Agreed, and also, very few interesting characters are all-strong or all-weak! In Disney's *Beauty and the Beast*, for example, the Beast is physically strong and saves Belle from wolves in one scene. And yet the overall plot is similar to *Howl's Moving Castle* and *Jane Eyre* where the psychologically strong woman helps the man with the curse or baggage he is dealing with. While also dealing with her own problems. And allowing herself to accept what he offers (the Beast's library for Belle's curiosity -- finding a kindred spirit). There's give and take.
"Interesting" is the key concept. If writers or marketers decide the most important thing about a character is to be a "good role model" or "good representation" then the character usually ceases to be interesting.
Beauty and the Beast is a great example. I think the world would be so much stronger if marketers decided one day that it’s okay to show people that we are allowed to be human and we need each other.
Excellent article. Our stories should encourage a world where women and men build each other up and not tear down; if it shifts in either other direction, it’s chaos.
“Conversely, a Weak Woman will need a Strong Man, but that's taboo in our culture, for some reason--admitting that a woman might ever be weak for some reason.”
I agree that it’s unfair to imply a woman cannot be weak “because it’s 2024 and progress” women are people and we are GOING to be weak sometimes for many different reasons. We aren’t robots. It’s sexist to imply that admitting a woman might sometimes be weak, is taboo.
I love this--a different take on ~Strong Female Characters~. I would much rather read stories where strong women use their strength to build up others rather than using it to dominate men or weaker women! And I think that's one of the things that a lot of writers get wrong--strength for strength's sake isn't really strength. It's in the laying down of strength for someone who needs help that it really becomes a virtue.
Almost all of my main characters are knights (strong men) who either don't have much confidence in themselves or are immature and need guidance and perspective to fulfill their destinies. Their supports and guides are usually women--a mother, a friend, a future wife, a religious figure, etc.
I think this happens quite a lot in real life. I was reading somewhere that while girls mature faster than boys, in their 20, boys catch up. So think it's pretty common, especially in a young marriage, for the girl to be mentally stronger than her man. But if she invests in him instead of tearing him down, he's going to grow into that man she's always dreamed he could be.
In my latest story, I flip the script. The heroine must be mentored by her slightly older brother and an old man so she can face and defeat the antagonist. From my standpoint as a male writer, it will be a bit more challenging. I expect it will stretch me a little.
You can find "The Jester" finished on my Substack. "The Beacon" is in progress, just starting out. BTW, I used "knights" in a typical sense, not that they are actually knights in shining armor. :)
Really great article. I’ve always found that if an author touts that their story is all about an ideology, no matter what the ideology is, the story is weak. Stories are about change or the lack of change (a tragedy).
I think a lot of women (myself included) are terrified of being perceived as weak because life has showed them weakness often signals to men you’re a carpet to be trampled over.
Therefore they struggle to conceive a female hero who needs help from a man or is determined to raise a man up. The exception might be a father figure, a son or other close relationship with a man without any real love interest potential.
The illusion of the knight in shining armor, flawed or not, has faded. Women are wary of men, for good reasons (I’m still digesting Pelicot’s case), so it makes sense they are writing like that (though I agreed with it’s better when flawed characters help each other out).
I have nothing against stories only about women, potentially the author in question is like me, (I always play female characters in D&D because I personally have a hard time getting into the thinking of men.), but usually when an author announces that sort of thing, it is ideologically motivated. And there will be man bashing. And the women in the story will not have realistic flaws to grow through in the story. Mary Sue’s are boring to me.
All stories are ideologically motivated because no one is immune to ideology — religion, politics, culture and pretty much every social interaction you have is influenced by one or multiple ideological backgrounds. Good writers are just subtle about it. They are also good at creating captivating characters.
Agreed, and also, very few interesting characters are all-strong or all-weak! In Disney's *Beauty and the Beast*, for example, the Beast is physically strong and saves Belle from wolves in one scene. And yet the overall plot is similar to *Howl's Moving Castle* and *Jane Eyre* where the psychologically strong woman helps the man with the curse or baggage he is dealing with. While also dealing with her own problems. And allowing herself to accept what he offers (the Beast's library for Belle's curiosity -- finding a kindred spirit). There's give and take.
"Interesting" is the key concept. If writers or marketers decide the most important thing about a character is to be a "good role model" or "good representation" then the character usually ceases to be interesting.
Beauty and the Beast is a great example. I think the world would be so much stronger if marketers decided one day that it’s okay to show people that we are allowed to be human and we need each other.
Excellent article. Our stories should encourage a world where women and men build each other up and not tear down; if it shifts in either other direction, it’s chaos.
“Conversely, a Weak Woman will need a Strong Man, but that's taboo in our culture, for some reason--admitting that a woman might ever be weak for some reason.”
I agree that it’s unfair to imply a woman cannot be weak “because it’s 2024 and progress” women are people and we are GOING to be weak sometimes for many different reasons. We aren’t robots. It’s sexist to imply that admitting a woman might sometimes be weak, is taboo.
Brilliant post! Thank you for sharing.
I love this--a different take on ~Strong Female Characters~. I would much rather read stories where strong women use their strength to build up others rather than using it to dominate men or weaker women! And I think that's one of the things that a lot of writers get wrong--strength for strength's sake isn't really strength. It's in the laying down of strength for someone who needs help that it really becomes a virtue.
Almost all of my main characters are knights (strong men) who either don't have much confidence in themselves or are immature and need guidance and perspective to fulfill their destinies. Their supports and guides are usually women--a mother, a friend, a future wife, a religious figure, etc.
I think this happens quite a lot in real life. I was reading somewhere that while girls mature faster than boys, in their 20, boys catch up. So think it's pretty common, especially in a young marriage, for the girl to be mentally stronger than her man. But if she invests in him instead of tearing him down, he's going to grow into that man she's always dreamed he could be.
In my latest story, I flip the script. The heroine must be mentored by her slightly older brother and an old man so she can face and defeat the antagonist. From my standpoint as a male writer, it will be a bit more challenging. I expect it will stretch me a little.
Oooh yes! I think that would be super refreshing to read!
These books sound fascinating! Are they published?
You can find "The Jester" finished on my Substack. "The Beacon" is in progress, just starting out. BTW, I used "knights" in a typical sense, not that they are actually knights in shining armor. :)
Really great article. I’ve always found that if an author touts that their story is all about an ideology, no matter what the ideology is, the story is weak. Stories are about change or the lack of change (a tragedy).
I think a lot of women (myself included) are terrified of being perceived as weak because life has showed them weakness often signals to men you’re a carpet to be trampled over.
Therefore they struggle to conceive a female hero who needs help from a man or is determined to raise a man up. The exception might be a father figure, a son or other close relationship with a man without any real love interest potential.
The illusion of the knight in shining armor, flawed or not, has faded. Women are wary of men, for good reasons (I’m still digesting Pelicot’s case), so it makes sense they are writing like that (though I agreed with it’s better when flawed characters help each other out).
I have nothing against stories only about women, potentially the author in question is like me, (I always play female characters in D&D because I personally have a hard time getting into the thinking of men.), but usually when an author announces that sort of thing, it is ideologically motivated. And there will be man bashing. And the women in the story will not have realistic flaws to grow through in the story. Mary Sue’s are boring to me.
All stories are ideologically motivated because no one is immune to ideology — religion, politics, culture and pretty much every social interaction you have is influenced by one or multiple ideological backgrounds. Good writers are just subtle about it. They are also good at creating captivating characters.