In response to a recent posting by Kait Nolan, Why Portraying Strong Women Is Important, I had to ask myself how strong my characters were that I used in my stories. So I gave this some thought. 
I think when you first start out with writing the characters tend to be kind of weak out of fear of publishing your first story. But with each new story I have published I have noticed that each character, whether it is a newly created one or one being carried along in a series tends to become stronger in general.
Karla who was in my first story, Friends of Choice, was a combination of meek and strong. Her strength came from her naivety. She isn’t stupid; she just thinks that no one could ever do something like that to her. As the series continues she becomes a little bit wiser as time passes but she is still that meek girl originally portrayed. But her counterpart in the story, Carol, she is and was portrayed as the strong one and continues to be that way. Even though she battles her own addiction she is less likely to suffer from depression or let anyone step on her. By rights, because of her character build I do believe she really shouldn’t have an addiction problem. But maybe I am mistaking her strength as just pure brutish instead. I mean she is kind of a bully in the first story.
In Aaron and Keja, I found that Aaron is a very strong character right from the start. This is kind of interesting for me. I never really gave this much thought even when I was developing the story. I just kept writing and this is what I got.
Then in Witch Book, there is two strong characters, maybe three if I count Wenda. So when the third book comes around I wonder if they will be portrayed in Amazonian fashion. That would be funny. Maybe I will find out when I begin working on the next book for November. I am planning on it being my next NaNoWri Mo Wip.
I don’t know if Road Salt will be done by then, but I will take time out for NaNo to begin the next Orgarlan Book.
Linda Nelson 
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