Susan E. Connolly ([info]sluzan) wrote,
2008-06-25 00:14:00
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  • Location: Bed
  • Mood: accomplished
  • Music: Dashboard Confessional - Dusk and Summer

Let me introduce myself with thoughtful comments...

though I often find that thoughtless comments are more entertaining.

Everyone seems to have blogs nowadays. I sometimes read the blogs of my friends before I talk to them so I can seem like an intuitive friend who knows what's going on in their lives before they even tell me!

But with so many blogs, maintained by people far more entertaining and worthwhile than me, it felt wrong to start my own when I didn't have anything to really blog about.

Having said that, I am pleased to say that I am officially contracted with Mercier Press, Ireland for the Irish rights to my middle-grade novel - Damsel, to come out Summer 2009.

Damsel follows the journey of 10 year old Annie Brave, daughter of a famous hero. When he is missing, presumed eaten, she takes his manuscript "How to slay dragons - and other advice for the hero in training" and sets off to get him back. But can a damsel ever do the rescuing?

Damsel is my first novel, but I have had a few non-fiction articles published here and there, including features in InDublin magazine and book reviews in the Sunday Business Post.

So here I am, blogging, on my blog (ever notice how if you say a word enough times it starts to lose all meaning?). I'll be blogging (sigh) about writing, reading, re-writing, and really anything that comes to mind.

It may be that I shall have no readership at all and will have to go outside and eat worms, but if there is anything in particular anyone would like to know, please ask!

The following article was published in edited form in InDublin Magazine in 2007, and was, if not the inspiration, certainly the catalyst for Damsel.

Who Needs a White Knight?

Subtitle: Despite what the song might tell you, I don’t need a hero, and neither do you.


Recently, I have been doing some thinking on fairy-tales and bedtime stories. I came to these thought by a circuitous route, ably aided by some alcohol. Apparently, and by apparently I mean according to some guy I met down at the pub, there was a survey of women carried out to discover the ideal man. The winner, by a heavy margin, was… Mr. Darcy from Jane Austin’s Pride & Prejudice.


Is it just me or is there something seriously wrong with that? I’m as partial as the next gal to the sight of Colin Firth in a wet white shirt, but there is something extremely disturbing about the idea that for women, the ideal is a fictional character. Not only that, but a fictional character who’s great redemption is that he is a hero. He saves Elizabeth from her life of spinsterhood after having convinced her of his worth by saving her younger sister from disgrace.


She loves him because he has rescued her, he protects her and he will save her from monsters. This feels wrong, but not surprising. After all, we are sold this myth from an early age – that we need a hero, that there is a Prince Charming on a fiery steed who will come and take us away from all this and to a better life. The woodcutter will save us and the king will marry us if the glass slipper fits our foot.


But there is a price to pay for this fantasy. The ugly stepsister isn’t rescued, and when your beauty fades there will be another girl to save, red white and black in her glass coffin. To be saved and get that happy ever after ending we have to ensure we’re worth saving. We have to be princesses. We should refuse to sleep with a pea beneath our mattress because we are so delicate. The girl is always in need of rescue, because she cannot save herself. We sleep enchanted until the kiss of a brave soldier wakes us to his arms.


The ugly stepsisters must be evil, because they’re ugly. Even the witch who was once beautiful becomes evil when her beauty is threatened, and lashes out at the interloper – sending her to be killed and her heart cut out for vengeance. Who is the woman in the tale who controls her own destiny? Think on it. She is powerful, and so she is called cruel. She makes her choices and she lives her life and nobody saves her. She is the witch and she is wicked. She is old and ugly, because what independent woman could be beautiful? She is jealous of the younger girls who attract the men to save them and so she puts them under enchantments and sends huntsmen to kill them in the woods.


This myth does more than simply harm women. It harms men too. Why could Snow White not have fallen for one of the seven dwarves? They saved her, but they were poor and lived in the forest and they were neither charming nor handsome. They were cast aside for the young fop who got lost while hunting in the forest and thought indulging in some casual necrophilia with Snow White’s corpse would be a bit of a laugh. The frog we adore is really a prince under an enchantment, because we could not love him simply as he is, only when he has good looks and good prospects.


