Polls for Our Souls discussion

what type of characters would you like to see more of in books?

i would like to see more goths\punks, metalhead, etc in books mostly because i consider myself a goth\metalhead.

More boy/girl platonic friendships would be awesome. I would love more characters that are into anime/manga. I get so hyped for those. Also, I need characters with body tattoos, characters that are promiscuous but aren't categorized as sluts, bitches, etc., characters that are aromantic, characters that are all about the environment, characters that are butt monkeys for everything...that's all I can think of for now, lol.

Like L.C. Perry, I'd definitely like to see more boy/girl platonic relationships and more aromantic asexual characters. And characters who are asexual but not aromantic.

Gender-inverted cliches/archetypes; like the male Femme Fatale or the female Grizzled Veteran.

I like to see more variety of creative creatures with unique skill/power sets. So many times it seems there are stories about the same creatures, vampires, werewolves, zombies, etc. [That's not to say that there are not many great stories with these creatures.] I've enjoyed many, but I really look forward to new creatures in fiction, such as the hybrid in "Underworld", the silver tongue in "Inkheart" and even to a lesser degree [since there isn't a lot on there history etc., werecats in "The Inheritance Cycle".

If you know of any other such great characters and stories please let me know. Thanks! Blessings on your journey and adventures!

more platonic friendships in general. I really love amazing girl friendships.

More disabled characters (physical, mental, cognitive etc).

Catherine wrote: "I'd also love if characters could start having mental health traits be just that, traits. Having whole stories be solely about mental health is good for exposure, but often makes the character and their mental health one in the same instead of the character being dynamic."

I can understand where you're coming from, but I strongly disagree. People suffering from mental illness aren't only defined by it, but it's a big part of who they are because unfortunately it defines your life everyday, what you can and cannot do. If there's a character who's said, for example, to be suffering from chronic depression and social anxiety disorder but who just get up every morning and go on their routine like everyone else, it doesn't make sense (and it's insulting for real people who aren't able to just live their life with their mental illness being just a trait among others).

More strong female characters that aren't made to be a bitch in the hopes that that will make them seem strong. Women can be strong without having an attitude problem or being mean or cruel.

Catherine wrote: "Catherine wrote: "Catherine wrote: "I'd also love if characters could start having mental health traits be just that, traits. Having whole stories be solely about mental health is good for exposure..."

I understand and respect your opinion. We obviously disagree because of our own personal experience. Yours is that you're able to go through life even when it's really hard and you'd like to see more people doing so in books, movies, shows, because you feel like your efforts aren't appreciated when you work really hard to be able to live your life in the most "normal" way possible with mental illness, like you don't get support and recognition for everything you're doing. Mine is that I can't do most things that are part of a "normal" life because of mental illness, that I have been recognized disabled because of it, and that I would like for people to stop saying we could do it if we really wanted to. Like they think we don't wish we could at least be able to do some things, like we're too lazy to just get up and go get a life.

Of course, that doesn't mean I don't want mental health rep like yours and only characters suffering from mental illness to have the same story as my life (no one would care to read about this anyway, not in fiction). It's the "mental health being just a trait" that I disagree with, because it sounds like it would only be mentioned among other things such as the hair color of the character without having any impact in their life (which is impossible, it has an impact on your life too even if you do have a life). Also, you have all my support and I'm really proud of you (I don't care if I don't know you, I'm proud of every single person who's suffering from mental illness and fighting). Never give up ♥

Not commenting on the topic, just showing love to those of you struggling with mental illness. You are loved.♥️

Grace wrote: "More strong female characters that aren't made to be a bitch in the hopes that that will make them seem strong. Women can be strong without having an attitude problem or being mean or cruel."

Hello Grace can you name any favorites already out there that you feel fit this type? Thanks.

Great topic. I agre With more Health representation, and platonic friendships.

I would add, characters that are avarage, aka a character that is neither Perfect at "everything" they do, neither are they awfull at it. It seems like characters are either or. Like.. there re plenty of People in the middle.

Also characters that dont aspire to be lawers\doctors \etc but want to be jobs like, bakers\shop keepers\Teachers.

Oh, like a dude that teaches baking by doing traveling shows in shops! Plus, you can add a Winnebago to boot for extra zest! And local-sourced ingredients, all level-7 Vegan, non-GMO, cage-free and free-range.

J.N. wrote: "Oh, like a dude that teaches baking by doing traveling shows in shops! Plus, you can add a Winnebago to boot for extra zest! And local-sourced ingredients, all level-7 Vegan, non-GMO, cage-free and..."

hihihi that would be fun!

@Catherine Thank you for your support and for being an advocate too ♥

@Oda Renate 100% agree. I read a book last year where the main character wasn't the best at all, but she didn't suck either and I really appreciated it. Also, more characters that aren't described as either beautiful or ugly. Basically, more books where authors understand that people aren't only one thing or the other!

I just thought about something else: 100% agree with more bi rep, but also pan characters. I talked to someone who has never read a book where at least one character was pan and they feel like no author want to represent them, which is awfully sad.

