The Not So Average Girl Next Door
In sci-fi, especially young adult sci-fi, there are tons of tropes. One of the most overplayed is the average and completely unremarkable protagonist suddenly emerging from their ordinary and bland shell to be the chosen one who saves the day. There has to be. Right? Don't we all want a character we can identify with?
Maybe.
What's ordinary? What's average? Me? I'm about as average as it gets until I stand up and reveal to the world that I'm a literal giant. I absolutely cannot relate to those tiny little spitfire protagonists who stand all of five feet four.
And so, I don't write average. Well, there was Renee Ward in Kind of Like Life. Renee was described as average, but she wasn't chosen to save the world. Lucy, from The Eyes of The Sun, was a little less average having grown up in the shadow of DC, with an unusual appearance, and suffering from poor little rich girl syndrome. She doesn't save the world, but Lucy was definitely of the chosen one variety.
But neither of them have anything on Ellie. Ellie Whitmore is very extraordinary. She's the daughter of celebrities. She's six feet four inches tall, and she has spots. Not freckles, spots. All over her face and hands are white dots that stand out against her dark complexion. She is as extraordinary as they come and she is tasked with saving not just the world, but the whole galaxy.
So why? Why make this crazy out there character living a one in a million life?
Because relatable is as subjective as anything else in fiction. You may not relate to a tall freak of nature, but I do. I can't relate to being famous, well, at least not yet, eh? ;-)
I try to give all of my protagonists extraordinary traits for one simple reason: so that when life throws them a curve ball, they don't end up heavily medicated in a mental health facility as I'm certain I would if I was tasked with going from zero to save the galaxy in a single plot twist.
But Ellie isn't a cool cucumber. Her first order of business when she finds out Earth may not be her native planet is to have a major panic attack. Which is one of the reasons I like her. She's not of Earth, but she's human. I can't wait to share her story with you all!
For now, you'll have to settle for this teaser, which includes a small excerpt from the book and a small teaser of the cover art:
Maybe.
What's ordinary? What's average? Me? I'm about as average as it gets until I stand up and reveal to the world that I'm a literal giant. I absolutely cannot relate to those tiny little spitfire protagonists who stand all of five feet four.
And so, I don't write average. Well, there was Renee Ward in Kind of Like Life. Renee was described as average, but she wasn't chosen to save the world. Lucy, from The Eyes of The Sun, was a little less average having grown up in the shadow of DC, with an unusual appearance, and suffering from poor little rich girl syndrome. She doesn't save the world, but Lucy was definitely of the chosen one variety.
But neither of them have anything on Ellie. Ellie Whitmore is very extraordinary. She's the daughter of celebrities. She's six feet four inches tall, and she has spots. Not freckles, spots. All over her face and hands are white dots that stand out against her dark complexion. She is as extraordinary as they come and she is tasked with saving not just the world, but the whole galaxy.
So why? Why make this crazy out there character living a one in a million life?
Because relatable is as subjective as anything else in fiction. You may not relate to a tall freak of nature, but I do. I can't relate to being famous, well, at least not yet, eh? ;-)
I try to give all of my protagonists extraordinary traits for one simple reason: so that when life throws them a curve ball, they don't end up heavily medicated in a mental health facility as I'm certain I would if I was tasked with going from zero to save the galaxy in a single plot twist.
But Ellie isn't a cool cucumber. Her first order of business when she finds out Earth may not be her native planet is to have a major panic attack. Which is one of the reasons I like her. She's not of Earth, but she's human. I can't wait to share her story with you all!
For now, you'll have to settle for this teaser, which includes a small excerpt from the book and a small teaser of the cover art:
Intrigued? I hope so. Later this month I'll be excitedly revealing the Kindle and print edition covers along with the description, so make sure to keep an eye out!
That is a great tease and I want to read it.
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