Why is this even something that we want? What flaw is it within ourselves that we require saving from? When you really look at these stories, you start to wonder. Since when does molesting a girl under an enchantment make you the ideal candidate for marriage? Likewise, a man who can’t recognise you when you don’t have your glad rags and glass slippers on probably won’t stay by your side as you grow old together.


There is a life after the end of the story. Choosing a husband on his ability to kill a hungry wolf
is as absurd nowadays as picking a wife based on her shoe size. A man who constantly tries to rescue you will become annoying as fast as a woman who constantly needs to be saved. Too much pride is as much of a problem as too little backbone. If I had to choose, I would be the villain over the princess. I would choose rather than be chosen. I would be the witch.


Perhaps these are only words in stories, but words have power, and stories shape the way we see the world. If the only happy endings we see are those where we are rescued by the hero, then how do we know how to make those endings for ourselves. How do we know how to live past the end of the book?

Tags: articles, damsel, indublin, writing

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[info]seyella

June 26 2008, 16:54:16 UTC 3 years ago

Congratulations! You have no idea who I am, but I found you through Sarah Rees Brennan's blog, and just wanted to throw my congrats out there. The book looks awesome, and I look forward to reading it. :)
Take care xxx

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:20:19 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you! I love people i don't know, it means I can imbue them with all the characteristics I like - this has of course, backfired terribly at times, but it has also worked out wonderfully.

[info]novemberhour

June 26 2008, 16:58:16 UTC 3 years ago

One of probably many trotting along from [info]sarahtales to congratulate you on your book deal! The article is excellent - I particularly like this:

There is a life after the end of the story. Choosing a husband on his ability to kill a hungry wolf is as absurd nowadays as picking a wife based on her shoe size. A man who constantly tries to rescue you will become annoying as fast as a woman who constantly needs to be saved. Too much pride is as much of a problem as too little backbone. If I had to choose, I would be the villain over the princess. I would choose rather than be chosen. I would be the witch.

I can only chime me too - and look forward to Damsel.

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:23:10 UTC 3 years ago

It is my favourite of my InDublin articles :) I may put up more if they seem relevant, or write lovely new ones.

It is only scheduled for an Irish release at the moment unfortunately, but hopefully there will be Amazon, and if not, perhaps I can set up my own ordering system - the Post Office will be my friend.

[info]graffititype

June 26 2008, 16:58:43 UTC 3 years ago

Congratulations on the book deal! & thank you for the article, it was an interesting read.

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:23:33 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you!

[info]anatsuno

June 26 2008, 17:23:22 UTC 3 years ago

congratulations! Sara sent us. *g*

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:23:52 UTC 3 years ago

Thanks! She is lovely like that

[info]elucreh

June 26 2008, 17:28:19 UTC 3 years ago

I am here via Sarah Rees Brennan, because I trust her judgement, and am pleased to say that once again she has not failed me--I like the sound of this book very, very much, and look forward to buying a copy when it is in print.

Congratulations!

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:24:49 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you very much, I am completely overcome by all these kind words. Is there anything any of you would like me to write about?

[info]unomesowell

3 years ago

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[info]mattador

June 26 2008, 17:33:34 UTC 3 years ago

Congratulations! The book sounds great!

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:25:16 UTC 3 years ago

This is beoming a lot of pressure! Thank you!

[info]wingstodust

June 26 2008, 17:39:08 UTC 3 years ago

lol, am one of those ppl sent here through [info]sarahtales. Veryyy interesting premise. Damsel going about rescuing? Totally my thing. So yes, congrats on the book deal and it seems like Summer 2009 is gonna be a good year for reading, eheh! XD

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:26:07 UTC 3 years ago

I know! Publishin seems to have started a tidal wave of awesome - makes you wonder about the "death of reading" period we are apparently entering.

[info]tsubaki_ny

June 26 2008, 17:41:25 UTC 3 years ago

Yet another congratulatory chime-in from Mistful's blog. Best wishes!

