I'm a Man Writing a Novel Full of Women, My Main Antagonist is Scrapped and I Just Gave My Protagonist a Sex Change

Welcome to the wonderful world of editing!

After a wearisome six hours of hacking and slashing away at my manuscript that would put my Diablo II days to shame, I comitted to an undesired decision--namely, I cut the main antagonist out of the novel. He's gone. You won't ever see him. You never even learned his name.

I had nothing against him. Really. He was a lovely enough bloke, I suppose, but he was lacking in the personality department and frankly he was an embarrassment of a villain. How do I know this? Well, when your antagonist's minions seem more menacing than their own boss I think it's time to consider scrapping the head honcho and rethinking the power structure of your baddies.

It hasn't been a total loss, however. I'd like to formally congratulate Madame White, that unseemly demonic figure who, if she had a flavour, I could only describe as honeyed gravel. MW, you've earned yourself a promotion to main antagonist of the novel; enjoy it, because you've certainly earned it. My condolences to the main protagonist and to the reader--this will inevitably move the novel to a heavier and darker direction than I had initially intended.

Another realization that I came upon is that with the removal of my male antagonist, my novel is now almost completely dominated by women--something that I had not intended, nor thought possible when I began the manuscript towards the end of 2009 or when I hit the final keys to produce "The End" a year later. Of course, "The End" is merely for the amusement of us writers who are well aware that finishing a novel is only the beginning of our labour.

...Where was I? Oh yes, the saturation of women in my novel. Unexpected, but a welcome addition. Although I have noticed while stalking many of my fellow bloggers that there exists a general sense of uneasiness when it comes to writing outside of their gender identity. Maybe it's my lifelong affinity for David Bowie and Marilyn Manson, or maybe it's my pronounced lack of traditionally "masculine" qualities, but I don't find this to be a daunting task. Challenging, that is for certain, but not something to be feared. Regardless, fundamentally we're all the same. Men and women alike inherently possess some enviable qualities and do their best to hide or otherwise mask their qualities which are not so pleasant. Men and women both want to make a difference, to be remembered, to make an impact. Be it man or woman, we all shed tears of sadness and happiness, feel the sting of regret, and endure years of pain and mixed blessings. Ultimately we're all marching toward the grave. When it comes right down to it, are we really that different?

Tangential soapbox aside, I'd also like to announce that my main character is no longer a man. I think he will make a splendiferous she. I was asked by a close friend if changing the gender of my main character would complicate the love interest, what with having to turn her into a man to make this a heterosexually approved novel. Ultimately however, I have decided that any book that dabbles in vampirism, demonic figures, our baser instincts and unconventional relationships couldn't possibly be hurt with some lesbianism thrown into the mix.

So, I've completely decimated the natural order of my manuscript in six short hours. Who wants a drink?

This Novel Requires a Touch of Taoist-Eviscerating-Snow-Woman

It's not every day that I get to write a header like that. But on that note, I believe now is as good of a time as any to share a little about my dark fantasy work in progress.

It's no secret that my WIP contains a great deal of morally questionable actions carried out by morally questionable characters. But none are so cruel as Madame White. In pondering the mannerisms, characteristics, and appearance of such a terror I turned to the darkest corners of eastern supernaturalism and folklore for inspiration. While her name itself is the title of one particular demon I researched, she is actually a blended beast of sorts; the result of a dabbling author with many inspirations. My Madame White is not the result of one culture, but three: Taoist, Chinese and Japanese. In particular, I borrow heavily from the mythologies of White Lady, The Legend of the White Snake, Yuki-Onna (Lady of the White Snow) and several unnamed demons.

Common depiction of Yuki-Onna; one
of the inspirations for Madame White

While there is a sorrowful aspect to many of my inspirations, it goes without saying that without the horror factor of these characters, it's unlikely that they would have survived for so long in the common mythology of storytelling. On one level I suspect that it's related to our fascination with appearances (particularly when said appearances don't match up with reality). For example, while my mistress is always clothed in fine white silk and other linens, speaks calmly, and is quite the sight to behold, she also carries a penchant for viscera and human organs, especially the heart and liver. Needless to say, the several chapters that my main character suffers under her imprisonment is an experience that he never forgets.

If you're writing within the fantasy genre--or if you just want to brush up on your demonology--I encourage you to take a look at A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits. It has served as a great provider of information and inspiration. Within, all the demons are topically sorted, divided into five common categories: water, mountain, forest, desert, domicile and psyche. While each demon is limited to a few brief pages, the text is always tantalizing; certainly juicy enough to pique your imagination.

My question for you today is this: what have you read that inspired you and/or served as the eventual basis for one (or more) characters in your WIP?