We all love the Strong Female Character. Why? Because gone are the days of the damsel in distress. We don’t want Prince Charming to swoop in and save the day — we want our strong female character to save herself. And the day. And probably the prince too, while she’s at it. But, unfortunately, the Strong Female Character has become a stereotype. An annoying one.
In most YA books today, you can find a Strong Female Character leading the story with an iron fist and a leather jacket and probably short hair because ALL TOUGH GIRLS HAVE SHORT HAIR.* Our Strong Female Character can probably also fix cars, beat people up, and fire an automatic weapon in her sleep BECAUSE SHE’S JUST THAT STRONG.** But here’s my question: does a physically tough character make for a “strong” character?
Don’t get me wrong: I love tough girls in fiction — girls who aren’t afraid to get dirt under their fingernails and even punch someone in the face if necessary. But I’m growing tired of seeing the Strong Female Character just become the Mean, Cynical, And Rude Female Character. That’s not a good role model for anyone to look up to, boy or girl. And today I’d like to suggest that we can create female characters who are both strong AND kind — female characters who are both lovable AND fierce.
As a writer, this is something I’ve put a lot of thought into. So today I’ve compiled a list of 6 steps make your Strong Female Character ACTUALLY strong… and not annoying, either!
*note the sarcasm please lol… that’s not why I cut my haiR DON’T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT.
**note the sarcasm AGAIN please
#1. LET HER HAVE ACTUAL WEAKNESSES
All characters must have weaknesses. We know this. But do we actually give our strong female characters ENOUGH weaknesses? I know, I know. That sounds like an oxymoron: THE STRONG CHARACTER IS WEAK. But that’s reality! All humans have flaws, male or female. So first and foremost, you need to make sure your strong female character has an ACTUAL WEAKNESS* — something that debilitates her, either physically, mentally, or emotionally. Something she has to deal with every day, and work through in order to achieve her ultimate goal.
A great example of this: Hawk from The Blood Race. On a daily basis, Hawk struggles with PTSD and disturbing memories from her past. In fact, this is a huge theme in the book — seeing yourself as you are, not as you were. Hawk is a totally kick-butt strong female character, but her PTSD makes her vulnerable at times. It’s something she battles throughout the book and eventually has to overcome.
*not “perfectionism” please just don’t
#2. LET HER BE A GIRL
The thing that bothers me the most about the stereotypical Strong Female Character is that most of the time SHE JUST ACTS LIKE A GUY. Somehow, that’s all it takes to be strong! < it makes me angry. How is this a celebration of females??? If a girl likes leather jackets and short hair and tattoos, COOL. That’s her personal preference and power to her! But if another girl likes to wear pink dresses and paint her nails, does that make her weak? NO. It’s the inner strength that matters. Your outer appearance/hobbies/wardrobe has nothing to do with being courageous. This is not to say I don’t like female characters who are tough tomboys… but I would like to see “girly” female characters get a chance to show their strength, too.
A great example of this: Cress from The Lunar Chronicles. Ah, Cress — the cinnamon roll of TLC (besides Thorne of course.) She’s not your typical Strong Female Character; she likes fancy dresses, cute boys, and singing opera to pass the time. But she’s also a hacker, a rebel, and saves the day on more than one occasion. She’s sensitive and kind, but courageous when she needs to be. SHE’S BOSS. And girly. And a fabulous role model.
#3. LET HER LEARN SOMETHING FROM A MAN
WAIT WAIT WAIT PLEASE DON’T RUN AWAY SCREAMING. I can explain. I’m all about girls breaking stereotypes by doing things that are considered “a man’s job,” like fixing cars or building houses or beating people up — but where did these fictional girls LEARN to do all this stuff??? Some of them are self-taught, and that’s awesome. But I’d just like to remind my fellow writers that IT’S OKAY TO LET A FEMALE CHARACTER LEARN A THING OR TWO FROM A MALE CHARACTER. That doesn’t take away from her awesome female power! The fact is, most things that are stereotyped as “man’s work” are called that because IT’S JUST MORE COMMON TO SEE MEN DOING THEM. That doesn’t mean a girl can’t do it just as good, if not better!! But it kind of makes sense for her to have learned that thing from a guy.
