When you imagine a strong female character, you may envision a superhero, but that isn't always the case. The word "strong" is very subjective and every writer has their own definition, but there are a few principal ways to convey the strength of your female character. Continue reading for 10 tips on how to write a strong and realistic female-identifying character!
Avoid Stereotypes
Women are often portrayed as weak and lesser than men, but to create strong and realistic female characters, you should avoid these stereotypes. Including cliches and stereotypes about the women in your novel will kill your story. Clichés are tropes or expressions that have lost their originality due to overuse. When you write it is important that you don't incorporate clichés or stereotypes because they can be offensive and they don't demonstrate your creativity. To write realistic female characters, make sure they are original and don't rely on old stereotypes. Listed below are stereotypes to avoid:
The delicate and innocent young girl, who knows nothing about the world.
The stay-at-home mother whose whole purpose is to be a wife.
The most beautiful girl in the world, who has zero physical flaws.
The damsel in distress, who can't fight for herself.
The heartless, standoffish woman who is only vulnerable around guys.
Show More Than Looks
The appearance of your female character shouldn’t be her only trait. You should describe your character's physical appearance only if it has importance to the story or to engage readers. You don't want to sexualize and focus so much on your character's appearance, that she doesn't have any other attributes. Relying on just the image of your female character won't make her seem realistic or well-rounded. As a writer, you don't want to perpetuate the belief that a woman's personality is her appearance, instead, she should have other features. Before writing your novel, make sure your female character has flaws, motivations, and a backstory just like any other character. Characters are what make your story, so they should be developed and interesting. Press the button below for tips for describing a character's appearance.
Ensure she has Flaws
As previously mentioned, your female character should be flawed. Perfect characters create boring stories, which is why your characters need to have struggles. Your female character shouldn't have flaws just to impact the male characters in your story, instead, she should have flaws that have no relation to men. She should be detailed with flaws, fears, and quirks. Incorporating these elements into your story will give her more obstacles to overcome. Remember that even the strongest women have weaknesses, but that’s what humanizes them and makes them real. Plus, no one is perfect, which is why readers will relate to characters that have their own fears and flaws. Consider your own flaws and fears and include them in her character.
Mention Bodily Functions
Although this tip isn't necessary it can help your character appear more alive to readers. In fiction, women are often written without physical imperfections or flaws, but as mentioned this isn't true. Just like men, women experience bodily functions, but this isn't discussed much in literature. As you write, think about mentioning bodily functions. Does she get car sick? Does she have something stuck in her teeth? Does she sweat excessively when she is nervous? Does she sunburn easily? Does she burp when drinking soda?
Give her Many Strengths
There are multiple kinds of strengths: physical strength, mental strength, confidence, and more. Your female character doesn't have to exert only one type of strength. Even if she isn't very strong physically, she could still be very intelligent and emotionally strong. For example, maybe your character is a heart surgeon who is extremely smart and educated, but who also knows how to box on the side. These are all ways in which you can be strong. Your female characters should have their own strengths and abilities because there isn't just one strength embodied by every woman.
Write her a Backstory
Just like any male character your female characters should have backstories. Readers want to know who this character is and how she got to this point in her life. As you craft your character, make sure you know about her past and the experiences she has endured. For example, your character may be shaped by where she grew up. Maybe it is a dramatic event she had to endure? Whatever aspect of their past it may be, get to know your character’s story and history. By identifying their backstory you are sure to learn what motivates them and what scares them.
Give her Goals
Your female characters should have goals that motivate them and drive the story. If your female character doesn’t want anything, then her character probably isn't needed in the story and you may find yourself relying on sexist clichés. Even if she is a minor character, there should be something that she is looking for. While detailing the goals of your female characters, they mustn't always relate to men. In some cases, your female character may have a goal that revolves around men, but that isn't true for every woman. In order for her to feel life-like, she should have a life outside of men. To do this, she should have goals that do not revolve around a man.
Incorporate Complex Emotions
Your character may be strong, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't experience emotions. Having complicated emotions is normal and your female characters should encounter them. In the media, women are often seen as being wildly emotional (i.e. too sad, too sappy, too obsessive, etc), which is why though your character should experience complex emotions, it shouldn't become her whole personality. Let her experience complicated emotions, instead of having her entire personality revolve around one specific emotion. As you write, make sure that your character is layered and that she faces complex feelings. You should give your female character the same messy range of emotions that you experience.
Include Female Friends
Granting your character female friends will make her seem realistic and three-dimensional. Your female character shouldn't exist just for men and giving her female friends steers from that. Giving your character female allies is one way to show that her character has personality and isn't just for men. Her closest friend doesn't need to be female-identifying, but there should be some other female that she encounters. You should never have just one female character in your story.
Let her Grow
Lastly, your character should have a meaningful character arc, she should change in some way throughout the story. Even a strong woman should have a character arc that lets her grow in the story. There should be something that she learns and changes in the story.
Accurately portraying females in fiction is super important, especially for young girls. When you write an empowering and realistic female character, it gives women someone to look up to. Even if a woman is already strong on her own, reading about a strong woman can boost her confidence. These 10 tips are sure to help you write a valiant but accurate woman.
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