Let’s talk strong female characters. Wait, let’s take us to the next step and talk about creating a strong female character who is not an asshole. Now especially if you are writing a genre like fantasy, this could get complicated. You may create a female character who’s got a shit load of physical strength, well yea once you're done she may just look like another one of those asshole characters. And we don’t want that now, do we. But I have 6 amazing tips for you, so you can create a great female characters. Like this post if you are excited and you want to see more like these. Subscribe so you don’t miss out on any content and of course to claim your free writing templates. Now without ant further ado lets get into the tips.
1. What is strength?
Now here’s the deal, strength doesn’t only mean physical strength. Especially when you’re creating characters it's very important to keep this in mind. If every single one of your female characters can wield a sword and beat every single person they know, its not realistic. Different people have different strengths. And guess what? The same goes with women. Can you have female characters who fight? Of course you can! But that shouldn’t be what defines them. That should not be what makes them strong. Have characters who don’t fight, who fight, who play around with makeup and who love how they look. Have characters who are very smart. Strength comes in so many forms, wielding a sword doesn’t automatically make a character strong.
Your character will have to endure pain and just push through the life you give them, that is strength. If a character helps someone else, its strength too. Are they kind and just very good people? Congratulations that’s a strength too. Creating a strong female character doesn’t just mean giving her a sword and a group of guy friends. Also, I’d love to see some really nice female friendships and not the two female characters hating each other. But that’s a topic for another day.
2. Weaknesses please
Now that she has a strength, let’s move on to her weakness. Now do you think that’s counterproductive? Or that having a weakness will make her….well too weak? You mu friend are wrong. No one is all strength and not weakness. The same goes for your female character. And ever character you write for that matter. No one can relate to a perfect character who’s too perfect. I know I certainly can’t. No one is perfect and everyone is scared of something. Now when I talk fears I’m talking fear In all levels. Loosing a family member or friend is a great fear but make sure to give them shallow ones too. Them being scared of a spider or the dark or sharks or well you decide. But that doesn’t mean the internal fear isn’t important. It’s very important. In fact it’s the fear that defines a lot of what they do.
But seriously, if you are trying your hand at strong female characters, I beg you don’t make her invincible and fearless. That’s not strong, that’s annoying. And a character overcoming her deepest fear takes strength.
3. Let her cry
I had to have this one here. I’ll let you in on a secret, if your character is having a crappy day or week or…life. She can cry. It doesn’t make her any less strong. It makes her human. Everybody has bad days and you know what crying is then, healthy. Bottling up ones emotions shouldn’t be what makes them strong. Let her cry, let her be angry. Its okay. We know that she’s still strong.\
4. She can be girly…or a tomboy
I’m sure you know exactly why this has to be a point. A lot of people get this wrong. Listen to me very carefully, women have different personalities and interests. As much as we love seeing the snarky, sarcastic and gorgeous mc who never hangs out with girls and is just “not like other girls”, its not the only thing out there. Seriously, some girls love dressing up. And some don’t. But loving make up and clothes is really awesome. If you write a character like that, she is still strong. She can be either way and it’s fun to see female characters represented in different ways. Whatever you can do things both ways. Have fun.
5. Her looks need to be realistic
There’s not much I have to say for this, but women also look different. I know, isn’t it surprising that all women don’t have tiny waists and are super curvy and have long shiny hair and you get where I’m going with this. Don’t have all your female characters looking the exact same it simply does not make sense. Also we have all read that one book (or hundred books) where every other character in the book is in love with her. Don’t do that. This probably should have its own point but I’m the one writing this so I’m including it here. It makes no sense. Why? Well because people have a type. Why does everyone like her? why is she everybody’s type? She’s probably not is she? Take care of that. And now back to her looks. She doesn’t have to look perfect. That’s right I said it.
And another thing I have to say is its really awesome to write characters comfortable with how they look and with their bodies. Just saying, because a lot of characters I see are convinced they are plain when everyone else describes them to look like a god. They can be comfortable with who they are you know.
6. Give her goals
This one’s obvious, isn’t it? Like people in real life, characters need to have motivations. She needs to have one primary motivation and guess what it can be a selfish one. Actually, a lot of people's motivations are selfish and that isn’t always a bad thing. She wants to save the world? Great! That’s awesome. But why? There may just be another reason and that’s up to you to find out. Saving the world is an amazing and noble cost but not everyone things of the greater good all the time. Do they have a friend or a family member who they cannot loose? Who’ll be in danger with everybody else. Or if they are the chosen one are they doing this because someone’s forcing them? Find this out. Live in your characters head for a while and you’ll know. This one isn’t specific to female characters but one thing I do see a lot in poorly written female characters is that they don’t have a single motivation. A lot of the them don’t even have a life outside their significant other. Don’t make that same mistake. Give her a strong motivation and her own path to take. Something she needs tp achieve and a strong reason as to why?
That’s it for today I hope this post helped you to write your female character. Be sure to like and comment down below and tell me who your favourite female character is. And then go find out why she’s your favourite and what makes her strong. Be sure to share this with your writer friends and subscribe so you don’t miss out on any more amazing content I have for you. That’s all for this post and be sure to check out some others.