resource | no. seven
debbie's corner — for all of your writing needs [resources, researches, advices, etc]
RESOURCE NO. SEVEN
< how to write a female characters >
There's already a bunch of aritcles on how to create good female characters, but the problem is they're bursting at the seams with lengthy essays and so I decided to write my own version and make it shorter.
So this is a guide on how to create a good female character. Enjoy ^^
» Female characters should be characters first and female second. The fact that they're a girls shouldn't get in the way of their other traits. And being a girl isn't a trait >.>
» Don't have your female characters all be y or ty or hot. It's alright to have ONE but too many makes it look like it's the same person over and over again. Changing their name doesn't make them seem different from eachother if they all act and look the same.
» Since we're on that topic, don't have your character's worth reside on her attractiveness entirely. Believe me, it is a great way to get your female readers to hate you.
» Not all women want to be mothers or wives. I can't put into words how much it annoys me when I'm reading a book and the female protagonist goes on and on about how much she wants to marry some stupid man-.
» Having "good" female characters be all cute, sweet, naive and gunk is kind of lazy writing. Having your "evil" female characters be y, have a seductive voice and revealing clothing is also tacky writing. (And by revealing I mean really short skirts or dresses with a low cut so their that just keep popping out)
» Since we're on that topic (again) here's another thing that gets to me. Not all women have perfect curvy figures. Having your character have a super flat stomach, then have the size of Texas and hips as wide as the pacific is highly unbelievable and yet again, you've got girl readers who will hate you.
» Also having your "evil" girls be ugly and repulsive is also lazy writing. Where's the balance guys?
» Making your girl character excel at stereotypical "boy" things is a pretty lazy way of characterizing them. This is used all the time in TV and books. Blurgh. If you want to have your girl be good at mechanics or be a nifty -kicker then give them a reason to know those skills.
» If you're having your female character be the narrator of the story, try NOT to have her describe herself in poetic terms; "Chocolate brown eyes", "Emerald green eyes", "Hair brighter than the sun". It's going to come off as she's self-absorbed. Try to describe her in other ways where she doesn't flatter herself constantly. And NOT with a mirror scene >.>
» If your story is one of romance, please, PLEASE, do NOT have your girl have stupid reasons for liking the guy. Reasons like "Oh he's so handsome/dark/mysterious", "I can see through his disguise even though he's obviously just a massive ". I'm kind of annoyed at how stories these days are so focused on the guy getting the girl. What if the girl doesn't want a boyfriend right now? What if she's got her own stuff to do and doesn't have the time of day to deal with his bullcrap?
» If you want to keep the romance, at least give the two main lovers good qualities. Make them good characters and not Bella Swan/Edward Cullen cut outs. Twilight is a ty romance novel and it's given birth to so many stupid novels that copy it.
» Don't have your female character be the most powerful vampire / werewolf / witch / human / fairy (whatever). It's also tacky writing. It's boring. Readers and viewers want to see a character struggle, because it's REAL. They're not going to be interested in your character at all if they're just over the top perfect with every guy/girl head over heels for them and they have this one character who hates them because they're jealous. It's bad writing.
Right guys that is all I can think about right now.
Comments