Why a Middle-Aged Protagonist?

In fantasy, protagonists tend to be 10-25 years old, untested and learning a life lesson. Those stories teach us that adults know it all and the young are the only ones who need to keep learning. That's bull crap.

You must keep learning and unlearning in life. Human minds continue to grow and develop, even with accumulated knowledge, or they grow stagnate in their ways, their beliefs, and life. A mid-life crisis is what happens to people who don't.

I looked around my friend group and saw smart, capable middle-aged women: scientists, therapists, teachers, engineers, SAHMs, and creatives-real contributors to our society. I thought, what if they were witches, sirens, or powerful supernaturals? They'd save the day and provide snacks afterward.

©TJ Deschamps

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