A great example of this: Victoria from the BBC series Victoria. When the young queen rises to the throne, she doesn’t know the first thing about ruling a country. For a long time, she relies heavily upon the guidance of her friend and Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, who teaches her a lot about what it means to be a leader. Later, Victoria welcomes advice and assistance from Prince Albert, too — when she finally swallows her pride and sees that he knows things she doesn’t. NONE OF THIS takes away from how totally BOSS Victoria is. She’s courageous and stubborn and THE FREAKING QUEEN, but she’s also not afraid to admit that she couldn’t do it alone.
I could watch this gif all day not gonna lie
#4. LET HER BE STRONG WHEN NO ONE ELSE NOTICES
My favorite kind of strong character is the kind that suffers quietly in the background while NOBODY NOTICES THEY ARE SUFFERING. Not only is this a great opportunity to amp up the inner conflict of your characters, it’s also a beautiful way to showcase their strength. It takes a lot of bravery and kindness to quietly face your own challenges without complaining to others. Sometimes the hardest battles are the ones we fight inside our hearts and minds.
A great example of this: Eleanor from Sense And Sensibility. I can relate to Eleanor on a number of levels — especially how she bottles up her emotions. Throughout most of the story, she forces herself to keep a secret that breaks her own heart…all while supporting her brokenhearted sister, who has no idea how Eleanor is suffering inside. But this makes her SUCH A STRONG female character. She doesn’t cry and complain to anyone — she handles her pain with grace and kindness, as hard as it is to bear.
#5. LET HER STRUGGLE
As a woman, I know firsthand — we face disadvantages. This world is not perfect and there are, unfortunately, a lot of hateful and sexist people out there. So if you’re writing realistic fiction, historical fiction, or even a fictional future with different social standards, it might make sense to highlight the disadvantages that women face. THE WORLD IS SEXIST SOMETIMES. But that makes our heroine even stronger when she bucks against societal norms and succeeds despite the obstacles in her way. We need more equality and love in the world — so why not bring these issues into your story?
A great example of this: Jo March from Little Women. I think it’s safe to say that basically nothing comes easy for Jo. In fact, her life seems to be just one struggle after another — but mixed in with the struggle is love, laughter, family, friendship, and everyday magic. That’s what makes her story so real and relatable. Life throws a lot at Jo, but she meets every challenge with strength and courage. She’s also a girl way ahead of her time.
#6. LET HER FAIL SOMETIMES
We’re all human. And all humans fail sometimes (a lot.) It’s not realistic for your Strong Female Character to win every battle and conquer all her enemies in one fell swoop. Let her trip and fall sometimes. Let her be defeated…but not for long. We all love superheroes — but we love them even more when they show their human side. DON’T WORRY THIS IS NOT ANTI-STRONG-FEMALE. I PROMISE. In fact, it makes your character stronger to fail…and get back up again. It’s amazing to see how many times a character can mess up — yet never lose the loyalty of the audience!
A great example of this: Scarlett from Gone With The Wind. If I were to make a list of all the times Scarlett messes things up, we’d be here all day. After fighting her way through fear, anger, love, and heartbreak, she loses the one man who is her equal. SHE FAILS. All because of her narrow-minded selfishness. Yet still, at the end of the story, we care. (Unlike Rhett.) We want to see Scarlett succeed — and maybe grow up a little, too. She’s a character we can believe in — because she’s the furthest thing from perfect.
idk this gif seemed appropriate lol
SO HERE’S THE POINT:
Don’t be afraid to break out of the stereotype of the Strong Female Character. TRUE strength comes from inside — it doesn’t matter what kind of clothes she wears, what kind of hairstyle she has, what kind of vehicle she drives… it doesn’t matter if she’s a sword-fighting pirate or a bookworm barista or a princess who loves diamonds and the color pink. SHE CAN BE A STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER NO MATTER WHAT. So I hope this post has inspired you to rethink your definition of “strong female” and give your character a bit more humanity. I guarantee people will love her even more.
Here are some more totally boss strong female characters that I didn’t have time to fangirl over:
- Dido Lindsay from Belle
- Elizabeth Bennet from Pride And Prejudice
- Emily Brontë from To Walk Invisible
- Anne Shirley from Anne Of Green Gables
- Rose Maylie from Oliver Twist
- Sibyl Crawley from Downton Abbey
- Demelza Carne from Poldark
- Dorcas Lane from Lark Rise To Candleford
- Marian Halcombe from The Woman In White
Let’s talk.
What do you think, my friend? TELL ME WHO YOUR FAVORITE “STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER” IS. Do you ever get annoyed with some strong female characters in YA fiction? What would you like to see MORE OF in books? Let’s discuss this whole thing in the comments below!
rock on,
abbiee
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