Character Stereotype? by J. S. Marlo

  

The Red Quilt 

Sweet Christmas Story

 Click here to buy

 

 

  

J. S. Marlo's BWL Books

I often travel to Scandinavian countries mainly because my daughter lives there. There's that stereotypes in movies that Scandinavian have blond hair and fair skin. Is it always true? No. If you have a Scandinavian character, you don't have to give him/her blond hair, but...

Hubby and I were taking a small regional plane from Copenhagen, Denmark, to Turku, Finland, late at night. The airport was almost empty. They're were maybe fifty people waiting at our gate. Men, women, children, and elderly.

As we arrived at our gate after a tight connection, I caught myself stopping in my tracks. Except for the elderly people with white/grey hair, everyone had blond hair. There was every possible shade of blond, but they all fell under the "blond" category.

My hubby has dark brown hair/brown eyes/darker complexion and I have light brown hair/green eyes/fair complexion. Still, we both stood out like a sore thumb, not that anybody paid us any attention, but it was striking, and it got me thinking about characters. Do I want my character to stand out in a crowd, or do I want him/her to blend in? The answer to that question should determine his/her appearance.

Some stereotypes are based on reality and they vary depending on where you are. Still, there are some combinations of physical traits that are way less common than others.

When it comes to natural hair colours, there are five main colours: red, blond, brown, black, and gray/white

- About 1%-2% of people wordwide have red hair (commonly found in Ireland and Scotland)

- About 3% have blond hair (commonly found in Northern Europe and Asia)

- About 11% have brown hair

- Somewhere between 80%-85% have black hair

When it comes to eye colours, there are five main colours: blue, green, hazel/amber, brown, and gray

- About 1% of people wordwide have gray eyes

- About 2% have green eyes (more women than men have green eyes)

- Somewhere between 8%-10% have blue eyes

- About 10% have hazel/amber eyes

- Somewhere between 75%-80% have brown eyes 

And what is the rarest hair/eye colour combination worldwide?

- Red hair & Blue eyes

Next time I have a character on the lam, I'll make sure not to give him red hair and blue eyes... unless she's hiding in Ireland. 

Happy Reading,

J. S.

 

 

J. S. Marlo's Website

Be daring... Be bold... by J. S. Marlo

J. S. Marlo BWL Author Page

The holidays are almost over, and for me this is the time of year to reflect on what I accomplished and to set new goals for next year.

Last summer I wanted a new look so I cut my hair short. I had shed a fur coat from my head and it felt amazing, but something went missing. I had a few hidden purple streaks underneath the top layers that could only be seen when I brushed my hair, quickly moved my head, or ran my finger into my hair. Still, the streaks were there and my little three-year-old granddaughter loved playing in my hair and looking at the purple. After it was gone, she kept asking “Where’s the purple, grand-maman?” – “When are you going to put more purple in your hair, grand-maman?”

I toyed with the idea for months, I browsed through hair pictures, then one day I stumbled onto a woman with short purple and blue hair. I reminded me of the northern lights. It was gorgeous...and daring. I showed the picture of the woman to my granddaughter. She loved the blue with the purple, so mid-December, I told my hairdresser to work her magic. The pic is me. The new “daring” me.

People’s reactions were across the spectrum. “You’re brave” – “I want hair like yours” –  “Why? But why?” – “You’re bold” – “I love it” – “It’s pretty” – “Wow...” (Many different nuances of wow)  – “Don’t worry, your hair will grow back” (I don't want it to grow back...) – “How long is that going to last?” (Hopefully many many months) – “Don’t let my wife see you or she’ll do it too” – “It’s your hair” – “It looks better than I thought it would”

When I go out, some strangers stare silently while others stop me in the store or the street to say they like my hair then they start talking to me about other things. It’s fascinating because I’m still me but some people’s perception has changed. So how do I feel about this?

Well... I like my hair and so does my little granddaughter.

Do someone people think I’m weird? Probably, but in all fairness, I am weird. I write mystery novels and I kill at least one person per book. It does qualify as weird, but deep down, I’m the same person I have always been. Still, I got to interact with lots of new people because I dared color my hair purple and blue.

The point is you never know what’s waiting for you around that daring corner. You may have written a novel but you’re hesitant to submit it because you’re afraid people won’t like it. It’s true that not everybody likes every book—not everybody likes my novels and I don’t like every novel that was ever written—but if you like your book and it makes one person smile, cry, or stay up late at night to finish a chapter, then it’s worth it. Don’t be afraid to try because you’re afraid of what people might think.

Be daring, be bold, but never forget to be yourself!

Happy 2018!

JS Marlo

 J. S. Marlo's Website