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Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.
I believe we’ve had this topic before, but I’m purposefully not looking up my old post about it. Let’s see how I answer it this time without that influence.
(I promise the baby goats in today’s photo are relevant to the post 😂).
1. Disabled and/or chronically ill heroes whose diagnosis is not the main storyline.
2. Failure. (For example, how characters deal with not getting what they want but maybe ending up with something even better instead).
3. Rabbits. You all know how much I love rabbits!
4. Antarctica. I can think of so few books set there, but with global temperatures rising I wonder if humans will eventually start living there year-round.
5. Fitness and exercise. So many heroes and heroines are described as being in great shape, especially in the thriller genre, but the plot often glosses over how much work it takes to grow and maintain those strong muscles.
6. Sick days. Whether it’s food poisoning, the common cold, or something much more serious, characters in books almost never have a few days spent in bed feeling icky. I find that odd.
7. Socially awkward characters. I wish we had more examples of protagonists who maybe don’t always make a great first impression but who are wonderful folks once you get to know them.
8. Funny things that pets do (but the pets do not die in the book).
9. Genuinely kind and good people from every walk of life. (Can you tell I’ve been reading too many scary stories lately?)
10. Slice of life fiction. I need low-stakes conflicts. Show me what happens when Henry runs out of coffee beans but doesn’t live close to a coffee house or when Agnes forgets to shut the back gate and the goats all escape. That’s the sort of trouble I want to read about.
What a fabulous list, Lydia. So many of these topics need to come up more often. Slice of life is what I feel made Seinfeld so popular. I love socially awkward characters. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Cheryl. Thanks for the kind words.
Hard agree with all of these, Lydia! Especially socially awkward characters, and those with disabilities.
I love rabbits, too, and I had two tiny black rabbits (who remained so even as they got older) when I was a kid. They were lovely.
Thank you, George. Your rabbits sound like they were adorable. I think we’ve discussed them before?
Socially awkward characters yes I need to read more books about people that are like myself that one you get to know them they actually total normalish. Great list. Have a great week.
Thank you. You, too!
I agree with so many of these – especially the first and last ones. I kind of want to combine them into a comfy cozy story
That would be awesome.
My friend Chuck Litka wrote a post a few years ago about how tired he was of stories having to have stakes like saving the world or the universe. He writes fantasy stories where the stakes are as low as somebody hoping to get a promotion or just have a nice vacation. His characters are always likable and pleasant, too.
Ooh, I really need to read his stuff sometime. I do have a couple of his books downloaded.