-dimensional characters.

Would/Did I Use It?: I’d say Meyta from Disintegration definitely qualifies. (That’s not a spoiler, it’s in the blurb of the book.) She’s dead by the second chapter, but don’t think for a moment that she’ll be easily forgotten. (And that’s all I’ll say about that, as I don’t want to reveal true spoilers!) I did keep the concerns on the “cons” list in mind, and I hope I struck that proper balance between grieving and moving on to the actual love interest of the book.

Sorry for the late Trope-tastic Thursday! If you’re looking to participate in the Spring is in the Air Blog Hop, make sure you leave a comment on this post.

Trope: Hot Scientist

Description: Who says women can’t be smart AND sexy? The Hot Scientist is always dressed to impress (with or without white lab coat) with her hair perfectly styled and make-up expertly applied. If the main character hasn’t previously met Dr. Hottie, he’ll be surprised that she’s 1) a woman and 2) so very attractive. Even though she could be strutting her stuff down a runway, she is very capable at her job and will never steer our hero in the wrong direction with whatever information she provides.

Examples: Dr. Brennan from Bones, Dr. Christmas Jones from The World is Not Enough, a number of characters from Doctor Who

Pros: I’ll never argue against smart, capable women. This trope sort of counteracts the “geeky/nerdy scientist” or even the “dowdy librarian” stereotype in that a woman can be good at her job while still caring about her physical appearance. Even if she’s not actively fighting alongside the hero, whatever assistance she supplies is invaluable in bringing about a victorious ending.

Cons: Realism doesn’t get a lot of emphasis here. You’re not going to find a lot of women working in laboratories wearing stiletto heels and letting their long hair float in the breeze in the real world. (In fact, many such places explicitly ban such things.) I’m also not crazy about the default assumption being that the scientist is either going to be male or unattractive. Why are smart sexy women still considered to be so shocking or out of the ordinary?

Would/Did I Use It?: I don’t think I’ve used this one; not in any major works, anyway. As the pros and cons lists indicate, I have mixed feelings about this trope. On the one hand, I’m all for beautiful women with a brain inside their pretty little heads, and I don’t consider it unrealistic that such women can achieve high levels of education and succeed in science-based careers. On the other hand, there are still some whiffs of misogyny lingering around this trope, and I’m not completely comfortable with that. It could be argued that this trope is not so much about the character herself, but the reaction to her. If that’s the case, then I think I’ll pass.