There are plenty of less than savoury tropes that probably need to be gently retired or at least adjusted and not used wholesale. The 'not like the other girls' trope for instance, or its close cousin 'girl on girl hate'. However, that doesn't mean that all friendship depictions in fiction should be passive and free of conflict. In real life and in fiction, we learn about ourselves via our relationships with others. Friendships are an important part of that. The dragons are generally against prescriptive writing advice and sweeping generalisations in what you can and can't include in fiction. With that in mind, is there a place for the 'queen bee/ mean girl' trope? What about female characters in competition with each other? Or friendships being depicted in an unhealthy way? This week Jules and Madeleine delve into the value of using these sorts of trope in speculative fiction. Under the microscope this week: Daredevil, Mean Girls, I am the Silence and many more.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Episode 337: Relatable or Debateable - Avoiding Mediocre Main Characters in Speculative Fiction.
Episode 336: The Lesser of Two Evils - Creating Moral Dilemmas in Speculative Fiction
Episode 335: Cottage Core & Interdimensional Cafes - Cosy Speculative Fiction
Episode 334: Devotion, Betrayal & Misadventure - Queer Romance in Speculative Fiction
Episode 333: Manners Morals & Monsters - the Growing Trend of Regency Fantasy
Episode 332: Girls With Glass Slippers - Tracing the Origins of Cinderella
Episode 331: Every Act of Creation is an Act of Parody - Filk Music & Fandom in Speculative Fiction
Episode 330: Soaring Brooms & Leaping Sharks - Sport in Speculative Fiction
Episode 329: The Heart of the Carnival - Circuses Amusement Parks & Fair Grounds in Fiction
Episode 328: Getting Your House in Order - 15 things writers shouldn’t do and 5 things they should
Episode 327: White as Snow, Red as Blood - Tracing the origins of Snow White
Episode 326: The Buttery Goodness - What Makes a Story Grab it’s Audience (Part Two)
Episode 325: The Buttery Goodness - What Makes a Story Grab its Audience (Part One)
Episode 324: Dodging the Pulpit - Preachiness in Speculative Fiction and How to Avoid It
Episode 323: Judge Me Not By My Works - The Problem of Labelling Authors
Episode 322: Girls Who Stray From the Path - Tracing the Journey of Little Red Riding Hood
Episode 321: Lesbians against Drink Driving - The Problem of the Activist Character in Speculative Fiction
Episode 320: Within these Hallowed Halls - Dark Academia in Speculative Fiction
Episode 319: Love Never Dies - Romance and Obsession in Speculative Fiction
Episode 318: Mjolnir, Carnwenhau & Sting - Signature Weapons and Combat Mistakes in Speculative Fiction
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