(You know, I read a book a while back where Snow White did indeed run off with one of the dwarves, but I can't for the life of me remember the title. At any rate, I'm kind of glad the archetypal stories are there, so that they can be messed with in ways that are immediately recognizable to most of us -- within the culture, at least.)

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:26:44 UTC 3 years ago

I hope it was Grumpy - he just needed someone to love...

Anonymous

June 26 2008, 17:51:41 UTC 3 years ago

Another from SRB - Congrats though! The book sounds really cool, if I see it in the bookshops I'll be buying it :)
eulers_identity

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:28:13 UTC 3 years ago

Only in Ireland for the time being :( But I intend the to woo the nice young man at my post office and will send it to people if it's not on Amazon

[info]sgt_majorette

June 26 2008, 17:57:00 UTC 3 years ago

Huh. I see all those stories differently. For instance, I thought Elizabeth loved Mr. Darcy because he was terrified of her, and that it was sweet that he loved her despite her awful family.

Be that as it may, I was sent here by mistful maya to congratulate you and help her make up for that transvestite thing...

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:29:32 UTC 3 years ago

I think that's definitely a (probably the correct) way to read it, but everyone I talked to thought that it was a classic "oh he's so awesome and she's poor and he helps her sister yay" scenario, and I wanted to bang my head against a wall.

[info]visceralvamp

June 26 2008, 17:58:34 UTC 3 years ago

Congratulations on your deal! I too have been sent by Sarah, and I quite like what I've seen of you, so I will probably continue to read as you, eh-hem, blog. If that word is worth anything anymore.

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:29:56 UTC 3 years ago

I think maybe we should make a new word. Any suggestions?

[info]lejlkwiet

June 26 2008, 18:28:56 UTC 3 years ago

Many many congratulations on your book deal. Directed here by the lovely [info]sarahtales, and stayed because of the interesting sound of your book and the very intriguing article.

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:30:23 UTC 3 years ago

Thanks! You are too kind

[info]phoenixmaedchen

June 26 2008, 18:29:05 UTC 3 years ago

I was sent here by Maya, too ^^ Congratulations to you, I am looking forward to read this book as it sounds promising!

Honestly, when I was a child, I HATED it when all the girls needed rescuing. I stopped reading books with boy-heroes when I was about 12, because I hated this whole damsel-in-distress-thing. (I started again reading such books when Harry Potter was released, but well, there was Hermione, so what.?!)

If I had to choose, I would be the villain over the princess. I would choose rather than be chosen. I would be the witch.
I totally agree with you.

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:31:13 UTC 3 years ago

Have you read the Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett? That is basically her personal motto and a large part of why shes so great.

[info]phoenixmaedchen

3 years ago

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[info]suzannemcleod

June 26 2008, 18:33:04 UTC 3 years ago

'When he is missing, presumed eaten, she takes his manuscript "How to slay dragons - and other advice for the hero in training"'

LOL! Damsel sounds wonderful! And many congratulations on the deal ;)

[info]suzannemcleod

June 26 2008, 18:37:22 UTC 3 years ago

And of course, I came via 'she who shall not be mentioned' the delightful Irish author of many making out scenes - particularly those with giant eyeballs - so personally, I think you might have got off rather lightly when you think what she could have inflicted upon you *g*

[info]sluzan

3 years ago

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[info]aquadulcis

June 26 2008, 19:07:40 UTC 3 years ago

You know, all I've ever ever wanted is someone that enjoys talking with me. The thought of getting rescued always seemed repugnent to me because then I'd owe the hero something and I'm pragmatic enough to know that it'd either be free sex or labour. He'd probably marry my far more attractive best friend.
I like the sound of your novel, a girl's got to go out and make her own way in life. Although I would also argue that dragon hunting is probably unsustainable since top predators usually have low population size and growth rates.

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:33:54 UTC 3 years ago

I wouldn't worry about this dragon. She is a force to be reckoned with.

