I used to not back down from a challenge.
In a novel, I could submerge my ego in a characters and let his perceptions take over.
Having to struggle gave me the chance to demonstrate strength of character.
Hard to be a physics major at Rice University if you have flunked calculus.
I love biomedical science, I love astronomy, and you can't really do much with those in a fantasy setting.
Now my mother, interestingly enough, was not a feminist in her own mind.