What do I do in my writing to smash the patriarchy?
~muuwahahaha~
Sometimes, I create a world that is constructed under a classic patriarchal system, then insert a protagonist raised outside that structure to mock its absurdities and upend its stability.
Sometimes, I create a world where the classic patriarchal roles are gender-flipped. Contrary to the asinine Madonna-complex belief that if women were in charge, there would be no war; my gender-flipped worlds still suffer from bloody conflicts, ruthless power brokers, and shameless opportunists.
Sometimes, I create a world that exists after the fall of the capitalist patriarchy where "traditionalist" movements expose the insecurities that are the backbone of our IRL patriarchy. Behaviors that sprout from those insecurities then shape the villains. Meanwhile, the hero(s) nip that shit in the bud.
Sometimes, I create a world that mirrors our IRL patriarchy, then I build the external conflict around a particular aspect of the patriarchy that the hero struggles to either adapt to, circumvent, or dismantle. Very much like our real lives.
In all instances, no matter how subtle or overt the presence of patriarchy is in my work, my priority is to tell an engaging story. If the reader happens to take away a piece of personal enlightenment or empowerment, then I'm delighted.
The pen is mightier than the sword because it plants a seed in the mind then nourishes the garden.
