Before I was lucky enough to make things up for a living, I had a number of jobs. The first, in high school, was as a telephone solicitor for an insurance company. Hated that. Then I worked as a hostess in a restaurant with a chubby guy in red & white checks on the sign. That wasn’t a lot of fun either, but it was high school, and it was a little extra spending money. Then came the summer jobs in college: camp counselor, day camp counselor and summer dorm repair crew. All of those had their moments. Fast forward to adulthood and the list gets even weirder. Bank teller, receptionist, substitute teacher, elected politician, college instructor, wildlife educator. My original dream was to work with Jacques Cousteau in marine biology, but no way was that going to pan out. Each of those jobs has taught me something, and each has brought me to where I am no, so I’m not complaining a bit.
One question I have for you today is what you wanted to be when you grew up, and if that’s what you ended up doing? Mostly, in honor of Labor Day in the US today, I wanted to get some feedback on the careers of the protagonists in our books. When I was little, romance heroes were doctors or tycoons. The heroines were nurses, or teachers, or secretaries–all valuable vocations, but often tame by the standards of today’s adventurous characters. In science fiction you saw a lot of scientists, military, and explorer archetypes, which now we’re seeing in romance as well.
So tell us: what professions do you like to see in your fiction? More cops? Fewer cops? More scientists? Firefighters? Artists? Teachers? Musicians? More esoteric professions? Something totally different? I’m always curious to see what the reader is looking for.
More blue collar, less white collar heroes
Less homebody type heroines and more adventurous professions
I wanted to be a nurse and wear snazzy white uniforms and marry Dr. Kildare (Richard Chamberlain). Since none of that worked out, it’s a good thing writing books was the backup plan.
As a reader, I don’t usually care what profession book protagonists are in–writers are good at making it all interesting–but I must admit to having a soft spot for educators.
When I was little my first ambition was to be a telephone operator. Like you, I tried a number of things before I wound up pulling stories out of my head.
Wish I could go back and counsel my high school self. I’d have a number of things to say. Like, “When you’re a sophomore in art school, you’ll learn that for every job requiring a BFA, there’s 300 MFA’s applying. Major in graphic arts.”
Oh! And learn to type too!
I wanted to be a doctor, a hairdresser, a solicitor etc… That didn’t happen!!
I would like to see stronger female characters – Muay Thai fighters, Rally Car drivers, Marathon runners etc in books. I enjoy the manly man, one that is good with his hands and can fix stuff! Also men from the wrong side of the tracks (that were misunderstood and really good people).
I really enjoyed the medical backgrounds (nurse practitioner and EMT pilot) in Julie Rowe’s North of Heartbreak. Which is funny, because I cannot watch TV medical dramas (too gory).
I’m getting tired of wedding planners and independent spacer captains. But that just means it isn’t a selling point for me; I will still read books with those types of heroes/heroine if the plot intrigues me. (Zoe from Monster in My Closet is a wedding planner, but I still enjoyed the book)
I love sexy STEM geeks–male and female.
STEM? Samantha, that’s a new one on me. But I’m totally with you on loving my geeks!
I wanted to be a writer, photographer or librarian. Oh or Baker (that lasted 3 months before i quit due to cranky bakers) I ended out as a librarian but turns out that its not all old books and dusty shelves
My current library doesnt even have fiction books!!
For some reason in all the books i read the heroine has a job, but never actually goes to it…I want my characters to have real lives that they can’t drop at a moments notice.
I always wanted to be a marine trainer/vet type person. Not like a Sea World trainer, but ones who helped rehab the animals before putting them back into sea. Or a marine biologists. But I specifically wanted to work with orcas. If I worked on land it would be Big Cats but similar care. Working in a zoo and rehabbing or helping the breeding program. Unfortunately, I sucked at science. Bit of a problem.
What would I love to read now? I want more diverse heroines in the contemporary settings. Something like a vet tech or a kennel tech (a job I had that was hard labor but so rewarding in learning who you were as a person). Something unexpected, not necessarily those particularly. The not so glamorous sides. What about a vampire lady – you know the people who come and stick you for blood at 4am when you’re in the hospital? The jobs tell you about the character and there’s so much diversity around.
I’m really loving all the great suggestions. Thanks, everyone!
I love reading about professions that are totally different from what I do — which is sit at a desk in an office job! Maybe it’s just another quest for a break from my reality!
I’m with Wendy; I love to read characters doing things that are totally different than what I do because I get to learn new things. As far as heroes go, I think firefighters are underrepresented. There are few things sexier than a man willing to brave a burning building for someone’s pet!
When I was a little girl my mother started teaching and I wanted to be just like her. Then in fifth grade I discovered reading and I wanted to be a writer. So now I am a teacher and a writer who is obsessed with firefighters and small towns.
I like anything that’s done well. Give me a homebody kindergarten teacher and I will be happy until she leaves school in the middle of the day without being guilty for abandoning her little darlings.