I figure rescuing can work out as long as you get to rescue him back (though hopefully not simply with your pure womanly love and lack of understaning of sports and love of knitting or whatever). Give and take is everything in the love business, and I am sure you are wonderful to talk with

[info]aquadulcis

3 years ago

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[info]sluzan

3 years ago

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[info]vinagrette

June 26 2008, 19:18:57 UTC 3 years ago

Did you go with the rock in the end?!

Is this even the same story? I don't know. I was drinking Guinness at the time - it made me deeply unhappy.

<3<3

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:34:50 UTC 3 years ago

No! The rock is the work in progress, and I was outvoted, so rock it was. Though I still like shoving his hand down it's throat to choke it dead...

[info]northern_rain

June 26 2008, 19:29:41 UTC 3 years ago

Another one sent from Maya's blog, but your book sounds really good - will be looking out for it, so congratulations

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:35:08 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you!

[info]mcollinknight

June 26 2008, 19:29:58 UTC 3 years ago

Your book sounds AWESOME. Consider it preordered when the time comes :)

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:35:21 UTC 3 years ago

:)

[info]mini1969

June 26 2008, 19:32:40 UTC 3 years ago

Congratulations on your book deal. I read about your trials with Mistful and felt it only proper to come over to wish you luck both with your book and your dealings with Maya! Fancy making your character a transvestite!

Anyway I hope all goes well, let us know when your book is going to be published - it sounds like a really good read.

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:36:24 UTC 3 years ago

Once I went to a gay bar and had to leave because all the drag queens looked prettier than me. It was distressing.

[info]caecandy

June 26 2008, 19:47:49 UTC 3 years ago

I, too, got here from Mistful's journal.

Damsel sounds, amazing! I can't wait to buy it!

As a little girl, I hated fairy tales. I was a weird kid, though. I thought they made the women pathetic and that Happily ever after was just a huge lie.

I did, however like movies like Mulan.

I never wanted to be a Princess, I wanted to be a warrior and slaughter the Huns!

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:37:46 UTC 3 years ago

You should read the original fairy tales, where Red Riding Hood is a plucky young peasant girl and the wolf is an old creepy paedophile, and she bashes his head in with a rock! That's what I call a positive role model

[info]caecandy

3 years ago

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[info]sluzan

3 years ago

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[info]caecandy

3 years ago

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[info]little_aphid

June 26 2008, 20:01:34 UTC 3 years ago

Nother here from Mistful's journal. Based on the article and this post, I'll definitely keep an eye out for your book when it hits the shelves. Sounds like something I'd enjoy.

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:38:11 UTC 3 years ago

I do hope you will. Thanks!

[info]unomesowell

June 26 2008, 20:46:21 UTC 3 years ago

(mistful pointed me this way)

Congratulations on being published! I think this is why we need blogs. I love the idea of knowing authors before I even read thier work!

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:38:59 UTC 3 years ago

Re: (mistful pointed me this way)

Thank you! Is there anything in particular you would like to know? My favourite cake is spelt and apple...

[info]unomesowell

3 years ago

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[info]sluzan

3 years ago

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[info]unomesowell

3 years ago

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[info]smallq

June 26 2008, 20:51:33 UTC 3 years ago

Congratulations on your book.
I will try to remember to grab it if I see it.
Good luck.

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:39:11 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you!

[info]padparadscha

June 26 2008, 20:55:26 UTC 3 years ago

Greetings! Barged forth here, as did many others, from Sarah/[info]sarahtales, and am now insanely jealous because you're like 9 months older than me and have a book deal and that's amazing. Also, do you mind a friending?

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:40:25 UTC 3 years ago

Yes, but I havelost 13 bank cards in the last two months, so in many ways I am a disgrace of a human being.

I would love a friending - who doesn't like friends? They are handy for sleepovers and cocktail parties.

[info]padparadscha

3 years ago

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Anonymous

June 26 2008, 21:32:11 UTC 3 years ago

Let me only say one thing: Brava! I lied I have another thing to say: all hail the awesome witches.

[info]sluzan

June 26 2008, 23:40:39 UTC 3 years ago

Hail Hail :)
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