Tuesday, April 21, 2015

R is for Redhead: A to Z blogging challenge



Redheads run in my family on my mother's side. Many of us have at least some red to our hair, and one of my cousins inherited the beautiful carroty shade I always coveted to go with my freckles. 

My grandmother was a redhead. I can even kind of remember her as a redhead, though she eventually had to stop dying her hair because the natural white beneath made dyed red hair look Bozo the Clown orange. But Grandma Liz was proud of her red hair, and she remained a redhead her whole, by nature if not by appearance. 

I always liked the idea that having red hair was indicative of your temperament somehow.  My grandfather definitely seemed to think that Grandma's stubbornness, quick temperedness, and impulsive nature all had something to do with her red hair. 

So, that's part of why Patricia O'Neill, one of the main characters in Going Through the Change, is a redhead. 

Real redheads are relatively rare compared to other hair colors. It's my understanding that it's a kind of mutation of the genes that makes it possible. I liked the idea that the mutation of the genes that made Patricia a redhead, and may have contributed to her fiery temperament, also made her susceptible to the superheroic sorts of changes she underwent. I think Grandma Liz would have liked that. 
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This posting is part of the A to Z blogging challenge, in which bloggers undertake to post every day in April, excepting Sundays, which amounts to 26 postings, one for each letter of the alphabet--preferably along a theme. My postings will all be about my debut novel and my experiences writing it and seeing it published.

Blogging A to Z is a great opportunity to connect with some excellent bloggers and interesting people. I encourage you to check out other participating blogs, too!

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7 comments:

  1. My mother was a strawberry blonde. My daughter has the most gorgeous head of red hair, full of copper and gold. Not sure if either of them live up to all the redhead tendencies, but my daughter can cut you down to size with on icy glance of her eyes.
    Visit me at: Life & Faith in Caneyhead
    I am Ensign B of Tremps' Troops
    with the A to Z Challenge

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    1. I don't know if there is any truth in the idea of a redheaded personality, but I like the idea all the same.

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  2. The eponymous Summer in my latest book, Searching for Summer, is a glorious redhead, with temperament to match.

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    1. There's something about natural redheads, for sure.

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  3. I'm not a natural redhead, but I love having red hair when my employment permits it. I've been teased about it before, but I don't care. Red hair rocks.

    https://njmagas.wordpress.com/

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    1. I like to have dramatic hair, too, when I'm not teaching :-)

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  4. Our family has some Scottish roots, so there's definitely some redhead in there :) My father's beard always had lots of ginger in it before it went grey and we, his daughters, always had auburn in our hair as children, until it started going really dark. I like the sound of Patricia and your Grandma Liz :)
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)

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