Catherine wrote: "I thought of something else; I'd love books where there are more women in male dominated roles, and men in female dominated roles, especially in the workplace. This is obviously warrior aside becau..."

ooo I love that switheroo idea :D

I have more things to add! I want more unique love triangles. Triangles where a bisexual or pansexual man or woman has to choose between a guy/woman, guy/non-binary person, woman/non-binary person, etc.

I want black princesses and Asian witches and demisexual cheerleaders and biromantic antagonists and biracial of all kinds (half black/half white, half Korean/half Japanese, half Native American/half Filipino, etc).

More Native American, Vietnamese, Jewish, etc. characters in general would be great.

And yes to the ones who said to diversify paranormal creatures! I'm currently querying a paranormal book with sapphic jiangshi, bi and ace pisachas, pansexual incubus, etc. Here's to hoping it'll be traditionally published one day ^^

Librarians who don't fit one of two clichés:
1. Bun, glasses, cardigan, sensible shoes
2. Hair dyed blue or green or pink, goth clothes, lots of piercings

More books about art and artists

Stories about women in their 50s and 60s and 70s who still find partners, and who are not portrayed as ridiculous for still being interested in love

More good science fiction stories with robots. I like robots.

More best friends/platonic relationships. More parents and kids doing stuff together; more middle-aged and elderly main characters. Ditto most of the above.

I have depression and migraines, so I was daydreaming about writing about a character with migraines who gets captured and tortured but it's during a migraine, so the character doesn't respond to the torture because the migraine is worse.

I agree with everything so far, especially the platonic friendships (I'd love to see those where the girl isn't defined by being a tomboy or the boy isn't obviously gay too, especially in YA) and platonic friendships in general. Including boys showing love for friends without having to be gay or be worried about looking gay.

I'm a childhood cancer survivor, and my friends and I talk about how there's very few books that portray survivors, both in fiction and nonfiction. Most of the cancer books out there are about kids going through treatment with the expectation that they or their cancer friend or their sibling with cancer are going to die. I want to see more books where a character has battled childhood cancer and deals with it in his/her life but is also discovering themselves in other ways. I think people, both survivors and not, need to see this kind of story to know there is hope.

Catherine wrote: "Celia wrote: "I agree with everything so far, especially the platonic friendships (I'd love to see those where the girl isn't defined by being a tomboy or the boy isn't obviously gay too, especiall..."

Thank you.

I want to write a memoir but I know that's just the beginning. There needs to be more stories about children who have fought cancer and other serious illnesses and are living life with that in their past, not fully behind them but not the center of the book either.

- Platonic boy/girl friendships yes please

- Girls who are the crafty/mastermind type. I feel like girls have done pretty well breaking into the warrior archetype (which is great), but not so much the plotting scheming just-as-planned type.

Girls/women in typically male jobs and the other way round. Like give me female pilots and engineers and male kindergarten teachers!

I would love gender neutral characters, asexual characters etc.
And also every once in a while, complex characters that can really be analyzed but don’t contradict themselves.

platonic, asexual (I literally can't name an asexual character off the top of my head which is very disturbing), diversity in general (I am Indonesian and I have never read a book that even mentions Asian culture outside of China, Japan, Korea, etc...all the big "important" Asian nationalities), more representation of culture, LGTBQ (everyone says this and it's improving but still not enough), mental illnesses (depression, anxiety, OCD, multiple personalities), characters who fit into more than one "mold", different religions, recovering addicts or alcoholics, artists who don't just paint or draw, teens who aspire to work jobs that aren't well-known or conventional (wedding planner, movie sets/behind-the-scenes work, store owner, flavorologist AKA food taster, blogger, etc.)

@Anni "We Rule The Night" by Claire Eliza Bartlett (I think that's the name) is about female engineers, pilots and soldiers

Platonic friendships.
Complex characters with amazing character development.
Healthy relationships — good communication.

Adult children whose chosen family includes chosen parents.

Older characters and protagonists that are fully developed and aren't just a collection of old people jokes. Every time I read a character who's supposed to be in their sixties or seventies I think of the people I know in that age bracket and get very confused.

I agree with everyone wishing for more asexual characters - I would also love to read more books about characters who are asexual or on the ace spectrum.

I wanna see more protagonists being the ''villains''
Like not everyone is so goody tooshie and not everyone is just simply a villain

Plus I wanna see more characters with mental health issues BUTTTT let that not be their only story line

Yess I agree with Andreas in all points!

Also, diverse characters in fantasy and sci-fi. I feel like we mostly find queer, poc and mentally ill characters in contemporary but who says knights, witches or aliens can't portay diversity too?!

Would love to see a male /female buddy detective or crime fighting duo, but without it ending with them hooking up. Good friend chemistry but no romantic chemistry on either side (not a fan of one pining after the other). Something like an Anita Blake and Edward pairing from Laurel K Hamilton's Anita Blake series. They get together to kill the bad guys and cause good mayhem, but have zero romantic interest in each other. I feel like we need more of that.

Male main characters and love interests that are plus-sized but it’s not their defining trait. Female characters too, but I’ve noticed progress in that regard lately.

I'd like to see more asexual and demisexual characters