Oh, I’m sure there are politically correct answers I should spout addressing the inherent strength of women, our independence, capability, intuition, creativity, etc.
Honestly, you won’t find me arguing any of those reasons. But at this very moment in my life, I find myself writing the alpha female heroine because she can do all the things I used to do.
My current heroine can drop kick a football better than most guys on the college rosters, chase children or bad guys without pain, and keep her florist shop in the black. And she’ll discover that her dreams of romance won’t make less of her skills.
My writing voice naturally gravitates toward paranormal and my style usually involves much action on the page. I don’t think it’s a coincidence since I’ve always loved to read a wide variety of authors and genres, but both factors naturally feed into a take-charge, alpha female sort of heroine.
At the risk of TMI, right this moment, I’m dealing with yet another stage of back pain. A natural athlete, I’ve been sidelined off and on for decades and when I look back, it’s no mystery:
Teenage me tries to lift 50 pounds of ice from stack at left shoulder to bin at right hip – I went down and out on a stretcher (but the paramedics were cute).
Older, but no wiser, teenage me falls from table to floor while decorating a Sunday School classroom. (no paramedics required, but sitting on ice is no fun)
Sailor me missteps while docking a sailboat, breaks tailbone among other things. (see previous disclaimer about ice)
Athlete or klutz? A debate for the ages…
Of course then I matured, got married, had kids, and while I stayed pretty active (hard to be sedentary with children), living ‘takes its toll’ (quoting the doctors).
Hmph.
So here I am, in a new phase of life, career, and pain. Learning to write in 30 minute intervals of standing or sitting (thank heaven for the brainiacs who invented laptops!) and grumbling while I follow doctor orders of ‘Zero Activity’.
I write alpha females because it’s pure indulgence with a little self-preservation thrown in. Primarily, my can-do heroines keep my mind off the growing population of dust bunnies gathering while my kids draw straws for who gets to vacuum!
Live the adventure!
