Comments on: Why I Try To Write About Strong Girls

By: Ricki Schultz

Ricki Schultz — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:29:28 +0000

Jamie,

I love this – and I wholeheartedly agree.

I tried to make my MC strong (not Power Puff Girls strong – hee!) but strong enough to realize her worth independent of how the boys in her life view her.

Thanks for a great post!

Ricki

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:59:25 +0000

You give *me* hope, Jamie Harrington.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:26:44 +0000

@Tiffany Neal, ahhh the teacher opinion… it’s the EXACT same as mine.

Who cares… I just want the kids to READ!

By: Tiffany Neal

Tiffany Neal — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:25:41 +0000

Wow! Hot topic tonight!

I loved both of those books.

The funny thing is that the more adults gripe about the type of books that teens shouldn’t read, the more they are going to pick them up in spite.

I’ve got 4th graders reading BOOKS this year just by handing over the Twilight book to them.

If it means they are reading and they are enjoying it, why does it matter so much. It’s not like they aren’t getting this stuff from other sources of less desirable media: tv, movies, music…
Tiffany Neal´s last blog ..Muse is MIA – If Found, Please Return

By: Jodi Meadows

Jodi Meadows — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:49:16 +0000

@Jamie,

I think we are in agreement! *high five*

By: Jamie

Jamie — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:47:22 +0000

@Jodi Meadows, HAHA AGREED! I mean… leaving trash on the kitchen counter is one thing… keeping dead bodies in the kitchen freezer, entirely another.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:45:37 +0000

@Claena, I’m with you. I don’t think that goodreads review really portrays the story in a fair way, but I think everyone has the right to review whatever they want however they want. (Watch me eat those words some day…)

I love the idea you have here of talking about real life issues in our stories and hoping that teenagers draw their own conclusions. Isn’t that all we can do as writers? And, hey if our stories do that–then I think we’ve accomplished something.

By: Jodi Meadows

Jodi Meadows — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:44:43 +0000

@Jamie,
Hee. I agree. Jeff is really awesome, but not perfect, either.

But some faults are bigger than others. So Jeff always leaving his shampoo bottle in the sink (don’t ask) is not really a big deal, but having killed a bunch of people and not feeling bad about it… I know which boy I’d choose.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:43:06 +0000

@Rebecca, What I want to see is a balance… show me characters girls reading them WANT to be, and I will be a happy camper

By: Jamie

Jamie — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:42:15 +0000

@Jess, I agree there that deserving and earning aren’t really the best words to use in that respect, but I do like the idea that characters in stories should work hard to make the people they like love them back–and what they need to do just depends on the story and the situations…